Who is entitled to contact?

It is not just parents who can ask for contact with a child. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and anyone who has had a close relationship with a child may ask a parent for contact with the child. If contact is refused, it is possible that the person wanting contact will apply to the courts for a contact order, but this should be a last resort.

Additionally, social services have a duty to promote and encourage contact between the child and "any other relative or person connected with him". However, it is important to remember that the child's welfare remains paramount.

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