What Are Child Contact Services? An Overview

Definition: Child contact services are specialized services designed to facilitate safe, supervised, and supported interactions between children and their non-primary care parents. These services can encompass supervised contact, supported contact, and handover assistance, each tailored to meet the unique needs of separated families.

• Types of Contact Services:

Supervised Contact: This involves professional staff who closely monitor the interaction between the child and the non-primary care parent. This ensures a safe and positive experience, providing peace of mind to both parents and children.

Supported Contact: This service offers minimal supervision, providing just enough assistance to facilitate smooth transitions and ensure the child’s comfort during visits.

Handover Services: These services are designed to facilitate the safe and smooth exchange of children between parents, minimizing conflict and stress during transitions.

Welfare Contact: Welfare checks are performed by trained staff to ensure the wellbeing of children at specific addresses. These checks are initiated only after a referral from social services and with the family's consent. Qualified staff visit the address to assess the child's welfare, recording details of those present and any concerns or risks identified. Organisations do not have the authority to enter the premises without parental permission, unlike the police. If significant concerns arise, the organisation should promptly contact the appropriate authorities.

Hospital Contact: Provides support to parents who need supervision with their child while the child is in the hospital. This can be particularly stressful for parents, but there are  impartial and independent services available to facilitate this process. CMCCC has extensive experience supervising parents with newborns in maternity hospitals and overseeing parents with children suspected of non-accidental injuries during ongoing investigations by authorities.

Community outreach service: Is tailored to meet the specific needs of individuals. This service includes one-on-one support for children in care, assistance for children within the community, and support for families in their homes. Child Contact organisations should understand that each family's needs are unique and work flexibly and creatively to promote positive outcomes for children. Our services can be provided independently or as part of a multi-agency team working collaboratively.

Conclusion
The primary goal of child contact services at is to create a secure, neutral, and child-focused environment. This ensures that children can maintain meaningful and healthy relationships with both parents, despite family separations.

Overall in court related cases, it is the court’s responsibility to decide which method would be most appropriate, and overall, the frequency of the contact. The decision depends on the unique facts of each situation. To determine the best course of action, the Court may request the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to carry out an investigation and prepare a report. Based on this and other evidence provided by the parties, the Court will then decide what is considered to be in the child’s best interest, in respect of contact with one or both parents.

Child contact services play a crucial role in supporting separated families. They ensure that children can continue to have strong, healthy relationships with both parents in a safe and structured setting. If you’re looking for a secure and supportive environment for child-parent interactions, contact City Mission Child Contact for more information and assistance.

At City Mission Child Contact, we are dedicated to providing essential child contact services for separated families. These services ensure that children can maintain relationships with their non-primary care parents in a structured and supportive environment. But what exactly do child contact services entail?