The Jewish Family Centre is opening what is believed to be the first Jewish child contact centre in the country.
The centre in Golders Green, north-west London, which facilitates meetings between separated families, has already been running for a year but will have its official launch in September.
The centre offers dedicated age-appropriate rooms for Jewish children and teenagers who are entitled to see a parent as part of court-mandated contact sessions.
“We are incredibly proud to introduce our new child contact centre,” said Sandy Weinbaum, founder and director of JFC. “Our goal is to provide a safe, supportive space where children and families can maintain essential connections during difficult times. This centre is a testament to our commitment to family wellbeing.”
Sensory contact room at the Jewish Family Centre (Photo: Jewish Family Centre)
The JFC has enhanced accreditation with the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC), which means that non-Jewish families are also welcome to use the facility, as well as families where one parent is Jewish and the other is not.
The launch event in September is open to everyone, including family law professionals and mediators.
Weinbaum added: “We have already seen the difference having a dedicated space in the community makes on children and families.
“There is an element of trust, and our goal is to support people move on from having contact in a centre to contact in the community.”
The centre boasts a specialised child room and a teenager room, each designed to cater for the needs of the different age groups.
Weinbaum said: “These rooms have up-to-date toys and equipment and are nice environments to be in. What we hear from a lot of families is a lot of these [other] contact centres are not very warm or welcoming places.”
At the JFC contact centre, cameras are fitted in each room, and there is space for fully trained supervisors if required.
Jewish Family Centre contact room for older children (Photo: Jewish Family Centre)
A young adult who has visited the centre said: “I wish that there had been a place like this when my parents got divorced 12 years ago.
“We had to see my dad in a dingy room. It was hard enough already. A place like this would have made it so much better.”
Natascha Lieberman, the contact centre manager, said: “Our facility is unique in its approach to catering for both children and teenagers, recognising that each group has specific needs.”
They want to invite family law professionals to see “first hand the exceptional environment we’ve created”.
To register for the launch event, click here
