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Hope Connection Safety Center
HOW THE VISITATION AND EXCHANGE CENTER WORKS
Hope Connection Safety Center will usually be notified of a new referral when a copy of the
court papers is received or by a call from Social Services. The non-custodial parent is told to
notify our center to start the process of arranging service. After receiving the court papers
and/or a phone call from parent(s), an appointment is set up separately with both parents to
review policies, sign necessary authorizations, refer families to community resources as
appropriate, and arrange a visitation schedule. The purpose of the orientation session is not
only to fill out pertinent paper work, but also to provide a chance for staff to meet the
children and to let the children see where they will be meeting with the visiting parent. Once
a schedule has been agreed upon, both parents will receive a copy of their schedule and a copy
is mailed to the Court Administrator’s office.
Length of visits will be arranged according to the age of the child(ren) and the parenting
abilities of the parent(s). Generally, visits will be two hours in length, but the first few
initial visits could be for an hour or less to ascertain parenting skills and attention span of
the child(ren). It is less hurtful to families to start with shorter visits, building up to two
hours, than to have to shorten visits. Visits can be on a weekly or every other week basis on the
basis as to what the court has ordered.
Children are never forced to visit with a parent. Instead, staff and volunteers will attempt to
encourage children to visit and to assure them that they can visit safely, never forcing the
child into the visitation room or forcing the child to remain in the visitation room. During
supervised visits, one staff member or volunteer will always be present with the child(ren)
being supervised. Close supervision protects not only for the child, but also protects the
visiting parent from further allegations. Staff will observe the visit, watching and listening
so that the visiting parent doesn’t say or do anything inappropriate. The parent is expected to
discipline the child(ren) and remind them of the rules. Staff will provide parents with
assistance as needed, reinforcing what they have done well, and giving them options where they
could improve. Parents will be warned that it they break the policies, they could have
visitation suspended or terminated. Also during the intake process, parents are given examples
of what staff would consider emotionally abusive.
Hope Connection Safety Center will set a positive healthy atmosphere for the children and will
provide adequate room for play. Toys, games, and art activities will be made available for
parent/child to interaction together. The premises will be safe and secure and all activities
will be suitable for the age of the children and the degree of supervision that is required.
Because of the history of violence with most program parents, there must be adequate security to
provide safety to families and staff. Our process for pickup and exchanges ensure that custodial
and visiting parents at no time come into contact with each other. Pickup and drop-off by family
members must always be pre-arranged and each parent must follow the written policy or they could
have their visitation suspended or terminated. Any contact or confrontation between visiting and
custodial adults is considered a violation of the contract each person signs prior to visitation
and can result in cancellation of visitation/exchange services.
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Sexual Assault
Children & Teens
Domestic Violence
General Crime
>Parenting Time and Exchange Center
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