latest press release
The Centre for Separated Families
PRESS RELEASE
28.10.2008 – For immediate release
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Child maintenance changes will bring better outcomes for children
Changes to child maintenance rules could help parents to work together after family separation rather than driving them further apart, according to a leading charity.
The Centre for Separated Families believes that allowing parents to reach private arrangements rather than being forced into the statutory scheme will help them to reach agreements that suit their own particular circumstances.
Karen Woodall, Director of the Centre for Separated Families said:
“Under the old CSA rules, many parents were forced into maintenance arrangements that didn't take account of individual circumstances and often increased conflict between parents. The new rules allow those parents who are able to work together the chance to do what they believe is right for their children and can help to develop new co-operative ways of working.”
The Centre believes that the Child Maintenance Options service, which will deliver impartial and empathic support to both parents, is crucial to the success of the the new scheme.
Ms Woodall said:
“The Options service will, for the first time, offer both parents information and support to make the right choices for their children. For too long, we've supported one parent to the exclusion of the other. This just widens the gap between parents at a time when they need to be putting their children first.”
She went on:
“All the evidence points to the fact that supporting the whole family brings better outcomes for children. The Options service aims to do that and will give both mothers and fathers the kind of help they need at a crucial time.”
Responding to concerns that the changes will leave parents with the majority care of their children under pressure to agree to inappropriate arrangements, Ms Woodall said:
“We recognise some of the concerns raised by organisations representing single parents and will work with the Commission to gather information about how the changes affect families. But there remains a statutory scheme for those parents who are unable, or choose not, to make a private arrangement.
“We need to offer support where parents feel vulnerable but believe that most parents, given the right kind of support and information, can and will make arrangements that will work.”
The Centre for Separated Families recently held the Putting Children First: best practice in support to separated families conference in London which brought together Stephen Geraghty, the Commissioner for Child Maintenance, and Cafcass Chief Executive, Anthony Douglas. The conference, which was attended by 200 leading policy makers, practitioners and academics looked at recent initiatives to support families dealing with separation.
Ends.
Notes to the editor:
The Centre for Separated Families is a national charity working with and on behalf of families experiencing divorce and separation. It was established in 1973.
The Centre offers information, support and advice to mothers and fathers, whatever their parenting status, and has a range of innovative education programmes to support co-operative parenting.
The Centre for Separated Families works with Government and other agencies to help deliver best practice in services delivered to separated families.
The Centre for Separated Families has worked closely with the Department for Work and Pensions on delivering consultancy, training and material for its new Child Maintenance Options service.
The Centre has a research programme and aims to inform and influence public policy through this and its direct work with families.
Karen Woodall is the co-author of Putting Children First: a handbook for separated parents, published by Piatkus.
Further information: 07771 854 792
The Centre for Separated Families website: http://www.separatedfamilies.org.uk/
Best Practice website: http://www.puttingchildrenfirst.info/
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