Comment: | The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service - CAFCASS - was set up on 1 April 2001. It is a national Non-Departmental Public Body for England and Wales. It brings together the services previously provided by the Family Court Welfare Service, the Guardian ad Litem Services and the Childrens Division of the Official Solicitor.
CAFCASS is independent and its functions are to:
+ safeguard and promote the welfare of the child;
+ give advice to the court about any application made to it in such proceedings;
+ make provision for children to be represented in such proceedings;
+ provide information, advice and support for children and their families.
The main types of cases in which the courts ask CAFCASS to help are when:
+ parents are separating or divorcing and have not reached agreement about arrangements for their children;
+ social services have become involved and children may be removed from their parents care for their safety;
+ children could be adopted. |
-
-
-