Children's Contact Services provide safe and positive contact arrangements for children whose parents are separated.

Supervised contact services are often required if there is a history of family violence or accusations of family violence before a court.

It's widely recognised that it is in the best interests of children to have contact with both parents however it is important for a child's wellbeing and future development that the contact is safe.

When anger, hostility and fear make it difficult to manage contact and shared care arrangements supervised contact allows the parent the children are living with to drop the children off at a contact centre or supervisor and leave. Then the other parent arrives and spends time with the children.

Non-resident parents may find this arrangement difficult, embarrassing and uncomfortable but it is important for your child that you maintain contact and by going through this process you can show that you are not a threat to them.

The alternative is likely to be that contact between a child and their non-residential parent ceases altogether. This can lead to confusion, insecurity and trauma for a child in the longer term.

What these services can provide

Depending on the service, they can provide:

supervised contact visits to enable the child and visiting parent to enjoy quality time together
facilitated changeover to enable the child to be transferred from one parent to the other at contact times without the parents meeting
supervised contact with a worker at a play centre or other location.

The advantages of using a Child Contact Service are that co-parents do not have to deal directly with each other and that contact can be re-established with the support of a neutral third party.

Confidentiality

What happens during contact visits is generally not confidential and the person or people who supervise the contact may make a report to court and may go to court to give evidence.

If you are the parent who is being supervised it is important that you show that you are able to engage with your child and that you can manage your emotions, be flexible in your behaviour, use moderate behaviour and check yourself.

Remember that your child needs you to be safe and also to play with them. If you do not get down to your child's level and engage with them you are likely to receive a negative report from your contact centre.

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