“What assessment he has made of the risks to children and families from the use of unregulated child contact centres.”
Asked by
Alison Hume
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Justice
Answer from Hansard
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jake Richards)
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 improve it.