Supervised Visitation
Supervised Visitation is provided between parents, children, siblings, and/or others who have been separated due to allegations of abuse or neglect, custody disputes, or are involved with juvenile probation. Visitation allows the child an opportunity to maintain and strengthen their bond and interactions in a safe environment. Additionally, this time allows parents the opportunity to practice new parenting techniques and to assess their own ability to parent through interaction with the child.
Supervised visitation allows the referring agency, Department of Child Services or local courts, the opportunity to assess the relationship between the child and parent and to assist the parent in strengthening their parenting skills, and developing new skills.
The role of the visitation provider is to ensure safety throughout the visit and provide an atmosphere where parents and children may build, maintain and/or strengthen their bond.
Families First Center is a member of the Supervised Visitation Network (SVN) which is an international non-profit membership organization that is a network of agencies and individuals who are interested in assuring that children can have a safe, conflict-free access to parents with whom they do not reside. SVN is dedicated to providing children with opportunities for safe, conflict-free access to both parents.
Supervision Levels
Fully Supervised - A Family Specialist will actively monitor both watching and listening to all interactions throughout the entirety of the visit. These visits can occur at our center, in the community, such as the park, library, or zoo, or in the parent's home. The location of the visit is determined by the Department of Child Services or the courts.
Intermittent Supervision - A Family Specialist is not directly supervising the interactions at all times, but will check in at a number and length determined by family progress and the Department of Child Services or courts. These visits can occur at our center, in the community, such as the park, library, or zoo, or in the parent's home. The location of the visit is determined by the Department of Child Services or the courts.
Beginning & Ending Visitation - A Family Specialist observes greeting and ending of visitation only. This level of supervision is only available to local court cases and is not a service provided to those with an open case with the Department of Child Services.
Unsupervised Visitation - Visits occur in the home or community, and no supervision is required. When a family reaches this level of supervision, Families First Center is no longer involved.
Please note that it is the policy of Families First Center that all visitation services must initially start at our facility and once rapport and safety has been established the center can accommodate moving to community or home visits as approved by the Department of Child Services or court.