A Safe Haven

In a perfect world, children are not caught in the middle or having to visit one parent without the other. We know though, that our world is not perfect. In situations involving domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault or stalking, supervised visitation and exchange programs can make a world of difference when parents need to exchange physical custody of the child or have a court ordered supervised visit. The Douglas County Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center provides a safe haven for children and parents alike. At TFI Family Services' visitation and exchange center, we strive to make the transition from one parent to the other as easy as possible by being sensitive to the emotional and psychological elements associated with the visit/exchange and by having toys, crayons and snacks available to the children while they are at the center. Children are able to maintain a relationship with both parents, free from domestic violence and with as little conflict of loyalty as possible.

Supervised visits and exchanges also allow victims of domestic violence to meet their court ordered visitation requirements while having no contact with the other party; and non-residential parents are able to comply with court ordered visitation without violating protective orders or bail conditions if present.

Families are referred to the program by court order, agency referral, or self -referral. Before visits or exchanges may be scheduled, pertinent court orders or background information must be provided; each parent must attend an intake interview so that guidelines of the program can be shared. With safety a key issue, there is a law enforcement officer who is present during all visits and exchanges. The Visitation and Exchange Center is located in the Lawrence office of TFI Family Services.

For more information or to schedule an initial interview, please call the Douglas County Visitation and Exchange Center at 785-749-2664 or fax 785-749-2691. You may also download the Visitation and Exchange Center Brochure for complete information about its services, fees, and other guidelines.

This grant project was partially funded by the State Child Exchange and Visitation Center Program and the Federal State Access and Visitation Program administered by Kansas Attorney General Stephen N. Six or the US Department of Health & Human Services. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website page are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of the Kansas Attorney General. For more information on additional grants funding the Douglas Visitor and Exchange Center, please click here

The Douglas County Visitation and Exchange Center • 910 W 24 ST • Lawrence, KS 66047