Supervised/restricted visitation

When a non-custodial parent has a history of violent or destructive behavior, especially toward the child, the court often requires that visitation between the parent and the child be supervised or restricted. Visitation may also be restricted if the non-custodial parent has been repeatedly late in returning the child to the custodial parent. This means that an adult other than the custodial parent must be present at all times during the visit. The adult may be known or unknown to the child, and may be someone agreed upon by the parents or appointed by the court. Often, the adult is a counselor or a friend of both parents. No matter how the adult is chosen, he or she must be approved by the court ordering the supervised visitation. Supervised or restricted visits are usually held once a week for about an hour during the afternoon or early evening. Visits are most often held in a neutral location, such as a youth center or YMCA (Y-M-C-A). Supervised visitation is usually easier on parents because they are able to drop off and pick up the child without seeing each other. Supervised visitation also establishes a regular, dependable visitation schedule where parent and child can get the most out of their time together.