Why should you use a child contact centre?
There are an estimated 3.6 million children in the UK whose parents have gone through a divorce or separation. In most cases, this means they're only living with one parent and losing out on crucial time making memories and connecting with their non-resident parent.
Child contact centres have many benefits to parents, children and other family members involved in separations. They’re a place where children can meet their parents, and non-resident family members, in a fun, safe and neutral venue.
Keep conflict to a minimum
When parents choose to separate, tensions between both parties can cause serious arguments. If children continually witness this conflict, it can have a serious effect on their mental wellbeing.
Sometimes the resident parent doesn’t want to talk or see the other parent at all, and might not want their children to be in contact with them either. Luckily, contact centres supervise handovers so that parents don’t have to interact with each other, meaning the child can meet their non-resident parent without any additional stress or conflict.
Meet in a child friendly space
Child contact centres are safe, welcoming and child-focused. Whilst spending time with their non-resident parent, children can draw pictures, play with toys and engage with activities, creating positive and meaningful memories.
The safety and happiness of every child who comes through the centre is always our top priority. We know that dropping a child off at a contact centre can feel daunting for the resident parent, but they can rest assured that all staff are DBS checked and trained in safeguarding.
Engage in different types of contact
You can access a variety of contact sessions at a child contact centre. Supervised contact, for instance, takes place when a risk or potential risk has been identified. The session will be observed by a social worker or support worker, and accompanied by a written report to ensure the child’s physical and emotional safety.
Supported contact is suitable for families where no risks to the child’s safety have been identified. A staff member will still be present throughout the session, but will simply be there to offer support and guidance where needed.
In cases where parents or family members aren’t allowed to see their child face to face, indirect contact is an excellent way for them to keep in touch and maintain a relationship. This includes exchanging phone calls, gifts or letters and can be supervised by a contact centre. Children must enter the building as part of this style of contact.
How do I use a child contact centre?
Contact NACCC and use this link to find a centre near you https://naccc.org.uk/find-a-centre/ (see below)
Too far away?
If you’re too far away from us, you can always find a child contact centre near you by going to the NACCC website. Here you can compare different centres using their ‘find a contact centre’ search tool.
