THE PARENTING PLAN GUIDE PROJECT
The AFCC Ontario Parenting Plan Guide and Template is one of our most widely used and impactful resources. Developed by a multidisciplinary Task Force, it helps parents, legal professionals, mediators, and judges create child-focused, practical parenting plans following separation or divorce.
Since its original release in January 2020, the Guide and Template have been:
- Widely adopted by lawyers, mediators, and parents
- Cited as a reliable and useful tool in Ontario court decisions (see most recent decision by Divisional Court: Tremblay-Chartier v. Blanchette, 2025 ONSC 6273)
- Translated into French and updated to reflect legal reforms in the Children’s Law Reform Act and Divorce Act (2021)
2026 Task Force Update
In 2026, the Task Force reconvened to review and refine the materials in response to:
- Developments in family law
- Continued high demand and reliance by the courts
- Feedback from the family justice community
The ongoing goal is to ensure the Guide reflects current legislation, best practices, and evolving needs of children and families in Ontario.
Task Force Members
- Prof. Nicholas Bala (Law Professor, Queen’s University) (Chair)
- Rachel Birnbaum (Social Work, Western University)
- Brian Burke (Family Lawyer, Toronto)
- Antoinette Clarke (Mediator, Peel Region)
- Crystal George (Social Services, Aamjiwnaang First Nation)
- Kim Harris (Psychologist, London)
- Rana Pishva (Psychologist, Ottawa)
- Dr. Shelly Polak (Psychologist, Toronto)
- Vicky Ringuette (Lawyer & Mediator, Hamilton)
- Michael Saini (Social Work, University of Toronto)
- Jennifer Wilson (Family Lawyer, Toronto)
- Gol Simaei (Family Lawyer, Toronto)
- Fadwa Yehia (Family Lawyer, Oakville)
- Patric Senson (OCL, Toronto)