Supervised visitations can be hard to swallow… or they can be a source of great relief. Whether your custody agreement requires that you either allow your co-parent to see your child(ren) only during supervised visitations, or you are the parent whose visits are ordered to be supervised, it takes great strength to make the best of a tough situation and put your child’s needs first.
It is best to acknowledge the upside of a supervised visitation arrangement. If you are the custodial parent, knowing that your child or children will be monitored while seeing their other parent should be a comfort. When our offices host supervised visitations, we provide a combination of security for the meeting and educated evaluation of the dynamics between the supervised parent and the child(ren). We are able to provide the court and the custodial parent with a transparent and informed account of the visit.
These secure and monitored visits also allow the custodial parent what might be a rare moment of rest, knowing that his/her children are being cared for while spending time with their other parent.
For the non-custodial parent, supervised visits can create the bridge that leads to the unsupervised chapter in their relationship with their children. Having a trained professional on hand for the visit, and conducting the visit in a neutral facility provides non-custodial parents with an objective record of their interaction with their children. This arrangement is designed both to create a safe space for the children to interact with their parents, and to eliminate the “he said – she said” aspect of custody challenges. If you are the non-custodial parent, looking for validation of your qualification to parent your children, making the best of supervised visitations can be a tremendous asset.
Sharing custody of children with someone you have severed other ties with is rarely easy, and having outsiders involved in your custody arrangement can create a great deal of stress and tension. Focusing on the positive aspects of this difficult situation can make all the difference, though. Ultimately, if everyone involved is committed to the best interests of the children, there is room for significant progress.