Where is the Children's Contact Service in Narre Warren?
The Better Place Australia Children’s Contact Service in Narre Warren is located at 86-88 Victor Crescent, close to the M1 freeway and within walking distance of Fountain Gate shopping centre. We offer supervised contact and changeovers on weekdays and on Saturdays.
A fun, welcoming environment
We strive to accommodate all children and parents. The Narre Warren site offers two purpose-built playrooms set in large gardens with plenty of trees, shade and play equipment. Our playrooms and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible with equipment suitable for those living with mobility issues and those that enjoy sensory play.
The services available in Narre Warren
At Better Place Australia Children’s Contact Service in Narre Warren, we offer supervised contact and facilitated changeovers.
Supervised Contact
To facilitate a safe visit, our staff are present during the time with the child. We assist in promoting engagement and fun where necessary, otherwise we stay in the background. Staff make observational notes during the visit and these are available to both parents by request (fees apply).
Most supervised visits run for 2 hours. We may start with a shorter time depending on the age of the children and the length of time. All our staff are suitably qualified to work in community services, social work or psychology.
Safety risks for each family are assessed and managed by the service.
Facilitated Changeovers
This is where we assist families to manage the transition of children between different parents or carers. Staff facilitate the arrival and departure of parents at different times, to maintain a safe changeover. This can help to reduce the stress for everyone (especially the children) when family members feel anxious or concerned about meeting each other.
Safety risks for each family are assessed and managed by the service.
How soon can I start?
We aim to provide services to families as soon as possible. We understand that prolonged separation from children can be distressing for parents and children alike.
After applications are received from both parents, we schedule individual meetings with both applicants as soon as possible. These meetings are often via Zoom. Following this, we invite the child (or children) to visit the Service so we can meet them, show them around and explain the purpose of coming to the centre and how we can support them. We call this the Child Readiness visit. It is designed to ensure that a child is informed, comfortable and supported at the first visit.
After we’ve had conversations with the family members about who will be coming to the Service, we are ready to start visits or changeovers.
Depending on parent/child availability, the intake process generally takes 2-4 weeks.
Ongoing visits are generally scheduled on weekdays for families with preschool children. Families with school age children get priority for Saturday visits, which are in high demand.
For Saturday services, there can be a waiting time of up to a few weeks to start intake for families, so it is best to act as soon as possible.
How can I get more information and apply?
If you are thinking of applying to access the Children Contact Service in Narre Warren, you can watch this video of what to expect. There are also FAQs and a fee schedule below.
To apply, request an application form to access the service, here.
The Better Place Australia Children’s Contact Service requires application forms from both parents to proceed to the Intake and Assessment stage. Once application forms have been received, both parents will be contacted for private individual intake interviews. Fees are shared between both parents unless otherwise specified in Court Orders.
Contact the Children’s Contact Service in Narre Warren
During office hours (freecall) 1800 639 523 or email.
