From 1 April 2027, we will register and regulate child contact services in Scotland. This is an important step in helping to make sure children, young people and families can access services that feel safe, caring and supportive.  

What is a child contact service? 

A child contact service is a safe place where a child or young person can spend time with family members they do not live with. Staff or volunteers help make these visits calm, safe and supportive. Some services help children move safely between family members. Some supervise visits and share information with courts. There is also help for families to stay in touch online when they cannot meet in person. 

Child contact arranged by social work services is not within the scope of this work. The legislation does not include regulation of this type of contact. 

We want to hear from you

We want your views to help us shape a fair, supportive and compassionate approach. We would especially like to hear from you if:

you are a child or young person who has met with a parent/family member in a child contact service
you are a parent or family member who is using, or has used, a child contact service
you are a professional who supports children and families who use, or have used, child contact services
you have had other experiences with child contact services.

People’s views help us:

focus on what matters most to children, young people and families 
understand how child contact services work
build an approach that upholds people’s rights.

By telling us about your experiences, you can shape:

what safe and compassionate support looks and feels like
how we support services to improve
a fair and supportive approach to regulation.

If you would like to tell us about your experience of child contact services, please complete our form below. What you share will help shape how child contact services are supported and regulated in the future.

Complete our form here.