At KidsPeace, we are always looking for ways to help the community and to continue our mission of providing Hope, Help and Healing to children, adults and those who love them, in ways beyond standard foster care. In this search we came across the need in our Virginia community to provide Supervised Visitation for families.
Most families looking for this service have experienced traumatic events that have caused them to lose or suspend their parental custody. With this program we wanted to serve not only children and families in the foster care system but court-ordered parent-child visitation, as well as providing assistance in the reintroduction of a parent into a child’s life. There are many situations when the need arises for a neutral third party to supervise visitation between a parent, or another party, and a child or children.
Before we initiated this service, we worked with local law enforcement to discuss the program’s agenda and to partner with them to take adequate precautions for the children, families and staff. They explained that they would note our program in their systems and keep us on their regular patrol route; they also helped us create a safety plan.
When setting up the space we wanted to make the area warm and welcoming – supplying it with toys, games, and other essentials to make it feel like a home. In addition, we also ensured visibility throughout the supervised visitation rooms, to prevent any blind spots.
All staff are properly trained on how to conduct visitation in a safe and efficient manner in the office and in the community. KidsPeace policy requires two to three visits in the office to ensure safety before moving to a community setting. For visits in the community, staff ensure the child and or children’s safety by maintaining the same guidelines of being within sight and sound at all times. If an incident were to arise, one staff member is required to move the children to safety and call law enforcement while the other staff member escorts the parents to their vehicle or out of the building.
Since the program began, KidsPeace has not had any safety incidents; we attribute this success to being well-prepared and having clear expectations for all involved.
Visitation can look differently depending on the families dynamic or needs. At each visitation a worker is present in the room they take notes to document the events that take place during visitation. Some of our clients have not seen their parents in some time, or they may be fearful of them, so sometimes during visits KidsPeace staff have to act as a buffer – engaging with the child or children in order for them to feel safe and comfortable. For example, a staff member might get on the floor to play toys with a child, and then slowly asking if their parent can join in on the playing. During a visitation staff continuously interact to help parents who are struggling to connect or interact with their child. Over time the parents gain confidence and the children become more comfortable, allowing workers to take a step back.
These visitations are an important step in building a family’s connections, aiming towards the ultimate goal of unsupervised visitation and reunification. The work that KidsPeace is doing is helping rebuild families that have been divided due to unforeseen circumstances, and hopefully reducing the number of children in foster care. As this program evolves, we look forward to seeing how KidsPeace can continue to effectively help our community and its families.
