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 a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where "child" refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A ''biological parent'' is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male t ...
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 (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
or
spousal abuse
Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
**
child abuse
Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...
either;
sexual abuse
Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...
, 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 wo ...
**
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 In family law in the United Kingdom implacable hostility denotes the attitude shown by one parent to another in denying access to, or contact with, their child(ren) after separation or divorce. What differentiates ''implacable hostility'' from the ...
toward another.
*where this has been deemed necessary by a
custody evaluator 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 country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
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 ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
.
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
Anne Caroline Ballingall McIntosh, Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (born 20 September 1954) is a British politician who has been a life peer since 2015.
A member of the Conservative Party, McIntosh represented the Thirsk and Malton constituen ...
and Sir
Mark Hedley
Sir Mark Hedley, DL (born 23 August 1946) is a British retired judge. He was a Justice of the High Court from 2002 to 2013.
Early life and education
Hedley was born on 23 August 1946 in London, England. He was brought up in Africa. He was educa ...
) 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 legal practitioner 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 ...
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 work ...
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
Government of Australia
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federalism, federal parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster system, Westminster-sty ...
'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.
See also
*
Child custody
Child custody is a legal term regarding '' guardianship'' which is used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent or guardian and a child in that person's care. Child custody consists of ''legal custody'', which is the righ ...
*
Supervised visitation
Supervised visitation allows parents in high conflict or high risk situations access to their children in a safe and supervised environment. The noncustodial parent has access to the child only when supervised by another adult. Supervised visi ...
*
Fathers' rights
The fathers' rights movement is a social movement whose members are primarily interested in issues related to family law, including child custody and child support, that affect fathers and their children. Many of its members are fathers who desi ...
*
Parenting plan
A parenting plan is a child custody plan that is negotiated by parents, and which may be included in a marital separation agreement or final decree of divorce. Especially when a separation is acrimonious to begin with, specific agreements about ...
*
Relationships Australia
*
Residence in English law
*
Shared parenting
Shared parenting, shared residence, joint residence, shared custody, joint physical custody, equal parenting time (EPT) is a child custody arrangement after divorce or separation, in which both parents share the responsibility of raising their ...
*
Shared residency in English law
Shared residence, joint residence, or shared parenting refers to the situation where a child of parents who have divorced or separated live with each parent at different times, such as every other week. With shared residency, both parents have ...
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