Supervised visitation is a specified amount of time ordered by a judge for a parent and child/children to visit each other in the presence of a monitor who will oversee the visit. The children’s safety and well-being is the utmost priority to all involved. Supervised visits are ordered by a judge in family law court or dependency court when there are allegations of abuse or neglect from one or both parents. To ensure the safety and well-being of the child/children while maintaining the connection between parent and child, a monitor is assigned to facilitate and oversee the visit. The monitor has specific rules and guidelines to follow and enforce during the visit to allow the most positive experience possible for the parent and child during their time together. These visits can take place in a designated office or in a community setting depending on the safety issues and appropriateness specific to the case issues and family involved. 

This is a person who has had state-approved training and becomes certified as a visitation monitor. This training includes a variety of topics that pertain to the safety and well being of the child such as guidelines for facilitating a healthy visit, mandated reporting and emergency protocols, and the specifics of the role and responsibilities. This person gets the approval of a judge and the related attorneys to act as a neutral party overseeing a parent’s visit time with their child/children. Having a neutral party benefits all parties in a case by keeping an objective position and acting as a trained witness as to the dynamics of the visit. It can help a parent maintain or develop a positive role in their child’s life with a person present to attest to the nature of the parent and child’s engagement to the court.

Beyond the actual travel to and presence at the visit there are several duties involved. This includes meeting with each parent and the child (if age appropriate) to give orientation as to the rules and guidelines of a visit, as well as scheduling and coordinating visits, documentation and reporting, emailing (or phone calls) updates and reports to case parties/attorneys, testifying in court, and administrative and office management duties. A lot of work goes into each family, each case, and each visit to ensure the best possible outcome. The cost of services takes all of this into consideration.