The PINS Mediation Project began as a pilot in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. Referrals come from probation intake officers and legal aid or corporation counsel attorneys. A project court liaison worker explains mediation to the referred family. If the family agrees to participate, the worker conducts a preliminary assessment to determine the nature of the problem, followed by assignment to an appropriate mediator. Mediators are lay volunteers recruited from the communities served by the project and trained in mediation skills and techniques. They meet with the families for up to four sessions scheduled a week apart. Multiple sessions are required to reach a comprehensive agreement covering a large number of family problems. During the first year of the project, 233 cases were referred, of which 128 began mediation. A total of 52 families completed mediation by the end of the year, and 19 were still involved. Thus far, less than 8 percent of the families who began mediation have returned to court on new PINS petitions. Followup data on these families in still being collected. Research comparing families choosing mediation with those who choose the court process is continuing. Forms used in the project are included.