- Separation Support
- Counselling
- Mental Health Support
- Relationships and Sexuality Education
- Relationships and Parenting Courses
- First Nations Services
From $25*
From $25*
*Fees may apply for some services
If you are preparing yourself and your children for beginning visits at our Children's Contact Service we know this could be a challenging time with lot of emotions. Our aim, always, is make sure you and your family have a positive experience and feel supported during your time with us.
Below you will find some information about using our Children's Contact Service along with tips to help you prepare for your first visit. You will also find some helpful commonly asked questions in the section below. If you have any further questions don't hesitate to reach out to our client experience team.
Parent Intake
The parent intake is the initial appointment with one of our contact workers. Both parents or carers will need to complete separate intakes as it will help us determine if our service is the right option for you and if so, helps us understand your unique family circumstance so we can develop goals that align with your family’s needs.
Orientation
Orientation is a chance for you and your children to learn more about Children's Contact Service, helping all to understand how and where the visits or change-overs will take place. All children attend at least one individual orientation along with the parent they live with , giving everyone a chance to ask questions and share how they are feeling about the process. We want to ensure you're all comfortable.
You are encouraged to visit the centre in person, meeting the contact workers and allowing the children to have a play in the space. If visits are online we can arrange to meet via video to show you how the online visits work including how to use the technology. If visits are in the community the orientation can also include exploring the locations for visits.
Tips to Help You Prepare
Preparing for your first visit can be daunting both for you and your children and is completely normal. To help the process go smoothly, we've put together a few tips to help you prepare:
- Confirm your attendance 1-2 days before your visit. Just like any other appointment there may be external circumstances that impact this so it is best to communicate any changes before the scheduled day as soon as possible.
- Speak to your children openly about the upcoming visit or changeover. Let them know it’s ok if they're feeling nervous and try to keep the conversation positive about the new situation. Allow them to express how they’re feeling and support them to become more comfortable managing their own emotions.
- Mindfulness and breathing exercises are great tools if you or your children are feeling nervous about the upcoming visit or changeover. Taking a few moments for a mindful exercise can assist both of you to feel calm and more at ease.
- Give yourself space to prepare and feel confident before the visit. Whether it’s exercising, speaking with a friend or counsellor, or something else that makes you feel good, you will be in a calmer and more confident headspace to better manage your emotions during this time.
- Prepare what to pack for your children ahead of time. It can be a good idea to include them in the process and help them feel more comfortable in the new environment. Ask them to help you identify what to take such as toys, food and drinks. Make sure you include the essentials such as sunscreen, nappies, hat and a change of clothes. Contact staff will ensure each parent is clear on what they are responsible for packing for the visit or changeover.
- Plan how you’re going to get there and leave enough time to get there before the visit starts. It’s a good idea to identify where you can park if driving - you can check more details on our locations page or with your local contact worker.
- Consider what you’ll do during the visit. For the visiting parent you may want to plan an activity to do with your children when you're there. Feel free to bring food to share or toys to play with. For the parent dropping the children off, consider how to use the free time - visit a friend, run errands, or take some time for yourself.
The Children's Contact Services is a safe and neutral space for all separated families. Parents and carers may use the service voluntarily, or where there are court orders or parenting plans in place. The service supports families with children where one parent/carer or family member cannot see the child freely or easily due to separation, conflict, safety concerns or other circumstances. To use the service both parents/carers or family members will meet separately with the Centre Coordinator for an intake and an assessment. The intake allows us to understand your situation and determine if this service is the best approach for you and your family. If for whatever reason the service is not suitable, Interrelate can provide you with a letter outlining the reason and support you to explore other options that may be more suitable.
Wait times for the Children's Contact Service are dependent on the mutual availability of the service and both parents and the time taken to complete the intake and assessment process with each parent/carer. If you have already made an intake appointment our client experience team would likely have advised of any wait times. If you are yet to make an appointment, we recommend you call or message us and we can connect you with your local centre as availability will differ in each of our locations.
The Children's Contact Service has strict requirements relating to the confidentiality of records. Throughout service, notes are kept about each family's interactions with the service including observations made by staff during changeovers or supervised visits. These notes can only be released under limited circumstances. The service is obliged to release records where there is a legal obligation to provide the information through a court ordered subpoena.
You can read more about subpoenas and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia here.
If your family is involved in family law proceedings whilst using the service, the court may appoint an Independent Children's Lawyer to independently represent the best interests of the child. If there is an ICL appointed in your family's matter, the Children's Contact Service Coordinator may communicate with the ICL about how visits or changeovers are going. We only provide relevant and factual information based on our observation reports and case notes from the visits or change-overs.
You can read more information about the ICL's role in family law proceedings here.
The court order will usually specify that a child may have contact with their parent or significant adult who they are not currently living with using supervised service. In some cases, the court orders will request you contact Interrelate within a certain amount of time of receiving the orders. When you contact us, and have provided a copy of the court orders, an intake and assessment will be scheduled with a Children’s Contact staff member. Both parents will need to have an intake separately. Once both parents/ family members have had their intake, and your situation has been assessed and deemed appropriate, next steps will be taken to arrange supervised visits.
Supervised visits, or contact visits, are when a child spends time with a parent, carer, or family member who they do not live with under the supervision of trained children’s Contact Workers. Children's Contact Workers are present to ensure a conflict free and safe handover of the child from one parent to the other. They monitor and offer support during the visit to facilitate a positive and safe environment for the child and the parent, enabling them to develop their relationship. As part of the supervision, the Contact Workers will observe and take notes of what occured during the session. All Contact staff remain neutral with the goal to support families, wherever possible towards self managing their own arrangements, and supporting the best interests of the child.
Supervised visits can go anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours and are determined by the needs of the child, any court orders or parenting plans and the centre’s availability. Visits are usually scheduled for a set day and time for families whether weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Service staff will work with you to develop a schedule of visits that works for the child, both parents and the availability of the service. The service aims to meet family's needs in terms of visit times and provides flexible options to work with family's schedules.
The cost of supervised visits are based on an hourly rate. The cost is $50 per hour, Monday - Saturday. Typically the cost is split evenly between both parents/carers unless specified in any court orders or parenting plans. Interrelate receives some funding to provide this service so our fees are at a reduced rate. If you have any concerns about the cost of the service please discuss this with the service Coordinator.
We want you and your family to have the best chance to strengthen your relationships and spend time together. How often visits take place will depend on your unique situation and needs for the service, as well as our availability to host the visit. The service aims to work with you to develop a schedule that meets the needs of both parents, the child, any court orders or parenting plans and the capacity of the service to meet the frequency requested. The Children's Contact Service is independent of the Family Law Court and is not obligated to fulfil any court orders, however the service works to accommodate each family's needs.
The Contact Centre rooms are each specifically developed to be welcoming, well-resourced and child-friendly environments. Each have toys and equipment to help facilitate family interactions which can help children build relationships. Some centres have kitchen facilities for the preparation of lunch and dinner. Please check during intake for a full list of amenities available. Parents are encouraged to bring food and activities to cater to their child's age and interests to the visit. Staff will discuss what to bring when they meet with you.
Usually it is the responsibility of the visiting parent to provide what is needed for the visit with their child such as food, drink, nappies, sunblock, etc. Each centre is equipped with toys and resources to cater to children's ages and interests, however we encourage the visiting parent to bring activities to share with their child. The service aims to help your child feel as comfortable as possible during the visits and staff will ensure both parents are clear on what they need to provide. If you have any questions or concerns about this please discuss with the Service Coordinator.
Your child is our main priority. Our Contact Workers talk with children and carefully observe and monitor their emotional and physical behaviour during contact visits. In any situation where a child becomes upset, staff are available to provide support and listen to both parent's strategies on how to best settle them. The service's role is to support the best interests of children, in a situation where a child cannot be calmed, the visit will need to finish early. Staff can provide additional information on how you can support your child to adjust to visits.
Yes, we often encourage the attendance of extra visitors where there is a meaningful relationship with the child such as siblings and extended family, especially those who would normally have contact with the child if supervision was not required.
The attendance of extra visitors will need to be pre-arranged with the Service Coordinator prior to attending the visit to enable adult visitors to complete the required checks.
A supervised changeover offers a safe and supportive environment where children can transition between parents without conflict or stress. This service is designed to foster stability, comfort, and peace of mind for all involved, ensuring that the well-being of the child remains the top priority.
Our contact workers supervise the transfer of your child from one parent to the other, without you needing to meet in person. Usually, each parent or family member will attend the centre at separate pre-agreed times then we will facilitate the handover of the children from one parent to the other.
The cost of supervised changeover is $5 per parent/carer. Interrelate receives some funding to provide this service so our fees are at a reduced rate. If you have any concerns about the cost of the service please discuss this with the Service Coordinator.
We want you and your family to have the best chance to strengthen your relationships and spend time together. How often changeovers take place will depend on your unique situation and needs for the service, as well as our availability to host the changeover. The service aims to work with you to develop a schedule that meets the needs of both parents, the child, any court orders or parenting plans and the capacity of the service to meet the frequency requested. The Children's Contact Service is independent of the Family Law Court and is not obligated to fulfil any court orders, however, the service works to accommodate each family's needs.
Your child is our main priority. Our Contact Workers talk with children and carefully observe children and monitor their emotional and physical behaviour during the changeover. In any situation where a child becomes upset, staff are available to provide support and listen to both parent's strategies on how to best settle them. The service's role is to support the best interests of children, in a situation where a child cannot be calmed, the changeover may not be able to occur. Staff can provide additional information on how you can support your child to adjust to visits.
