For families involved in private law children act proceedings, the court process can feel long, uncertain and emotionally exhausting. Too many families experience drawn-out litigation, leaving vulnerable children exposed to continuing conflict and uncertainty.
As family practitioners, we see the impact that delay can have on families and children.
Against this background, the national rollout of Child Focused Courts marks an important shift in how cases are handled across England and Wales. Formerly known as the Pathfinder Courts, this model aims to place children’s experiences, wishes, feelings and safety at the centre of proceedings, while reducing unnecessary delays.
What are Child Focused Courts?
Child Focused Courts are based on a model that was first piloted in February 2022 in the Family Courts in North Wales and Dorset. The model has since expanded and is now operating across 10 court areas including Wales, West Yorkshire, Birmingham, West Midlands, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight.
The approach is designed to place children at the forefront of decisions with the aim to ensure that their voices are heard at an earlier stage, risks and support needs are identified more quickly. It also seeks to move away from the existing process which focused heavily on the dispute between the parents.
Why is the system changing?
The move towards Child Focused Courts is in response to the longstanding concerns about the way in which private children cases are dealt with, particularly where proceedings are lengthy, parental conflict is high or domestic abuse is alleged.
For families, the court process can be stressful and disruptive. Prolonged proceedings can mean months of uncertainty while decisions are being made about where the children will live, who they will spend time with and what future arrangements will look like.
The Government’s decision to roll out Child Focused Courts nationally follows the pilot described as particularly successful, with some cases being resolved up to 7.5 months faster. This demonstrated significant improvements in the speed at which cases were resolved. The intention is to enable the court to make safe and informed decisions without unnecessary delay, while reducing parental conflict and reducing the overall length of proceedings.
Another important feature of this reform is the greater focus on identifying harm and the risk of potential future harm at an early stage.This is particularly important in cases where domestic abuse is identified or alleged.
The 2020 Harm Panel Report highlighted concerns about the ability of the family courts to appropriately safeguard and protect children and to respond effectively to allegations of domestic abuse within private law children proceedings.
The Child Focused Model seeks to address these concerns by ensuring that children’s experiences of harm, as well as the impact of domestic abuse on children and adult victims of domestic abuse, are considered earlier within proceedings.
What is a Child Impact Report?
One of the key features of the Child Focused Model is the Child Impact Report.
The report brings together information about:
- the child’s circumstances;
- wishes and feelings;
- any relevant safeguarding concerns; and
- the impact of parental conflict or other harm.
By giving the court a fuller picture of the child’s circumstances at an earlier stage, the report helps identify the most appropriate next steps.
The Child Impact Report is generally prepared by Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service), or by Cafcass Cymru in Wales. In some circumstances, the report may be prepared by a local authority.
The Child Focused Model is intended to streamline the existing process and reduce duplication, including replacing certain stages of the previous approach, such as the Safeguarding Letter and, where appropriate, the need for a separate Section 7 report.
When will this happen?
The Government announced the national rollout of Child Focused Courts on 17 March 2026. The model, formerly known as the Private Law Pathfinder, will be implemented across family courts in England and Wales over the next three years.
The rollout will take place in stages according to local implementation timetables, rather than being introduced across the country on a single date. Cafcass has stated that the reforms are intended to be implemented across all family courts in England and Wales by March 2029.
Contact us
If you require further advice, please get in touch here to arrange to speak with a family lawyer. Whatever your circumstances, we can help.