Children's Contact Services

What is the Children’s Contact Service?

The Children’s Contact Service provides safe, secure and child focused environments in which children can continue to have a relationship with a parent or family member that they do not live with. We assist families with changeover and offer supervised visits.

Changeover services

In separated families, for a child to spend time with a parent they do not live with involves the child being ‘handed over’ or ‘handed back’ between the care of one parent to another. In some instances, the exchange of the child is uncomfortable or provides an opportunity for conflict between the parents.

To alleviate conflict and assist parents who prefer not to meet face-to-face, a Children’s Contact Service has staff to facilitate or supervise the changeover with parents, making use of separate entrances, separate waiting areas and separate arrival times. This allows families to safely exchange the child, without the need for parents to come in contact with one another.

Supervised visits

Supervised visits may be requested for a number of reasons, ranging from the re-establishment of a relationship following a period of no contact, through to child safety concerns.

When the time spent between a parent and child needs to be monitored and conducted in a safe, controlled environment, the Children’s Contact Service is able to oversee visitation between a parent and child through the use of the centre’s child focused locations.

The visiting environment caters well for active, young children, with plenty of age appropriate activities. Trained and friendly staff are assigned to monitor the visitation, overseeing the activities and communication that takes place, and ensuring the child is able to maintain a safe and positive relationship with his/her parent.

Who is the Children’s Contact Service for?

The service is designed to assist separated families who are concerned about the impact ongoing arguments and stressful behaviours may be having on their children.

In most circumstances, families will use the Children’s Contact Service following the implementation of a Family Court Order or a Parenting Plan.

To arrange for either supervised visits or facilitated changeover both parents must phone their nearest service and organise an appointment. Both parents are individually interviewed in order to complete an intake assessment form. Specific matters of concern can be discussed at the interview. Once an agreement is reached and all information collated including copies of current court orders and other relevant reports, the service commences.

Locations

Resources & Fees

Acknowledgements

The Children’s Contact Service is funded by the Australian Government's Department of Social Services.