A child should be entitled to a meaningful relationship with both
parents following family separation where it is safe and in the
child’s best interests, Minister for Children and Social Care,
has said.
There are occasions when one parent behaves in a way which
creates anxiety in the child, so that it appears the child is
opposed to living with or spending time with the other parent.
This is often referred to as “parental alienation”.
The Welsh Government recognises parental separation affects many
children and their families. Where it is handled well, the
adverse impact on children is minimised.
To address this, the Welsh Government continues to place a firm
focus on positive parenting and the provision of parenting
support services are an integral part of the Families First and
Flying Start programmes. Funding has been made available to
up-skill the family support workforce, so they are better able to
embed inter-parental support in their early intervention services
for families.
Later today, the Minister will appear before the National
Assembly for Wales’ Petitions Committee, where he will respond to
calls that the Welsh Government should take specific actions to
reduce the impact of parental alienation on children and their
families.
said:
“The Welsh Government believes a child is entitled to a
meaningful relationship with both parents following family
separation where it is safe and in the child’s best interests.
However, I am clear the welfare of the child should always be at
the centre of our concerns.
“We recognise some parents can behave in a way that alienates the
other from their child’s life, and that these behaviours can have
a significant adverse impact on the emotional well-being of the
child.
“We view parental alienation not as a syndrome or a
classification, but as a set of behaviours. The most important
issue for us is that these behaviours, when they occur, are
appropriately dealt with using our family and parenting support
programmes and the existing regulatory and legal frameworks.”
ENDS
Notes
- The majority of parents who separate are able to amicably
agree ongoing arrangements to care for their child. However, some
parents turn to the court to assist them in determining child
care arrangements either because their relationship has
irrevocably broken down or there are safeguarding concerns.
- Cafcass Cymru works with children and young people ensuring
their voice is heard in the Family Court in Wales. Cafcass Cymru
commissioned Cardiff University to undertake a review of research
and judicial case law on parental alienation. This research
will be used to further inform their practice where one parent
seeks to alienate their child from the other parent.
- In March 2017, the Family Justice Network for Wales, which
includes all the key stakeholders in the family justice system in
Wales, reviewed its position on parental alienation. The Network
recognises the behaviours described and the significant impact
this can have on the emotional well-being of the child. The
Network agreed that under existing legislation, the Family Court
already has a sufficient range of powers to deal with cases where
alienating behaviours feature and where appropriate, cases can
and have been considered by Welsh local authorities under child
protection procedures.
