Supervised visitation is a situation where a parent is allowed to meet with their child only under the supervision of a third party. Courts often use this arrangement when they determine there are concerns about the child’s safety or well-being during unsupervised visits.
When Does A Supervised Visitation Happen?
When the court has concerns that a parent might make unsafe choices or the child does not know the parent, the court may order supervised visitation.
This can happen in many kinds of court cases, such as custody, visitation, shared parenting, father’s rights/paternity cases, divorce, legal separation, and abuse/neglect cases.
The Importance Of Supervised Visitation
You may want to seek supervised visitation by a court order for serious reasons.
Some of the grounds for supervised visitation in Ohio are:
- Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of the child or the other parent by a parent
- Substance abuse problem by a parent
- Uncontrolled mental illness by a parent that threatens the child
- Risk of kidnapping or abduction by a parent
Where Can A Visitation Take Place
When the child primarily resides with the custodial parent or guardian, a trained professional oversees scheduled visitations with the non-custodial parent. The trained professional can be a child development specialist or social worker at a designated location.
Alternatively, a mutually agreed-upon adult can supervise these meetings, which can occur at a residence or a public space.
Women’s Resource Center
Women’s Resource Center now provides supervised visitation services in a secure and welcoming environment. The visitation area is designed to be child-friendly and equipped with a variety of books and toys suitable for children of different ages.
Visits at the Women’s Resource Center typically last one to two hours. These recorded sessions are closely monitored by staff members responsible for observing the interactions, providing
guidance and support to parents, and intervening when needed to ensure the child’s emotional or physical safety.
To access these services, families must receive a referral from another agency. Before scheduling any visitations, each family must undergo an intake process to ensure proper arrangements and support are provided.
Contact us today to learn more about getting supervised visitation.