How a “Views of the Child” Report Handles Call-Blocking in BC

In a BC custody dispute, one of the most frustrating things you can hear from the other parent is: “I asked them if they wanted to talk to you, and they said no.”

When you try to call your child, you get blocked. Week after week, the excuse is that the child is simply exercising their own choices. If this happens repeatedly, the court needs a way to find out what the child actually thinks—without putting them on the witness stand.

In British Columbia, judges use a legal tool under Section 211 of the Family Law Act called a Views of the Child Report (often referred to as a Hear the Child report).

But what happens during these reports when telephone contact is constantly being missed or blocked? How does a professional determine if a child is actually refusing calls, or if they are being coached?

What is a Section 211 Views of the Child Report?

A Views of the Child Report is prepared by a neutral professional—usually a psychologist, clinical counsellor, or family lawyer. Their job is to meet with the child, ask neutral questions, and write a report summarizing the child's preferences regarding custody, scheduling, and telephone communication.

Unlike full Section 211 parenting assessments, which evaluate parenting capacity and make psychological recommendations, a Views of the Child Report simply acts as a microphone. It records the child's voice so the judge can hear it.

However, there is a catch: the child's wishes are not the same as the child's best interests. BC judges know that children can be manipulated, pressured, or coached by the parent they live with.

True Wishes vs. Parental Influences (Coaching)

When an interviewer sits down with a child to ask why they haven't been talking to their other parent, they look for specific indicators of parental coaching:

• Adult Language: If a seven-year-old child explains that they don't want to talk on the phone because of “boundary violations” or “court stress,” it is immediately obvious that they are repeating adult conversations.
• Lack of Real Detail: A child who genuinely doesn't want to talk can usually give a child-like reason (e.g., they wanted to keep playing their video game). A coached child will often repeat vague, rehearsed talking points.
• The “Gatekeeper” Factor: The assessor will check if the custodial parent is setting up phone calls in a way that forces the child to choose. For example, scheduling a call right in the middle of a movie or during a trip to the park. The child naturally says “no,” and the gatekeeper uses that to justify blocking the call.

Why Objective Call History Matters to the Assessor

Views of the Child reports do not happen in a vacuum. The interviewer will look at the physical evidence before interviewing the child.

This is where parents run into problems. If the target parent says, “I try to call every Tuesday and they always block me,” and the custodial parent says, “They never call, and when they do, the child is asleep,” the assessor is stuck in a loop of conflicting statements.

But if you provide a clean, uneditable communication log from Connected Parent, the entire calculation changes:

• It proves your attempts: The log shows the exact date, time, and second the system dialed the child's phone. It completely disproves the argument that you “never tried to call.”
• It highlights the patterns: If the log shows that the system called at the court-ordered time of 6:00 PM for 12 straight weeks, and the call was declined or went to voicemail every time, it demonstrates a systematic pattern of interference.
• It protects your child: Because the system dials automatically, you don't have to text the other parent to argue. The log stands alone as a neutral record.

When the Section 211 assessor reads a cryptographically verified call report, they can match those dates and times against the excuses given by the other parent. It makes it clear to the court whether the child is genuinely refusing contact or if they are simply not being given the chance to connect.

The Bottom Line

If your custody agreement includes telephone access, do not rely on memory or hand-written logs. If a Views of the Child Report is ordered in your case, having a verifiable history of call attempts is the single best way to ensure the truth is documented.