Overview
Programs offering supervised visitation provide services that are community-based, culturally relevant, trauma-informed, grounded in social justice, incorporate a wellbeing perspective, and are accessible to the diverse populations across the Commonwealth.
These programs provide a safe space for children to visit with the non-custodial parent; help keep child(ren) and adult victims of domestic violence safe during exchanges and visitation; and hold people who have used violence in their intimate partner relationships accountable for their violence and abuse during visitation and exchanges.
Services offered
Supervised visitation services are part of a larger community response to enhance the safety of child(ren) and adult victims and hold people who have used violence in intimate partner relationships accountable, while providing access to visitation and exchange services.
Supervised visitation services are case-specific and range from more restrictive and protective models to less restrictive and intrusive measures. The intensity of the supervision and the level of monitoring can vary according to the assessed risk, the level of safety of the survivor, and the child’s safety and well-being.
Supervised visitation services programs offer:
- Supervised on-site visits
- Supervised off-site visits
- Semi-supervised on-site visits
- Unsupervised on-site visits
- Neutral exchanges
All direct services to survivors are free, voluntary, and confidential. Programs may charge fees on an approved sliding scale basis for services for people who perpetrate violence/coercion and for non-direct services (e.g. professional training, consultation, etc.) to other providers, organizations, government agencies or community groups. Services must be offered and made available to all families regardless of their ability to pay and programs must offer a sliding fee scale.
The Department of Public Health expects that the offending parent will pay for services regardless of custody. The visitation program may develop an alternative condition for an offending parent who is unable to pay (e.g. community service).
- In court-ordered referrals, the court will determine who is responsible for payment of fees for supervised visitation. If the non-offending parent is the non-custodial parent and is court ordered to pay the fee, then the program must explore options for waiving that fee.
- If parents are mandated by the court to use the visitation service and refuse to pay the required fees, then the program should document the refusal and make the information available to both parents and to the court.
Find a service provider:
Search a provider near you. Some of these providers also offer other services. Learn more about funded services and programming on Find Sexual and Domestic Violence Services.