The Treehouse Family Centre
Launching Soon
About the project
The Treehouse Family Centre is the Samuel Lawson Foundation’s flagship project and will operate as a family and mediation centre.
The Centre will provide safe, neutral and professionally supervised environments where children can spend time with a parent when supervision is required due to court orders, high-conflict separation, safety concerns, or professional recommendations.
The Treehouse Family Centre is currently in development and will open once premises and operational funding are secured.
What Is a Child Supervised Contact Centre?
A Child Supervised Contact Centre is a specialised facility designed to protect children while supporting their right to maintain meaningful relationships with their parents.
Supervised contact is used when parents are unable to safely manage contact on their own. This may be due to:
- High levels of conflict between parents
- Safety or welfare concerns
- A breakdown in trust or communication
- Recommendations from a court, mediator, social worker or psychologist
At the Treehouse Family Centre, all supervised contact takes place with a trained, neutral supervisor present throughout the visit, ensuring the child’s physical and emotional safety at all times.
Our Purpose
The Treehouse Family Centre exists to:
- Protect children from exposure to adult conflict
- Provide safe, structured contact where supervision is necessary
- Support the implementation of court orders and parenting plans
- Reduce repeated litigation by stabilising contact arrangements
- Place the child’s wellbeing at the centre of every decision
Supervised contact is not about punishment or restriction.
It is about creating a safe pathway for connection.
Who the Treehouse Supports
Children
- A safe, calm environment to spend time with a parent
- Protection from conflict, pressure and unsafe situations
- Contact that prioritises emotional wellbeing and developmental needs
Parents
and Caregivers
- Reassurance that contact occurs in a supervised, neutral setting
- Reduced conflict during handovers
- Professional oversight and consistency
Legal and Helping Professionals
- A reliable, child-focused facility to support court orders and agreements
- Structured supervision aligned with best-practice principles
Services Offered at the Treehouse
Supervised Child Contact
Professionally supervised contact sessions in a child-friendly environment, ensuring safety, neutrality and consistency.
Safe Handovers and Drop-Offs
Supported child handovers designed to minimise conflict and protect children from adult disputes.
Reunification Support
Structured support aimed at rebuilding parent-child relationships where contact has broken down or been disrupted.
Child Participation and Voice-of-the-Child
Ethical, age-appropriate processes that allow children’s voices to be heard without placing them in the middle of conflict.
Mediation-Adjacent Support
Facilities and services that support family mediation and assist with the practical implementation of parenting plans and court orders.
How the Centre Will Operate
The Treehouse Family Centre will operate using a hybrid access model:
- Fee-based services for families who can afford private supervision (a means test will be conducted)
- Subsidised services for vulnerable families, funded through donations and CSI partnerships
- Referrals from courts, mediators, legal practitioners and social workers
This model ensures sustainability while expanding access to supervised contact for families who need it most.
Project Status: Launching Soon
The Treehouse Family Centre is currently in the pre-launch phase.
We are actively:
- Securing suitable premises
- Raising funds to subsidise supervised contact sessions
- Finalising operational protocols and child-safeguarding frameworks
- Building partnerships with legal and mental-health professionals
The Centre will open once sufficient funding is in place to ensure safe, ethical and sustainable service delivery from day one.
How You Can Support the Treehouse
You can help bring the Treehouse Family Centre to life by:
- Making a once-off or monthly donation
- Sponsoring supervised contact sessions
- Partnering with us as a corporate or CSI funder
- Offering professional or in-kind support
Every contribution helps ensure that children can remain connected to their parents in a safe and supported way.