If you are going to family court about arrangements for your child, the process you go through depends on where you live and when you apply. Since 2022 a new way of running these cases has been tested in a handful of court areas under the name "Pathfinder". In March 2026 the government announced that it will be rolled out across England and Wales, and it now has a permanent name: the Child Focused Model.
This post explains what it is, why it was introduced, and what is different about it. Later posts in this series go into each part in more detail.
The problem it is trying to fix
The current process for a private law children case (a case between parents or family members, rather than one brought by a local authority) is called the Child Arrangements Programme. It usually runs like this: one parent applies on a form called a C100A C100 is the form you fill in to ask the family court to make a decision about arrangements for a child. Once the court issues it, your case has a number and a first hearing is normally listed., CafcassCafcass is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It is independent of the court and of both parents, and its job is to advise the court about what is best for a child. (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, the independent body that advises the court about children's welfare) makes safeguarding checks and writes a short letter, and the court lists a first hearing. If things are not agreed, the court may order a fuller welfare report, list further hearings, and eventually hold a final hearing where a judge decides.
That can take a long time. Cases regularly run for a year or more, with several hearings, and the child's own views are often not heard until well into the process. Many parents come back to court later because the arrangements stopped working. And information about risk, such as police or social services involvement, arrives piece by piece rather than all at once.
What the Child Focused Model does differently
The core idea is to gather the important information at the start, so that the court can make good decisions sooner and with fewer hearings. In practice that means four things.
First, a Child Impact Report replaces the safeguarding letter. Before the first hearing, Cafcass gathers information from the police, the local authority and, where relevant, the child's school, speaks to both parents, and where appropriate speaks to the child. The report sets out what the dispute is doing to the child and what the risks are. Post 3 in this series covers it in depth.
Second, there are fewer hearings. Because the court has the Child Impact Report from the start, it can often make decisions at the first hearing rather than using it to set directions for later. Pilot areas have reported cases resolved up to seven and a half months faster and court backlogs more than halved.
Third, domestic abuse is handled differently. Specialist domestic abuse services, including Independent Domestic Violence Advisers, are involved from the beginning, and families can be referred for a risk assessment and support at the start of the case rather than after allegations are aired at a hearing.
Fourth, the child's voice comes first. The proportion of children seen by a social worker or Cafcass officer more than doubles under the model, and the judiciary has said that talking to children wherever possible is "long overdue".
Where it applies
As of spring 2026 the model runs in ten of the 43 family court areas, covering roughly a quarter of cases: all of Wales, Dorset, West Yorkshire, Birmingham and the West Midlands, and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight among them. The next phase, funded with £17 million for 2026 to 2027, adds the North East, North West and East Midlands. The government's stated aim is full rollout within three years. Post 2 has the full list and what to do if your area is not yet included.
What stays the same
The law the court applies does not change. The Children Act 1989 still governs every decision, the child's welfare is still the court's paramount concern, and the welfare checklist (the list of factors a judge must consider, including the child's wishes, needs, and any risk of harm) is unchanged. The forms are broadly the same, mediation and the MIAMA MIAM is a first meeting with a trained mediator, on your own, to talk about whether mediation could help sort things out without a court hearing. Most people have to attend one before applying to court, unless an exemption applies. (mediation information and assessment meeting, usually required before you apply) still apply, and the court still expects parents to prepare clearly and honestly.
What changes is the order and speed of events, and how much rides on the first hearing. That is the single most important thing to understand: under the Child Focused Model, the first hearing is often the main event, so preparation before it matters more than ever.
How familycourt.app and McKenzie can help
familycourt.app is built around family court procedure in England and Wales. When you describe your situation, McKenzie, the app's AI assistant, shows you where you are on a plain-English map of the process, including whether your court area runs the Child Focused Model or the Child Arrangements Programme, and what usually comes next in each. Document Studio then helps you prepare your own statements and chronology in the format the court expects, so that when the first hearing arrives you are organised and calm.