A contact centre is a neutral place where children of separated families can enjoy contact with their non-resident parents and sometimes other family members, in a comfortable and safe environment. Child contact services are classified into two distinct categories, supported and supervised (which handle cases with safeguarding issues). Its primary role is to support and promote contact between those

parent A parent is either the progenitor of a child or, in humans, it can refer to a caregiver or legal guardian, generally called an adoptive parent or step-parent. Parents who are progenitors are First-degree relative, first-degree relatives and have ...

s, grandparents, guardians and children that do not have a Residence Order (non-resident parent). Use of a contact centre may be ordered by a

family court Family courts were originally created to be a Court of Equity convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, including custody of children, and could disregard certain legal requirements as long as the petitioner/plaintif ...

in cases where: *contact is being resumed after a break and there are concerns raised by the resident parent. *when there are allegations by either party of **

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

or spousal abuse **

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical abuse, physical, child sexual abuse, sexual, emotional and/or psychological abuse, psychological maltreatment or Child neglect, neglect of a child, especially by a p ...

either;

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...

, emotional abuse or

physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or ...

neglect In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness and ...

*where there is

parental alienation Parental alienation is a theorized process through which a child becomes estranged from one parent as the result of the psychological manipulation of another parent. The child's estrangement may manifest itself as fear, disrespect or hostility tow ...

present or where one of the parties involved in the dispute has an implacable hostility toward another. *where this has been deemed necessary by a

custody evaluator Custody evaluation (also known as "parenting evaluation") is a legal process, in which a court-appointed mental health expert or an expert chosen by the parties, evaluates a family and makes a recommendation to the court for custody matters, usua ...

or child welfare officer for welfare reasons, for evaluation purposes or else as a result of an abuse of power.

United Kingdom

The centres are local projects, run by a range of organisations, including community groups, charities, social enterprises, companies and local authorities. The first contact centre in England opened in 1985 and the first centres in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

opened in 1988. The National Association of Child Contact Centres is the supporting membership body for around 350 child contact centres and services located throughout England (including the Channel Isles),

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. It is the largest in Europe. The majority of centres in Scotland are run by Relationships Scotland]. A Nottingham Magistrate (England and Wales), magistrate, Mary Lower, founded the first child contact centre for private law in 1985. She went on to form the National Association in 1991, continued her involvement as president until she died in 2017. Sir James Munby is now NACCC's president supported by two Vice Presidents ( Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Sir Mark Hedley) and Patron – Sir Andrew McFarlane (President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice). Now an established charity and company limited by guarantee, NACCC has a board of trustees chaired by Hazel Hedley. The staff team are led by the Chief Executive, Elizabeth Coe. Families either apply direct to go to a child contact centre direct or are referred by family

solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...

s, family mediators,

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

s or

CAFCASS The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) is a non-departmental public body in England set up to promote the welfare of children and families involved in family court. It was formed in April 2001 under the provisions ...

officers.

Australia

Children's Contact Services (CCS) are funded under the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

's "Family Relationship Services Program" (FRSP). The services help with handover of children and also provide supervised contact. As of 1 February 2004 there were 35 FRSP-funded Children's Contact Services and a number of non-Australian Government funded services. There is increasing difficulty in this sector, where government supported Child Contact Centres are subject to increasing demand and long wait lists, where private services are increasingly being offered in an unregulated industr
familylinkservice.com.au

Israel

In Israel there are the largest number of contact centers per capita in the world, 84 for a population of 8 million. There are no contact centers in the non-Jewish areas. 2500 men are sent to contact centers every year, approximately 40% of all divorces.

External links

Report by Strategic Partners Pty Ltd on Australian FRSP Children's Contact Services

References

''Building Bridges? Expectations and Experiences of Child Contact Centres in Scotland''
Research report commissioned by the Scottish Executive in 2004 into the effectiveness of such centres in Scotland. {{DEFAULTSORT:Child Contact Centre Domestic violence Child custody

United Kingdom

Australia

Israel

See also

External links

References