Services

Monitored Exchange

Supervised exchanges, often referred to as monitored exchanges or supervised/monitored transfers, is supervision of the transfer of the child(ren) from one parent to the other.

Both Supervised Visits and Supervised Exchanges are designed to assure that a child can have safe contact with an absent parent without having to be put in the middle of the parents’ conflicts or other problems. It is the child’s need that is paramount in making any decisions regarding supervision of the visit or the exchange.

Supervised Visitation

Supervised Visitation, sometimes referred to as Monitored Visitation, Supervised Child Access, or Supervised Child Contact, refers to contact between a non-custodial parent and one or more children in the presence of a third person responsible for observing and seeking to ensure the safety of those involved.

Parents can help their children by establishing a workable means of communicating with each other about their children. At first, some parents may find it difficult to separate their feelings about the relationship or the other parent from their need to give and receive information about the children. Parents can overcome this problem by communicating with each other about their children in a “business-like” manner.

Special Situations

In some cases supervised visitation is mandated when there is genuine concern about a child’s emotional or physical safety when with a parent including, but not limited to:

Physical, sexual, or emotional child abuse
Domestic violence
Drug or alcohol abuse

Parents who have valid concerns for the safety of their children should seek help from an attorney, mediator, court services, child psychologist, domestic abuse office, or the local county social services agency.

Important Note

The information on this website:

DOES NOT replace or change any visitation schedule agreed upon by the parents or set forth in a court order.
DOES NOT prohibit or limit parents or judges from establishing visitation schedules that differ from those recommended in this pamphlet.
DOES NOT mandate minimum or maximum visitation times.
DOES NOT apply to all families or to all children in all circumstances.
IS NOT "the law" and, while they are encouraged to do so, parents are not required to follow the visitation suggestions in this pamphlet.

Assumptions

The information on this website is based upon the following assumptions:

The child will benefit from ongoing and active contact with both parents.
One parent has sole or primary physical custody of the child.
One parent has primary responsibility for the day-to-day care of the child.
Both parents are fit to parent the child.
Both parents are willing and able to parent the child.
Child abuse, domestic violence, and chemical dependency issues do not exist.