diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/Node.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/Node.java
index cc5f23d28c..c29cb17c08 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/Node.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/Node.java
@@ -114,9 +114,12 @@ public class Node implements Serializable, Scopeable
     /** The aspects applied to this node */
     private Set<QName> aspects = null;
     
-    /** The associations from this node */
+    /** The target associations for this node */
     private ScriptableQNameMap<String, Node[]> assocs = null;
     
+    /** The child associations for this node */
+    private ScriptableQNameMap<String, Node[]> childAssocs = null;
+    
     /** The children of this node */
     private Node[] children = null;
     
@@ -410,7 +413,7 @@ public class Node implements Serializable, Scopeable
      * associative array access. This means associations of this node can be access thus:
      * <code>node.assocs["translations"][0]</code>
      * 
-     * @return associations as a Map of assoc name to an Array of Nodes.
+     * @return target associations as a Map of assoc name to an Array of Nodes.
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public Map<String, Node[]> getAssocs()
@@ -450,6 +453,52 @@ public class Node implements Serializable, Scopeable
         return getAssocs();
     }
     
+    /**
+     * Return the child associations from this Node. As a Map of assoc name to an Array of Nodes.
+     * The Map returned implements the Scriptable interface to allow access to the assoc arrays via JavaScript
+     * associative array access. This means associations of this node can be access thus:
+     * <code>node.childAssocs["contains"][0]</code>
+     * 
+     * @return child associations as a Map of assoc name to an Array of Nodes.
+     */
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public Map<String, Node[]> getChildAssocs()
+    {
+        if (this.childAssocs == null)
+        {
+            // this Map implements the Scriptable interface for native JS syntax property access
+            this.childAssocs = new ScriptableQNameMap<String, Node[]>(this.services.getNamespaceService());
+            
+            List<ChildAssociationRef> refs = this.nodeService.getChildAssocs(nodeRef);
+            for (ChildAssociationRef ref : refs)
+            {
+                String qname = ref.getTypeQName().toString();
+                Node[] nodes = (Node[]) this.childAssocs.get(qname);
+                if (nodes == null)
+                {
+                    // first access for the list for this qname
+                    nodes = new Node[1];
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Node[] newNodes = new Node[nodes.length + 1];
+                    System.arraycopy(nodes, 0, newNodes, 0, nodes.length);
+                    nodes = newNodes;
+                }
+                nodes[nodes.length - 1] = newInstance(ref.getChildRef(), this.services, this.scope);
+                
+                this.childAssocs.put(ref.getTypeQName().toString(), nodes);
+            }
+        }
+        
+        return this.childAssocs;
+    }
+    
+    public Map<String, Node[]> jsGet_childAssocs()
+    {
+        return getChildAssocs();
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Return all the properties known about this node. The Map returned implements the Scriptable interface to
      * allow access to the properties via JavaScript associative array access. This means properties of a node can
@@ -1796,6 +1845,7 @@ public class Node implements Serializable, Scopeable
         this.properties = null;
         this.aspects = null;
         this.assocs = null;
+        this.childAssocs = null;
         this.children = null;
         this.displayPath = null;
         this.isDocument = null;
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/template/TemplateNode.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/template/TemplateNode.java
index 383633b14c..0f5d103972 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/template/TemplateNode.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/template/TemplateNode.java
@@ -72,9 +72,12 @@ public class TemplateNode extends BasePermissionsNode
     
     private static Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(TemplateNode.class);
     
-    /** All associations from this node */
+    /** Target associations from this node */
     private Map<String, List<TemplateNode>> assocs = null;
     
+    /** The child associations from this node */
+    private Map<String, List<TemplateNode>> childAssocs = null;
+    
     /** Cached values */
     protected NodeRef nodeRef;
     private String name;
@@ -246,6 +249,32 @@ public class TemplateNode extends BasePermissionsNode
         return this.assocs;
     }
     
+    /**
+     * @return The child associations for this Node. As a Map of assoc name to a List of TemplateNodes. 
+     */
+    public Map<String, List<TemplateNode>> getChildAssocs()
+    {
+        if (this.childAssocs == null)
+        {
+            List<ChildAssociationRef> refs = this.services.getNodeService().getChildAssocs(this.nodeRef);
+            this.childAssocs = new QNameMap<String, List<TemplateNode>>(this.services.getNamespaceService());
+            for (ChildAssociationRef ref : refs)
+            {
+                String qname = ref.getTypeQName().toString();
+                List<TemplateNode> nodes = this.childAssocs.get(qname);
+                if (nodes == null)
+                {
+                    // first access for the list for this qname
+                    nodes = new ArrayList<TemplateNode>(4);
+                    this.childAssocs.put(ref.getTypeQName().toString(), nodes);
+                }
+                nodes.add( new TemplateNode(ref.getChildRef(), this.services, this.imageResolver) );
+            }
+        }
+        
+        return this.childAssocs;
+    }
+    
     /**
      * @return true if the node is currently locked
      */