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Bar News - October 3, 2003 Child Visitation Centers: Spreading the Word By: Lisa Segal Spreading the Word About Supervised Visitation Centers CHILD VISITATION and exchanges for visitation can be difficult, anxious times for families split by divorce or separation - particularly for those that have experienced domestic violence. In New Hampshire, although yet unknown to many family law attorneys and even judges, there is a resource available to facilitate safe contact and visitation between children and their parents: the Family Visitation and Access Cooperative, a network of five supervised visitation centers serving the state (one of the five is just across the border in Vermont). Most visitation centers offer fully supervised or partially supervised on-site visits, monitored exchanges and consultations for families that require such services. Some also offer off-site supervised visitation. Although the centers are part of a network and follow statewide standards for visitation centers, each is independently funded and operated. Most offer a sliding fee scale, although the fees for various services vary from center to center. The visitation centers rely on referrals from the courts, attorneys and guardians ad litem to connect clients with their services. Sometimes supervised visitation is even a condition of bail. After one of the parents - typically the non-custodial parent - contacts a visitation center to utilize its services, there is an intake process in which the center staff conducts an orientation, risk assessment, and checks on criminal records and restraining orders. A meeting with each of the parents and the child or children often follows. The newest visitation center in the network, the Greater Nashua Supervised Visitation Center, opened in January. Colleen Hood, coordinator of the GNSVC, said that during her center's supervised visits, the staff member supervising the visit documents all activities and conversations (using a standard observation form used by all the visitation centers), and intervenes if necessary. A Nashua police officer is present at all times during supervised visits to ensure the safety of all involved. "The officer provides added security so the parents and children feel safe," she said. Hood said that the supervised visitation centers are a resource that benefits both the parents and children. "The non-custodial parents have told me that they feel safer because they are protected from accusations and such. It works out for both sides," she said. Hood gave an example of a non-custodial parent who had an exchange situation set up with his ex-wife that was not ideal. "He decided to end visitation because the exchanges were hurting the kids emotionally," she said. By using fully supervised visits at the GNSVC, the man was able to re-establish a relationship with his children, and they were able to see their older sister, of whom the man had custody. "It's what the children and the non-custodial parent wanted," Hood said. Now the man is able to have unsupervised visits with the children. Sarah Allen, coordinator of the Merrimack County Visitation Center, echoed Hood's statements on the value of the services the visitation centers provide. "Initially, custodial parents are very nervous and worried about dropping their children off at a place where they don't know anyone, to meet with a perpetrator of violence. Within two visits, those parents are very comfortable with the situation. No one has to see his or her ex, nor be harassed or manipulated by him or her. It's a great service," said Allen. But despite the obvious value of supervised visitation centers, they are not a well-known resource. Hood said that despite a lot of referrals and interest initially, the Nashua visitation center has not seen as high a level of use as was expected; the center has served about 16 families so far. She feels that court budget woes, and the corresponding reduction in court hours and services, may be making it difficult for word to spread about the services offered by the supervised visitation center. "With everything that's going on in the court system, a lot of judges aren't aware our program exists, let alone that there are other visitor centers," Hood said. "But this is a valuable resource that attorneys and judges need to know is available." According to Allen, the Merrimack County visitation center, which is six years old, is more widely known and utilized, having served 160 families last year. Still, she also believes that all of the supervised visitation centers could be utilized more if attorneys and judges were more aware of the resource. Concord family law attorney Judy Roman, who serves as a guardian ad litem and recently became a member of the advisory board of the Merrimack County Supervised Visitation Center, frequently recommends to judges and marital masters that families be referred to the supervised visitation centers. She calls them a "wonderful resource." "There is a tremendous number of families in New Hampshire who have domestic violence or emotional/verbal abuse as part of their routine," Roman said. "In situations where I believe a child might be at risk of physical abuse or emotional damage, I ask the court to require visitations to be held at the supervised visitation centers. My clients are safer as a result," she said. "In my opinion, kids do better if they have contact with both parents, even if one has problems," Roman added. The supervised visitation centers allow for that contact - in a supervised, safe setting. "There is somebody there who can see signs of trouble, there is a witness there to document the conversation and activities. It's a very useful agency. I wish we had a center in every city in the state." Kate Ransom, director of Brian's House, a supervised visitation center in Plymouth that's in its fourth year of operation, says that under-utilization is a common problem for all of the centers, even the well-established ones. She believes that perception of cost is an obstacle for some. "We don't turn anyone away because of money," she said. Her center expects to serve 60 families this year. Although non-custodial parents may find that meeting their children at the center with a staff person present to be awkward, they soon become accustomed to the situation. At the Plymouth center, there is even a kitchen so that parents can fix a meal and eat with their children and can soon forget about the presence of the staff person. And some parents continue the arrangement voluntarily, in part because they realize the supervision benefits them. "It's a relief for them," Ransom said. "The 'he said, she said' stuff stops right at our door." SUPERVISED VISITATION CENTERS The following are members of the Family Visitation and Access Cooperative but are independently operated and funded.
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