|
|
|
The Douglas County Supervised Visitation & Exchange Center was established by TFI Family Services to provide both a safe environment for children during court ordered supervised visits and an exchange service in which children can be transferred in a safe and secure setting, free from parental violence and conflict. What Type of Facility is Available? The Center is located in the Lawrence office of TFI Family Services Two visitation rooms are available. Each room has seating and a variety of toys and games that allow for parent/child interaction. Visiting parents and children are required to remain in the visitation room for the duration of the visit.A law enforcement officer is present during all visits and exchanges to ensure the safety of all parties. How Does the Referral Process Work? Families may be referred to the program by court order, agency referral, or self-referral. The Center must receive a copy of all pertinent court orders. Referring agencies must provide additional background information.Before visits or exchanges may be scheduled, each parent must attend an intake interview. Parents can call the Center weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment. During the interview, staff will review the guidelines of the program. How Does the Supervised Visitation Program Work? The Center offers one-hour supervised visits. Arrangements for longer visits may be made under special circumstances and families may have more than one visit during the week depending on availability.Non-custodial parents arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled visitation. The custodial parent drops off the child at the scheduled visitation time. A staff person escorts the child to the visitation room, and the custodial parent leaves the premises during the visit. After the visit, a staff person escorts the child back to the custodial parent. The non-custodial parent is permitted to leave 15 minutes after the visit ends. How Does the Exchange Program Work? Exchanges may occur during the week and on weekends. The non-custodial parent will be present in the exchange room 15 minutes prior to the scheduled exchange. The custodial parent will arrive at the scheduled time. A staff person escorts the child into the Center and the custodial parent leaves the premises. Fifteen minutes later, the non-custodial parent may leave with the child.Following the visit, the non-custodial parent and child must return at the scheduled time. The custodial parent arrives 15 minutes following the child’s return to pick up the child. What is Cooperative Parenting Education? Parents participating in the Exchange Program must attend Cooperative Parenting Education training. The classes specifically target visitation and exchange issues. Parents may begin the training at any time; however, each parent must complete eight classes. Parents involved in the visitation program may attend voluntarily or by order of the court.Who Pays for the Cost of Services? Non-custodial parents are responsible for visitation fees, unless otherwise court ordered. Parents are equally responsible for exchange fees unless otherwise court ordered. Upon request, referring agencies may be billed. Each parent is responsible for an intake fee unless otherwise court ordered.Can the Center Refuse a Referral or Terminate Services? The Center has the right to refuse and/or terminate services at any time. The Center will not accept a case if reasonable safety for all family and staff members cannot be ensured. If the terms and conditions established by the Center for provided services are not complied with, the Center reserves the right to terminate services.Will the Center Submit Court Reports? Reports will be submitted to the courts upon attorney request. Reports will consist of a summary of the observations made by Center staff. The Center does not conduct parental assessments or make recommendations. The Center must be informed by attorneys as to when court reports are due. Child-In-Need-Of-Care cases will automatically receive a court report following eight weeks of visitation or exchanges.Does the Center Schedule Visitations and Exchanges on Holidays? Supervised visitations and exchanges may occur around major holidays; however, the Center will be closed on the holiday itself.How Can I Find Out More? For more information or to schedule an initial interview, please call the Douglas County Visitation & Exchange Center at (785) 749-2664 or fax us at (785) 749-2691.For more information about Visitation and Exchange programs, visit these sites:
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 Paul Morrison or the US Department of Health & Human Services. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of the Kansas Attorney General.
|
