Children’s contact centres are neutral, child-focused venues where separated parents can hand over children for time with the other parent, or where supervised contact visits can take place. Australia is in the middle of major reforms to how these services are regulated, with new safety frameworks rolling out in 2025 and a national accreditation scheme on track to follow. For Camden parents navigating separation, this guide explains what the new framework means, what to look for in a service, and how supervised contact fits with your parenting orders.
Quick Overview of What You Need to Know
For time-pressed readers: This guide explains how children’s contact services work, the legislative framework introduced by the Family Law Amendment Act 2024, the proposed national accreditation scheme, NSW’s parallel child safety standards, and what all of this means for Camden families.
Key facts at a glance:
- The Family Law Amendment Act 2024 created the legal framework for regulating Children’s Contact Services (CCS), and the regulations are being developed.
- A national accreditation scheme has been consulted on, with the consultation closing 15 September 2025.
- NSW Child Safe Standards govern any organisation working with children, including contact centres.
- Government-funded services use a sliding-scale fee, and private services charge market rates.
- The closest accredited contact centres to Camden currently sit in Penrith and Blacktown, 45 to 50 km from the Camden town centre.
What Children’s Contact Services Actually Do
Children’s Contact Services are neutral spaces designed to keep children safe while preserving their relationships with both parents during separation. They provide two core services:
Supervised contact visits. A trained worker is present in the room throughout the visit, observes the interaction, and intervenes if necessary. This is used where there are safety concerns, where the relationship is being rebuilt after a period of no contact, or where the court has ordered supervised time.
Changeovers (or “handovers”). The child is handed from one parent to the other at the centre without the parents needing to meet. This reduces conflict in front of the child and is used where parental contact is itself a risk to safety or wellbeing.
Contact centres are not babysitting services, family therapy, or counselling. They are a structured, child-focused environment that supports parenting orders or interim arrangements while you work toward more standard arrangements.
The Family Law Amendment Act 2024 and the New Framework
In December 2024 the Family Law Amendment Act 2024 became law and established the legislative framework for the later regulation of the Children’s Contact Services sector Attorney-General’s Department, 2026.
The framework sits alongside the broader 2024 amendments that introduced new parenting provisions and the companion animal framework. For contact services specifically, it gives the Commonwealth the legal foundation to set service standards, accreditation requirements, complaints mechanisms, and consequences for operating outside the scheme.
Detailed options for what the accreditation scheme will look like were released for public consultation in July 2025. The consultation closed on 15 September 2025 Attorney-General’s Department, 2025 and the government is now finalising the scheme design.
The consultation covered:
- Scope of accreditation and which services it will apply to
- Administration and which body will run the scheme
- Complaints mechanisms for parents and children
- Penalties for operating a service without accreditation
- Staff qualification and professional development requirements
- Service standards including physical environment and safety evidence requirements
How NSW Child Safety Sits Alongside the Federal Reforms
The Commonwealth framework regulates contact services through the family law system. NSW has its own child safety regime that already applies to any organisation working with children, including private and not-for-profit contact services operating in the state.
The NSW Child Safe Standards NSW Department of Communities and Justice, 2026 require child-related organisations to:
- Make child safety a stated priority
- Have policies and codes of conduct for staff
- Screen and supervise staff working with children
- Take complaints seriously and act on them
- Build a child-safe culture that includes the voices of children and families
The Children’s Guardian Act 2019 (NSW) NSW Department of Communities and Justice gives the Office of the Children’s Guardian oversight powers, including Working with Children Check screening for all staff and volunteers. In 2026 the NSW Government provided additional funding to strengthen the Office’s oversight role NSW Department of Communities and Justice, 2026.
For NSW parents, this means a contact centre operating in our state is already subject to substantial child safety oversight before the federal accreditation scheme commences.
How to Choose a Contact Service
While the national accreditation scheme is being finalised, parents should look at the following indicators when choosing a provider:
- Staff qualifications. Workers should have relevant social work, psychology, or community services qualifications and current Working with Children Checks.
- Child safe policies. The service should be able to show you written policies aligned with the NSW Child Safe Standards.
- Physical environment. The space should be child-appropriate, with safe play areas, observation lines for supervisors, and secure entry and exit.
- Risk assessment process. The service should screen every family before contact begins, looking at family violence history, child protection concerns, and any safety issues.
- Complaints process. You should be told upfront how to raise a concern and what happens if you do.
- Reporting to court. If contact is court-ordered, ask whether the service provides reports back to the court and what those reports cover.
Government-funded services typically charge on a sliding scale based on income. Private services charge market rates that vary by region.
Where Camden Families Currently Access These Services
Camden does not currently have a dedicated children’s contact centre within the town. The closest accredited services for Camden families sit in Penrith and Blacktown, both approximately 45 to 50 km from the Camden town centre.
For some Camden families, the travel involved is manageable. For others, especially where the supervised contact is regular or where one parent does not drive, the distance creates real practical challenges. The 2025 to 2026 reforms include consideration of regional service distribution, and the growth of the Macarthur region may eventually attract a centre closer to Camden.
In the meantime, Family Focus Legal can help you think through alternatives where a contact centre is not immediately accessible, including:
- Negotiating safe handover arrangements at neutral public locations
- Identifying a trusted family member or friend who can supervise (where the court accepts this)
- Exploring telephone or video contact as an interim measure
- Seeking court-ordered supervision by a private supervisor approved by the court
What This Means for Your Parenting Plan
Contact services interact with parenting orders in a few important ways.
If the court has ordered supervised contact, you must use a service that complies with the order. Once the national accreditation scheme is in place, court orders are likely to specify accredited services. Until then, the court will refer to specific named services or describe minimum standards.
If you and your former partner agree to supervised contact informally, you can choose any service that meets your needs, but the agreement is not enforceable as a court order unless it is registered as consent orders.
If circumstances change (for example, the supervised period was intended to be a transitional step and contact has been going well), your parenting orders can be varied through agreement or, if necessary, court application.
If safety concerns escalate at any point, contact your lawyer immediately. Interim orders can be sought urgently where there is a risk to a child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides whether supervised contact is needed?
Supervised contact can be agreed between parents, recommended by a family dispute resolution practitioner, or ordered by the court. The court will usually order supervised contact where there is evidence of family violence, child abuse, substance misuse, or untreated mental health concerns that affect parenting capacity. Supervised contact is also commonly used as a transitional measure where the relationship between a parent and child needs to be rebuilt.
Can my ex refuse to use a contact centre I have chosen?
If contact is court-ordered, the order will usually specify the service or require both parents to agree. If you cannot agree, you can ask the court to choose. If you are arranging contact informally without court orders, both parents need to consent to the service used.
Will what happens in the contact centre be used in court?
Many contact services keep observation notes and can produce reports if the court orders them to. These reports can be used as evidence in parenting proceedings. Behave at the contact centre as you would want a judge to read about later.
How long does supervised contact usually last?
There is no fixed duration. Some families use supervised contact for a few visits while a relationship is rebuilt. Others use it for years where ongoing concerns exist. The arrangement should be reviewed regularly and stepped down where it is safe to do so.
What if the contact centre is too expensive for us?
Government-funded services charge on a sliding scale and may waive fees in cases of hardship. If cost is a barrier, talk to your lawyer about applying to a funded service, or about whether the court would order alternative supervision arrangements.
How Family Focus Legal Can Help
Navigating contact arrangements during separation is emotionally and practically demanding. As your local Camden firm, we can help you think through what supervised contact means for your family, how to access an appropriate service, and how the new accreditation framework will affect your matter as it rolls out.
We work with Camden families to negotiate workable contact arrangements, prepare parenting orders that account for supervised contact, and respond to safety concerns when they arise. If you would like a confidential discussion about your situation, contact our Camden office to arrange an appointment. We will listen first, then advise.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about Australian family law and children’s contact services as at 21 May 2026. It does not constitute legal advice. The national accreditation scheme is still being finalised, and details may change. For advice on your situation, contact Family Focus Legal or another suitably qualified family lawyer.
