the power of child familiarization sessions: trust starts here

A child familiarisation session is a short, one‑on‑one meeting between the child and the contact worker before any supervised or community‑based contact visits begin.

It’s not about the park or the café. It’s not about logistics. It’s about the first hello.

The child meets the person who will walk beside them during visits – the one who will help things feel calm, steady, and safe.

For a child who might be nervous or unsure, that first introduction makes all the difference.

For children, stepping into supervised or community visits can feel like stepping into the unknown.

Meeting the contact worker first takes away one of the biggest unknowns.

• 🌿 Trust before location – Children don’t need to see every playground or café ahead of time, but they do need to know who will hold their hand when the day comes.

• 🌿 Easing anxiety – That quiet meeting softens big feelings, helping children feel safe when they return for their first visit.

• 🌿 Creating predictability – When a child sees a familiar face on visit day, the question mark is replaced by recognition: “I know you. I’ll be okay.”

It turns an overwhelming start into a gentle beginning.

Child familiarisation sessions aren’t just for the child – they also help parents. When a parent sees their child meet the contact worker in a calm, unrushed way, they know visits will start on a foundation of safety and trust.

It lowers tension. It reassures everyone.

And it signals something important: that these visits are starting the child’s way, not the calendar’s way.

Sometimes, the smallest gestures make the biggest difference.

One of our senior contact workers met a young toddler for a child familiarisation session recently. The little one clung to their mum, unsure and quiet, but after a few minutes of gentle play, a shy smile appeared.

When it came time for the first visit, that same worker made a deliberate choice – they wore the exact same top they’d worn for the familiarisation session. When the toddler walked in and saw that familiar colour, there was no hesitation. No tears. Just recognition.

A simple detail, but to that child, it meant safety. It meant I know you. I remember this.

That’s the power of familiarisation: it turns the unknown into something known and for children, that changes everything.