Menu

Better for everyone: a new vision for child maintenance

Last updated: 06/07/2026

Transforming Child Maintenance was a partnership project between Fife Gingerbread, Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Scotland, and One Parent Families Scotland, funded by The Robertson Trust. Over three years, we worked alongside parents with lived experience, policymakers and partner organisations to understand the challenges families face when navigating child maintenance and develop recommendations for change.

The project has now concluded. The final report, Better for everyone: a new vision for child maintenance, sets out recommendations to improve the child maintenance system and strengthen the information, support and advice available to families.

Better for everyone: a new vision for child maintenance

Evidence-based policy proposals for systemic reform of the child maintenance system

Better for everyone

You can download both the full report and a summary version below.

Download Better for everyone full report Download Download summary report

Navigating the child maintenance maze

Navigating the Child Maintenance Service can be confusing and exhausting. Our Single Parent Expert Group shared their experiences to shape the above report and drive reform.

This video previews an interactive simulation of seeking help from the CMS.

Explore the simulation, and discover poems, stories and artwork from members of the Group.

Previous
Parent voices

Back
Transforming Child Maintenance

Next
Exploring the impacts of child maintenance complex case work in Fife

Exit this
site now
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

View Privacy policy

Covering your tracks

You may not want other people to know that you’ve been searching for information or help from OPFS.

When browsing the internet whether on a mobile phone, tablet or computer, you leave a ‘history’ trail of pages and sites you’ve visited.

It’s impossible to completely avoid being tracked online but if you’re worried about someone knowing which sites you’ve been looking at, there are some things you can do to help cover your tracks.

If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer, try keeping another document or website open in a new tab or window while browsing. If someone comes in the room and you don’t want them to see what you’re looking at, you can quickly switch to another window or tab.

Deleting browsing history

You can delete the history of websites you’ve visited, but it’s important to know that if you delete your browsing history, someone else using the same device may notice.

If you share a tablet, mobile phone, laptop or computer with someone, they might notice that passwords or website addresses have disappeared from their history.

Find out how to remove your browsing history and other data from some of the most commonly used browsers:

Browsing in Private mode (incognito)

When browsing ‘incognito’, the internet browser won’t store cookies or record your browsing history on the computer, mobile or tablet.

This option is available on popular web browsers i.e. -

Toolbars

If you use a search toolbar in your web browser, remember that your searched items can be saved as part of your history. Find out how to delete your searched items from the following search engines: