WHAT WE DO
Family support
Supporting parents in exercising their responsibilities and rights across borders.
Transnational family situations often involve very specific issues linked to geographical distance, differences in legal and cultural frameworks and the complexity of family relationships. These realities can make parenting more complex and give rise to questions, communication difficulties or disagreements between parents, which may lead to parental abduction or difficulties in maintaining the relationship between the child and the parent concerned.
In this context, ISS Switzerland offers support to help parents understand their situation and find suitable solutions, always placing the child’s interests and needs at the centre of the process.
Seeking amicable solutions
ISS aims to support parents in seeking amicable solutions and establishing constructive dialogue.
Depending on the specific features of each situation, the applicable legal framework and the needs identified, ISS Switzerland may offer different forms of intervention, including international family mediation, parallel parenting support or individual support for parents.
Thematic consultations
ISS Switzerland also offers consultations on various topics to inform and guide parents facing a transnational family situation. These consultations provide initial insight into the legal, social and practical issues involved and help identify possible resources and steps. The consultations available are:
- Preventing parental conflict
- Preventing international child abduction
- Parental responsibilities and rights
- Binational consultations (in German-speaking Switzerland)
- Adoption and kafala
Parental consensus
Since 2020, ISS Switzerland has been supporting French-speaking cantons in introducing the parental consensus model (the “Cochem” method). Two pilot projects have been developed under ISS Switzerland’s coordination, in the Canton of Valais and the Canton of Fribourg. Proven abroad, the parental consensus model aims to help separating parents find amicable solutions that meet their children’s needs and prevent the children from becoming a stake in the conflict. These solutions include referring parents to mediation and co-parenting support.
ISS Switzerland working alongside the cantons
Since 2020, ISS Switzerland has been supporting French-speaking cantons in introducing the parental consensus model. Two pilot projects have been developed, in Valais and Fribourg.
Valais
Since January 2020, the Canton of Valais has been testing the model in family law proceedings involving minor children.
Fribourg
In 2024, ISS Switzerland was mandated by the Canton of Fribourg to set up a pilot project in three districts in the south of the canton.