Avenue Child Contact Centre
About Us
Staying in touch with your children
A relationship breakdown between you and your partner need not affect your bond with your child. You still have an important part to play in the child’s life. Children who do not have access to both parents are prone to behavioural and emotional problems. In many cases they have low self-esteem and their performance at schools can suffer as well. When divorced or separated, parents have difficulty in communicating well.
A neutral meeting location
Child Contact Centres provide a safe neutral place for children to meet the mother or father who no longer lives at home with them. We won’t take sides. We simply operate in the best interests of your child.
Equipped for children
The Centres are equipped with your child in mind, providing toys, games and facilities that reflect the diverse needs of children affected by family breakdown. Over four thousand volunteers and staff work in these Centres throughout the UK, and over twenty thousand children use them each year. The Centres are overseen by the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC).
The Avenue Child Contact Centre offers supported contact – i.e. it is suitable for families where no significant risk to the child or those around the child have been identified. It is open on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 12.00pm – 3.00pm.
Both parents are required to attend the Centre for a pre-visit (the non-resident parent by themselves and the resident parent with the child(ren)).
The basic elements of our service are :
- Impartiality
- Staff and volunteers are available for assistance but there is no close
observation, monitoring or evaluation of individual contacts/conversation. - Several families will be together in one large hall.
- Encouragement for families to develop mutual trust.
- No detailed reports made unless risk of harm.
Although there needs to be at least one parent with your child at all times while at the Centre, volunteers can deal with the hand over of your child so you do not have to meet your ex-partner if you do not wish to.
You do not need to pay to use the Contact Centre, and tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits are offered at a small charge.
Avenue Child Contact Centre Leaflet
We have created a leaflet for the Avenue Child Contact Centre which explains the service we operate and answers many frequently asked questions. You can download your copy by clicking on the button below.
Testimonials
We understand that divorce and separation represents a traumatic time in the life of any family. We offer an impartial service to help families maintain and continue to develop those important relationships between parents and children. Please read the testimonials below from some of the families we have helped over the years.
‘to all of the fantastically helpful, selfless, caring, kind and truly wonderful staff members at the centre.We couldn’t have accomplished this without you ALL. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’
‘To all the ladies, thank you for everything’
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