what about the children?

what about the children? | help and info

help and info

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organisations

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS)
Wyndham House
189 Marsh Wall
London E14 9SH
Tel: 020 7510 7000
E-mail: webenquiries@cafcass.gov.uk
Website: www.cafcass.gov.uk
Cafcass protects the interests of children involved in proceedings in the family court. Its teams of Children and Family Reporters or Children's Guardians work with children and their families and advise the family courts on what it considers to be in the children's best interests, including care orders and adoption in extreme circumstances. The website has separate pages to explain its role to children, teenagers and parents as well as sections on the law, human rights and children.

CAFCASS Cymru
Grosvenor Lodge
Grosvenor Road
Wrexham LL11 1DB
Tel: 01978 368479
Website: www.cafcass.gov.uk/cafcassCymru
Provides a similar service for children in Wales as its opposite number in England. The same website is also available in Welsh.

The Children's Legal Centre
Wivenhoe Park
University of Essex
Colchester
Essex CO4 3SQ
Tel: 01206 872 466
E-mail: clc@essex.ac.uk
Website: www.childrenslegalcentre.com
An independent national charity concerned with law and policy affecting children and young people. The Children's Legal Centre has many years of experience in providing legal advice and representation to children, their carers and professionals.

Community Legal Service Direct
Legal Services Commission
29-37 Red Lion Street
London WC1R 4PP
Helpline: 0845 345 4 345 ( Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
Tel: 020 7759 1966
Website: www.clsdirect.org.uk
An easy-to-use service that can help you deal with your legal problems. The website and helpline provide free information, help and advice direct to the public on a range of common legal issues. The website also has a directory to search for CLS-approved solicitors, legal advisers and specialist agencies to help resolve your case. 

Equal Parenting Council (EPC)
38-40 Gloucester Road
Kensington
London SW7 4QU
Helpline: 0906 550 1865 (24 hours; calls charged at £1 per minute of which 50p goes to EPC as a donation)
Website: www.equalparenting.org
A charity campaigning for shared parenting as the best arrangement for children after their parents divorce or separate and campaigns for parents to be treated as equals in the eyes of the law.

Families Need Fathers (FNF)
134 Curtain Road
London EC2A 3AR
Helpline: 0870 760 7496 (Mon-Fri 7-10pm)
Tel: 020 7613 5060
Website: www.fnf.org.uk
A UK charity founded in 1974, which provides information and support to parents, including unmarried parents, of either sex as well as grandparents. FNF is chiefly concerned with the problems of maintaining a child's relationship with both parents during and after family breakdown.

websites

Child Support Agency
www.csa.gov.uk
Assesses, collects and pays child support maintenance, ensuring that parents who live apart meet their financial responsibilities to their children. The CSA's national helpline (08457 133 133) deals with general queries on any aspect of child maintenance. The website has an extensive list of questions and answers, resources and links.

Divorce Aid
www.divorceaid.co.uk
Divorce Aid is an extensive self-help and support website for families going through separation and divorce. It aims to reduce the conflict and distress associated with the divorce process, thus enabling families to minimise legal costs.

Family contact after parents separate
www.nspcc.org.uk/html/Home/Needadvice/familycontactafterparentsseparate.htm
NSPCC guide that explains clearly the legal terminology often used in court cases concerning contact with children after separation.

Family Rights Group
www.frg.org.uk
A free, confidential advice service aimed at parents whose children are in the care of social services. Contains useful information and numerous links to other helpful organisations.

National Association for Child Support Action
www.nacsa.org.uk
Advice, counselling and support for separated parents, particularly those in dispute with the Child Support Agency.

On Divorce
www.ondivorce.co.uk
Brings together fellow divorcees for online support, advice and discussion as well as a free download of the e-book, Divorce & Custody by Dr Reena Sommer.

Parental Separation: Children's Needs and Parents' Responsibilities
www.dfes.gov.uk/childrensneeds
The Government's consultation on its Green Paper on Parental Separation can be downloaded here. Once passed, the law would accord equal rights of contact with their child to both parents in cases of divorce and separation. But any settlement would place the child's interests and well-being first.

Shared Parenting Information Group (SPIG) UK
www.spig.clara.net
Pressure group promoting responsible shared parenting after separation and divorce.

The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service
www2.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/..
The Salvation Army runs a tracing service to help put children back in touch with missing fathers.

Shared parenting
www.epolitix.com
Article from July 2004 discussing the government's pans to change the rules on access arrangements for children whose parents split up.

reading

	Anger in the Bosom of Our Children by Cornelius Evans (iUniverse.com, 2003) Connects the rise in crime and anti-social behaviour among young adolescents with the problems of absentee fathers in urban communities. Get this book
	Children Act Handbook by David Hershman and Andrew McFarlane (Family Law 2003). Provides a single-volume source of key legislation and guidance relating to proceedings under the Children Act 1989. Get this book
	Children And Their Families edited by Andrew Bainham, Bridget Lindley, Martin Richards and Liz Trinder (Hart Publishing, 2002) This book is the result of a series of seminars organised by the Cambridge Socio-Legal Group in 2002. Its papers by various contributors include an eloquent essay by Bob Geldof on fathers' rights, which explore the regulation of family relationships. Get this book
	The Ultimate Survival Guide for the Single Father by Thomas Hoerner (Harbinger Press, 2002) Written for single fathers who have custody or are active in their children's lives, author Tom Hoerner raised his three children alone. He now helps others to balance career, social life, and running a household while enjoying raising their kids. Get this book
	Fathers Matter by Celia Conrad (Creative Communications, 2003) This user-friendly and practical book is a step-by-step guide for fathers seeking contact with their children. Bob Geldof said, "This book is a timely, invaluable guide around the many hurdles and obstructions the Courts will put in a man's way to stop him being a dad to his kids. Read it and learn." Get this book
	Two Homes by Claire Masurel (Walker Books, 2002) Alex has two homes – a home where Daddy lives and a home where Mummy lives. Alex has two front doors, two bedrooms and two very different favourite chairs. This portrayal of the life of a child whose parents are divorced is full of warmth, comfort and affection. Get this book

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