Overview

Child contact centres enable parenting to continue after a relationship ends, ensuring children feel supported and are safe.

Over 110,000 young people every year will see their parents divorce (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2017). Many risk losing contact with a parent within the first two years of separation, this could be as many as 1 million young people (CSJ, 2013).

A lack of contact or exposure to conflict, has a negative impact on a child’s emotional (RCPsych, 2017), health and educational wellbeing (Institute of Education, 2009) as having a negative impact on the wider economy (Relationships Foundation, 2016). These negative impacts can start from 6 months-old and last into adolescence and adulthood (Action for Children, 2017).

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Early intervention is vital to reduce the impact and contact, in places like child contact centres, is shown to improve the lives of children from separated families (Early Intervention Foundation).

The National Association of Contact Centres (NACCC) accredits 340 centres nationwide. Around 3,000 volunteers and 2,000 staff run these centres and over 17,000 children benefitted from accredited services in the past year.

In addition to supporting child contact centres across the country, we have two main campaigns:

1)    Children are safe in accredited child contact centres. But there are no regulations to stop anyone opening a centre.We’re calling onParliament to pass legislation to ensure only accredited contact centres can operate.

2)    Parenting can continue in child contact centres. Rather than rely on the courts, parents can use mediation, child contact centres and parenting plans. We need these “out of court pathways” to be adopted and funded more widely.

NACCC accredited child contact centres help parents and children in five main ways:

  • Provide a safe, neutral, welcoming space for children to spend time with parents (or other people important to them, such as grandparents).
  • Support parents to help them prioritise the needs of their children post separation.
  • Promote mediation so that long-term solutions can be found to keep children in touch with both parents.
  • Offer resources, information and advice for families dealing with separation.
  • Provide specialist supervised interventions where children may be exposed to a higher level of risk.

For more information on the work of child contact centres, visit https://naccc.org.uk

How you can help

We would ask you to share information about child contact centres and the work of the NACCC with your networks. We have provided sample copy for newsletters and your website below. In addition, we have a range of social media infographics and templates you can share online: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p1gjbej7l65dzje/AAD6ffN8giMYW7WDQuyVZv0wa?dl=0. If you prefer a WeTransfer file, just let us know.

We will also keep you updated on the latest news from our campaigns – so you can share the latest with your Members / networks.

Is your organisation able to fund NACCC?

With more financial support NACCC can continue to ensure safety and contact is maintained for children.

Does your organisation require child contact awareness training?

NACCC’s training has Open College Network accredited status and is ideal for updating and raising awareness with your staff/members working with families needing child contact centre intervention. For further details and to receive a quotation please do email contact@naccc.org.uk or telephone 0115 948 4557.

Content to share

Newsletter / website copy

Parenting should not stop when relationships do

Over 110,000 young people every year will see their parents divorce but child contact centres enable parenting to continue after a relationship ends, ensuring children feel supported and are safe.

The National Association of Contact Centres (NACCC) accredits 350 centres nationwide. Around 4,000 volunteers and 1,000 staff run these centres and over 17,000 children benefitted from accredited services in the past year.

NACCC accredited child contact centres help parents and children in five main ways:

  • Provide a safe, neutral, welcoming space for children to spend time with parents (or other people important to them, such as grandparents).
  • Support parents to help them prioritise the needs of their children post separation.
  • Promote mediation so that long-term solutions can be found to keep children in touch with both parents.
  • Offer resources, information and advice for families dealing with separation.
  • Provide specialist supervised interventions where children may be exposed to a higher level of risk.

For more information on the work of child contact centres, visit https://naccc.org.uk

Social media posts

More examples and infographics are available https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p1gjbej7l65dzje/AAD6ffN8giMYW7WDQuyVZv0wa?dl=0 but at the easiest level we would ask that you schedule the posts below (ideally one a week and set them to repeat once a month). Please use #ChildContactCentres in your posts so we can see what you say!

Child contact centres provide a safe, neutral, welcoming space for children to spend time with parents. Find out more at https://naccc.org.uk#ChildContactCentres

Child contact centres support parents to help them prioritise the needs of their children post separation. Find one near you at https://naccc.org.uk#ChildContactCentres

If you’re a family dealing with separation, child contact centres offer resources, information and advice. Visit  https://naccc.org.uk for more info. #ChildContactCentres

Rather than rely on the courts, child contact centres can help ensure parenting can continue when a relationship ends. Visit  https://naccc.org.uk for more info. #ChildContactCentres