How will contact with the child’s parents be arranged?

Contact with a fostered child’s parents is arranged around the child’s welfare, relationships and individual circumstances. The agreed arrangements may include face-to-face meetings, telephone or video calls, letters, photographs or other indirect contact, depending on what is safe and appropriate for the child.

The child’s age, wishes and feelings are important when deciding how contact should work. Their health, emotional needs, routines, school commitments and relationship with each parent will also be considered. Younger children may need shorter, more frequent contact, while older children may have a stronger view about where, when and how they want to communicate.

Contact can take place in different settings, such as a contact centre, a local authority venue, the foster carer’s home or another agreed community location. The chosen setting should help the child feel secure and allow adults to manage the arrangement safely. Travel arrangements, who accompanies the child and who collects them should be clear in advance.

Some contact is supervised. This means a suitable adult remains present throughout the meeting and observes or supports the interaction. Supervision may be used where there are safeguarding concerns, a child has found previous contact distressing, or relationships need careful support. In other circumstances, contact may be supported rather than directly supervised, with an adult nearby or available to help if needed. The level of oversight can change as the child’s circumstances develop.

A contact arrangement will usually clarify:

• which family members the child will see or communicate with;
• the expected frequency, duration and location of contact;
• whether contact is direct, indirect, supervised or supported;
• how transport and handovers will be managed;
• what information, gifts, photographs or messages can be shared;
• how cancellations, lateness and missed sessions should be dealt with; and
• who should be contacted if a concern or change arises.

Foster carers are expected to support safe family relationships, but they should not be placed in the position of making significant contact decisions alone. They should follow the agreed arrangements, communicate relevant observations and raise concerns with the child’s social worker or fostering team. Parents should also use the agreed channels rather than putting pressure on the child or foster carer to make informal changes.

If a parent does not attend, becomes upset, behaves in a way that worries the child, or attempts to discuss unsuitable subjects, the foster carer should record what happened factually and report it through the agreed safeguarding process. Contact should not normally be altered informally after one difficult session, but a pattern of problems may lead to a formal review. Any immediate safety concern should be reported without delay to the responsible professionals or emergency services where appropriate.

Changes may also be needed when a child’s behaviour, health, placement, legal circumstances or wishes change. Reviews should consider how the child is responding before and after contact, whether the arrangements remain safe, and whether any additional support is needed. The plan may then be continued, adapted, increased, reduced or paused in line with professional and legal advice.

Parents can ask for an explanation of the arrangements and should be told how to raise concerns or request a review. Foster carers can help by keeping accurate records of attendance, significant conversations, the child’s presentation and any issues arising before or after contact. Clear records help professionals assess whether contact is supporting the child and what adjustments may be appropriate.