Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Child arrangements programme definition

What does Child arrangements programme mean? The child Arrangements programme is the court-managed pathway in England and Wales for private law disputes between separated parents or family members about where a child lives, spends time, or other section 8 Children Act 1989 issues. It emphasises early non-court dispute resolution and proportionate, safeguarding‑led case management. The CAP is set out in Practice Direction 12B to the family procedure rules 2010 (SI 2010/2955). It took effect on 22 April 2014, replacing the Revised Private Law Programme, and operates alongside FPR Part 12 (children proceedings) and Part 3 (non-court dispute resolution/MIAM). Key features include: - Pre‑action Mediation Information and...

Child Arrangements Programme: procedure for section 8 Children Act 1989 applications—MIAMs, pre-application protocol, allocation and gatekeeping, Child Focused Courts and online systems (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

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On 31 March 2026, Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, published consolidated guidance on allocation and gatekeeping in children proceedings before the Family Court, to take effect on 5 May 2026. This supplants the 2014 public and private law guidance, creating a single scheme for allocation across all children cases. It codifies the function of gatekeeping teams, maps allocation choices to contemporary procedural routes (including Child Focused Courts), and reaffirms the fundamentals of judicial continuity, proportionality, and the efficient deployment of judicial resources; see News Analysis: Consolidated allocation and gatekeeping guidance for children proceedings issued. This Practice Note is being revised to incorporate the President’s guidance. It sets out how to seek an order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989)—namely a child arrangements order (CAO), a specific issue order, or a prohibited steps order—and provides direction on the requirement to attend a mediation information and assessment meeting (MIAM)...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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