Sometimes, when parents are separated and the children live with just one parent, there is a suggestion that the other parent should see the children at a Contact Centre. There are myths about this including that it means the parent cannot be trusted around children and needs to be supervised. This is not the case. Contact Centres do not supervise contact. The Centres are neutral places where children can enjoy spending time with the parent with whom they don’t live, and also the extended family of that parent. They are comfortable, safe places and designed to support families, not supervise and criticise. Usually, Centres are only open on a Saturday and they are run by volunteers who give up their time to help children and parents maintain a happy and close relationship when the parents’ relationship has broken down. They are often used where there has been a long gap since the child and parent met and a neutral place is needed to enable them to re-establish their contact. The staff do not keep notes, nor do they send reports to lawyers or courts on what has happened. They will, of course, step in if they think a child is in danger. Most Centres provide a separate room for the parent who takes the child to wait if they don’t want to meet the other parent or want to be there in case the child gets distressed. If you are faced with a suggestion of using a Contact Centre, please get in touch for initial free of charge information