Each weekend, children of divorce across Brisbane move between their separated parents.

Some divorced parents manage to do this amicably, without safety being an issue.

Others have a history of domestic or family violence which means the mere fact of coming into the same physical space as their former partner puts their physical safety – and their children’s emotional wellbeing – at risk.

So how can parents safely change kids from one parent to another?

Contact Centres

Supervised contact centres seem like the answer.  They provide a safe place for divorced parents and children going through family law issues to have changeover between them without coming into contact.

There’s just one not-so-small problem.  There are not enough of them and the wait times are horrendous.

Delays

As reported in the Courier Mail, the Australian Children’s Contact Services Association indicates that the Centre at Eight Mile Plains – the only government funded one listed south of the Sunshine Coast – has a 3-6 month wait for changeovers (it’s worse for supervised visits).

A small contact service on the northside of Brisbane today emailed us asking for assistance to find new premises as their rent has increased so much that they will struggle to provide a service in the future.

No-one wants to wait 3 months to feel safe.  3 months is also a long time to wait to see your children.

Desperate alternatives

Divorced parents are having to find alternatives and resorting to wherever they can find that offers CCTV.  Police Stations are not ideal places to swap the kids over, so it falls to places like McDonald’s or, for those who live a distance apart, the service centres on the highway.

The family law sector is critically underfunded.  The Courts, Legal Aid, community legal centres and contact services.   Children whose parents divorce do best when they are insulated from conflict. Changeover with a happy meal or a tank of petrol sells our state’s children short.