Family Time

Supporting Connections, Empowering Families

Our Family Time Service is dedicated to supporting looked after children in maintaining meaningful relationships with their birth families. We understand the importance of these connections and are committed to facilitating a safe and nurturing environment for all involved.

What We Do:

• Facilitate Safe Quality Time: Our trained staff are available to supervise visits, ensuring that children are safe and comfortable during their time with their birth families. 

• Advocate for Children’s Rights: We advocate for the rights and well-being of the children, ensuring their voices are heard and respected in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995. 

• Support for Parents: We provide guidance and support to parents, encouraging them make positive changes and improvements to strengthen their relationships with their children. 

• Tailored Family Time Plans: Each family receives a personalised plan that meets their unique needs and circumstances, promoting positive and constructive interactions. 

• Collaborative Approach: We work in partnership with social workers, and other relevant professionals to ensure that family time plans are tailored to meet the specific needs of each family.

Why This is Important: 

Maintaining relationships with birth families is crucial for the emotional and psychological well-being of children. It helps them understand their identity and heritage, and fosters a sense of belonging and continuity. Our service aligns with the principles of the UNCRC, which emphasizes the rights of children to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents, or other important family members, on a regular basis, unless it is contrary to the child’s best interests.

The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 further supports this by ensuring that the welfare of the child is the paramount consideration in all decisions regarding their care. By facilitating safe and supportive contact, we promote, respect and fulfill these rights which contributes to the personal, social and psychological development of children.

Join us in our mission to support and empower families, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to maintain meaningful connections with their birth families in a safe and supportive environment.