Caring Dads Programme UK: Referrals, Family Court and Child Contact
The Caring Dads programme is a structured, child-centred intervention for fathers whose behaviour has harmed, or may have placed at risk, their children or the children’s mother. It is not a general parenting course, and it is not a route to automatic child contact. Its purpose is to help fathers understand the impact of abusive, controlling, neglectful or harmful behaviour and develop safer, more responsible ways of parenting.
The Caring Dads programme was developed in Canada and is delivered by a range of local authorities, charities and family-support providers in parts of England and Wales. It is not a nationally guaranteed service, so availability, eligibility criteria and referral arrangements vary from one area to another. The programme usually involves structured group work over a number of weeks, often using a 17-week model, although local delivery can differ. For an overview of the programme’s original approach and development, see the official Caring Dads website.
By: Hannah Overton, Complex Children Specialist
Legally reviewed by: Iblal Iqbal, Partner & Family Law Strategist, Kabir Family Law
Last reviewed: 1st September 2026
What is the Caring Dads programme?
The Caring Dads programme is designed for fathers who have used abusive, controlling, neglectful or otherwise harmful behaviour within their family relationships. This may involve behaviour towards a child, a current partner or former partner, or both.
The programme recognises that children can be harmed not only by direct abuse, but also by living with fear, hostility, coercive control, intimidation, neglect or serious adult conflict. A child may be affected by what they see, hear, anticipate and experience in the home, even where they are not physically harmed.
For that reason, The Caring Dads programme is not primarily about helping a father make a stronger case for contact. It asks him to consider the child’s experience of his behaviour and to take responsibility for the impact that behaviour may have had.
The focus is on moving from father-centred thinking—such as frustration about contact, conflict with a former partner or dissatisfaction with professional involvement—to child-centred parenting. This means asking what the child needs to feel secure, safe, listened to and emotionally protected.
What happens during the programme?
Many providers use a 17-week group format, usually involving weekly sessions of approximately two hours. The original programme is designed as a structured group intervention, but some providers now use online or blended formats. It is therefore important to check the arrangements in the relevant local authority area.
Sessions are generally interactive rather than lecture-based. Fathers may take part in guided discussions, practical exercises and reflective work between sessions. The work is intended to help participants identify harmful patterns, understand the consequences for children and practice safer ways to respond to stress, conflict and parenting challenges.
A father may be asked to think carefully about how a child reacts to his behaviour, how conflict between adults affects a child’s sense of safety, and whether his decisions are genuinely based on the child’s needs rather than his own wishes.
The Caring Dads programme often addresses the following themes:
- The effect of domestic abuse, coercive control and neglect on children
- Recognising denial, blame and minimisation
- Child-centred parenting and emotional availability
- Managing frustration and conflict without intimidation or abuse
- Taking responsibility for harmful choices
- Building trust through consistent and safer behaviour
- Respectful co-parenting, where this is safe and appropriate
However, course attendance is not the same as demonstrating change. The key issue is whether a father can show insight, accountability and sustained safer behaviour outside the group setting.
Who can be referred to the Caring Dads programme?
Caring Dads is normally intended for fathers who have some contact with a child, or who may realistically have contact in the future. Contact could be supervised, supported or unsupervised, depending on the circumstances and the level of risk.
Referral arrangements vary between providers. In some areas, only children’s services, social workers, probation practitioners or domestic-abuse agencies can refer. In others, a father may begin the process himself but will still need professional involvement during screening or assessment.
Before joining, a father will usually take part in a suitability assessment. This gives the provider an opportunity to understand the history of concerns, the present risk, the father’s ability to participate safely in a group, his motivation to change and any other needs, such as substance misuse, mental-health support or specialist intervention.
The programme will not be suitable for every father or every case. Where risk is high, where allegations are unresolved, or where a father is unable to acknowledge any concern about his behaviour, professionals may need to consider whether other safeguarding measures or interventions should be prioritised.
Caring Dads and family court
A father’s attendance on The Caring Dads programme may be relevant in private-law and public-law children proceedings, particularly where domestic abuse, coercive control, emotional harm or unsafe parenting have been raised as concerns. But the programme is only one part of the overall picture.
The family court’s focus remains the child’s welfare and safety. Completing the course does not automatically lead to more contact, unsupervised time with a child or a change to a child-arrangements order.
The court is likely to consider whether the father has demonstrated genuine insight, accepted responsibility and made sustained changes over time. It may also consider the child’s experience, the views of the non-abusive parent, information from children’s services, police or other agencies, and any assessment by Cafcass.
Where domestic abuse has been alleged or established, the court will need to consider the wider pattern of behaviour and the child’s safety. This can include the risk of post-separation abuse and the use of court proceedings as a means of continued control.
A father should therefore avoid viewing Caring Dads as a course that simply “proves” he is safe. Its value lies in meaningful engagement and in evidence of how learning has been translated into safer parenting and respectful conduct.
What should professionals consider?
For social workers, Cafcass practitioners, probation officers, domestic-abuse specialists and family-law professionals, Caring Dads may be a useful part of a wider safeguarding plan. It can create a structured opportunity to assess how a father responds to challenge, whether he can accept responsibility and whether he can begin to understand the child’s perspective.
A high-quality referral should give the provider enough context to assess suitability safely. That usually includes the child’s current situation, the history of domestic abuse or neglect concerns, current and proposed contact arrangements, court involvement, safeguarding measures and the support available to the non-abusive parent and child.
Professionals should also be cautious about relying on completion alone. Attendance, punctuality and homework completion can be relevant, but they are not conclusive evidence of safety. The central question is whether there is reliable evidence of change that is consistent, sustained and reflected in the child’s everyday experience.
A Cafcass officer may take account of a father’s engagement with appropriate support, but their focus remains the child’s welfare, risk and lived experience. For more information, read our guide to Cafcass section 7 reports.
Does completing the Caring Dads programme guarantee child contact?
No. Completing Caring Dads does not guarantee contact with a child, an increase in contact or a move from supervised to unsupervised arrangements.
Any decision about child arrangements must be based on the child’s welfare and the evidence of current risk. The court and safeguarding professionals will consider the entire picture, including historical concerns, the father’s insight, the views of the child where appropriate, the views of the non-abusive parent and whether the father’s behaviour has changed in a meaningful and sustained way.
For fathers, the most constructive reason to engage is not to secure a particular court outcome. It is to understand the impact of past behaviour and develop safer, more caring and more child-focused parenting.
Expert commentary: “Caring Dads can be a valuable part of a safeguarding plan because it asks fathers to focus on the child’s experience of harm, rather than on their own intentions or their wish for contact. However, it should never be treated as a shortcut to contact or as a substitute for a proper risk assessment. In family proceedings, the strongest evidence of change is consistent, accountable behaviour over time, supported by the child’s welfare and information from the wider professional network.”
Hannah Overton, Complex Children Specialist, Kabir Family Law
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