Differing Perspectives on Parent–Child Contact in Child Custody and Protection Cases

The Australian Family Law Act presumes that it is in the best interests of a child for the child to spend significant time with both birth parents, provided it is safe for the child. However, some children resist spending time with one parent, and this raises concerns in child custody cases. On the other hand, if a family is referred to a child protection court due to allegations about possible harm to a child, the child might be removed from parental care and parental access to their child might be restricted while prolonged investigations occur, with reunification being uncertain. This chapter describes and discusses the differing practices associated with parent–child contact that are followed by the family preservation and child protection approaches that prevail in some States of Australia. The chapter discusses principles used when decisions are made about reunification, and how children fare in out-of-home care. The chapter discusses education for foster carers about attachment. The chapter offers an instrument that can be used to assess parental readiness for reunification.