Unregulated Child Contact Centres: Risks
14 Sep 2026 · Commons Chamber · 4 speeches · Official record
Commons debate API. Not a paper. A named member links to their Institrace record when we hold that seat.
A report commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and published in 2023 found limited evidence of unaccredited child contact centres. Protocols make it clear that as part of family court proceedings, the judiciary and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service should refer families only to centres accredited by the National Association of Child Contact Centres. There are, however, clearly issues with the sector, in terms of cost and accessibility, and we will always seek to improv... Full speech
In cases where family court proceedings lead to child removal, parents can be forced to use unregulated contact centres-it can cost hundreds of pounds for just a few hours of contact-because of a lack of accessible, regulated contact centre provision. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of this situation on the welfare of children and families, and will his Department initiate a review of current arrangements? Full speech
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. Where it is safe to do so, we would always encourage parents to have contact with their children. The courts encourage this; it is always in the child’s best interests to have that contact. Where contact centres are necessary, they need to be close to home and, clearly, affordable. This sector is independent of Government, but if it is not working, as we are hearing from my hon. Friend, we will look into it in due course. Full speech
12. What assessment he has made of the risks to children and families from the use of unregulated child contact centres. Full speech