Child contact services are classified into two distinct categories, supported and supervised (which handle cases with safeguarding issues).
Use of a contact centre may be ordered by a family court in cases where: The centres are local projects, run by a range of organisations, including community groups, charities, social enterprises, companies and local authorities.
The National Association of Child Contact Centres is the supporting membership body for around 350 child contact centres and services located throughout England (including the Channel Isles), Wales and Northern Ireland.
A Nottingham magistrate, Mary Lower, founded the first child contact centre for private law in 1985.
Now an established charity and company limited by guarantee, NACCC has a board of trustees chaired by Hazel Hedley.