About Cafcass
The organisation
Cafcass was set up on 1st April 2001 under the
provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act which
brought together the family court services previously provided by
the Family Court Welfare Service, the Guardian ad Litem Service and
the Children’s Division of the Official Solicitor’s Office.
We are a non-departmental public body accountable to Ed Balls,
MP, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in
the Department for Children, Schools and
Families (DCSF). We work within the strategic objectives
agreed by our sponsor department and contribute to wider government
objectives relating to children.
Cafcass is independent of
the courts, social services, education and health authorities and
all similar agencies.
The remit
We operate within the law set by Parliament and under the rules
and directions of the family courts. Our role is to:
- safeguard and promote the welfare of children
- give advice to the family courts
- make provision for children to be represented
- provide information, advice and support to children and their
families.
The work
The main types of cases in which the courts ask Cafcass to help
are when:
- parents or carers 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.