At some point after you file your parental order application, a social worker from Cafcass will visit your home. For most families this is the most nerve-wracking part of the process.
Here's the reassurance first: this is not an adoption-style suitability assessment. Nobody is deciding whether you're good enough to be a parent.
It isn't pure box-ticking either, and it's worth being straight about that. The reporter's job is to advise the court on your child's welfare — which is the court's paramount consideration — as well as to confirm the legal conditions are met. But where those conditions are satisfied and your child is settled with you, that is a very different exercise from being assessed as prospective adopters.
This page explains who they are, what they actually check, what they'll ask, and how long it takes.
Who is coming to your house
A parental order reporter — a qualified social worker employed by Cafcass (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service). The court appoints them shortly after your application is issued (Family Procedure Rule 13.5), usually before your first directions hearing, to represent your child's interests.
They are not there on behalf of the local authority, and this is not a child protection visit.
What they are actually checking
The reporter's job is to help the court confirm the legal conditions for a parental order are met. In practice that means:
1. That your child lives with you. They'll see your child with you, in your home. That's the main purpose of the visit.
2. That your surrogate consents — freely and with full understanding. This is the reporter's most important task. They will contact your surrogate separately, and will want to be satisfied her agreement is unconditional and properly informed.
3. That consent was given at the right time. Consent given less than six weeks after the birth is legally ineffective, so they will check the timing.
4. That payments were reasonable expenses only. They will ask what money changed hands. Be straightforward — the court has power to authorise payments beyond reasonable expenses, and has done so in many international cases, including where substantial sums were paid. It is a discretion exercised on the facts, and good faith counts. Honesty matters far more here than the number.
5. Basic safeguarding. Cafcass state they "may make checks with the local authority and the police." This is routine, not suspicion.
What they'll ask you
Every reporter is different, but expect questions along these lines:
- How the surrogacy arrangement came about, and how you found your surrogate
- Your relationship with her — before, during, and now
- What payments were made, and what they covered
- Whether your child's home is with you, and your day-to-day care arrangements
- Your plans for telling your child about their origins as they grow up
- Whether anyone else has parental responsibility for the child
The origins question surprises people. You don't need a polished answer — "we'll be open with them from the start, in an age-appropriate way" is genuinely fine. They're checking you've thought about it, not grading your parenting philosophy.
What they will ask your surrogate
Separately, they'll want to confirm with her:
- That her agreement is unconditional and she understands the consequences
- That she gave it after the child was six weeks old
- That she's not under pressure
- If she has a spouse or civil partner, that they consent too (unless they didn't consent to the treatment, or can't be found)
If your surrogate lives far away, a Cafcass colleague nearer to her may do that visit instead.
If your child was born overseas
The rules are different, and worth knowing early.
The Cafcass reporter cannot take your surrogate's consent in person if she's abroad. You'll need to provide consent (Form A101A) witnessed by a person authorised locally to administer oaths, a British Consular officer, or a notary public.
International cases are also usually heard in the High Court, per Cafcass's own guidance. That's normal for international surrogacy — not a sign of a problem.
More on A101A and overseas witnessing →
How long it takes
Cafcass say this work "typically takes between eight to twelve weeks" from appointment to the report reaching the court.
So the shape of the timeline is roughly:
- You file your application
- First directions hearing — usually within four weeks of issue
- Reporter appointed, investigation begins — 8–12 weeks
- Report goes to the court
- Final hearing — your order is made
See these dates mapped against your own child's birth date →
How to prepare
Genuinely, not much is needed. But it helps to have to hand:
- Your child's birth certificate
- Your surrogacy agreement, if you have one written
- A record of payments made and what they were for
- Your surrogate's current contact details — the single most useful thing you can provide. Delays here are the most common cause of a slow report.
You do not need to tidy the house to inspection standard. They're confirming a child lives with you, not scoring your home.
Will we see the report?
The report is confidential to the court. The court decides whether it's shared with each party, and may direct that it isn't disclosed to someone.
In practice, applicants are usually allowed to see it before the final hearing — but that's the court's decision, not automatic.
Frequently asked questions
Is this like an adoption assessment? No. Adoption assessments test whether applicants are suitable to parent a child. The parental order reporter is confirming specific legal conditions — chiefly that the child lives with you and that your surrogate consents.
Can they refuse our order? The reporter recommends; the court decides. No figures on refusals are published — we have asked the Ministry of Justice for them — but the reporter's task is to test whether the legal conditions are met and to advise on your child's welfare. Where the conditions are satisfied and your child is settled with you, the case for an order is usually clear.
What if we paid our surrogate more than expenses? Say so plainly. The court has power to authorise such payments and has done so in many international cases. Concealment is the real risk — not the payment.
Will they interview our child? For babies and toddlers, no — they observe the child with you. For an older child (in a late application, for instance), they may speak with them.
Does both parents need to be there? Generally yes, where there are two applicants. The reporter will arrange a time.
What if our surrogate has changed her mind? A parental order cannot be made if she actively withholds consent. Get legal advice immediately — there may be other routes, such as a child arrangements order.
Where PO Navigator fits
We help you prepare properly for this stage: the evidence to gather, the payment record, the contact details to have ready — and the deadlines running in the background.
Sources
- Cafcass — Parental orders (surrogacy)
- Family Procedure Rules Part 13 (rr.13.5, 13.8, 13.11, 13.12)
- HFEA 2008 s.54
Last reviewed: July 2026