Calgary research looks at family court cases [Video]

The University of Calgary is embarking on a research project to remedy the long-standing concern that, for families, there is very little that’s civil about civil courts.

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The university announced this week that it has received almost $27 million in funding from the Alberta Law Foundation to fund two research chairs and a Centre for Transformation.

Ellen Perrault, dean of the university’s faculty of social work, said her decade of experience as a child welfare worker reinforced that more needs to be done in the justice system for children already dealing with a lot at home.

“I know we can do better as a society,” Perrault said in an interview.

“Kids get traumatized even further by their parents fighting, by the violence, by having parents who aren’t able to negotiate, parents who have mental health …