A CHILD contact centre has closed amid concerns over regulation that made it ‘impossible’ to keep operating.
Milli’s Separated Family Centre announced the closure of the service – which helped provide a safe environment for children of separated families to maintain a relationship with both parents – this morning, after 23 years of operation.
The independently-funded organisation has said the closure is the result of regulation introduced over the last two years, which it claims redefined the definitions of contact in a way that made it ‘impossible for us to do any work’.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the family centre said: ‘It should be noted that at no point during this consultation process, or the drafting of the regulations, did anyone from the Care Commission approach Milli’s to visit us to see the contact centre. Many people have an idea that child contact centres operate like playgroups or nurseries but that is not the case, child contact centres are unique in their operation.
‘It can be hard to understand without seeing it in person and we would have been delighted to welcome the Care Commission to observe the running of a contact centre with 23 years of experience.’
They added that they understood ‘another organisation’ was planning to open a child contact centre.
‘We wish them the best of luck with this endeavour.
‘This is not the end for Milli’s Separated Family Centre. As Jersey has one of the highest levels of family separation in Europe we will continue, as we have for some 25 years, to be there for anybody requiring support, information, and advice about family separation.’
