A professional service with many names
Despite being referred to by many names (Professional Supervised Access, Supervised Visitation, Supervised Access Visitation, Supervised Child Access, Supervised Visitation Providers, Supervised Access Program, Supervised Access Workers, etc.), Supervised visitation is when a parent is only allowed to visit with their child under the supervision of a professionally trained individual. The visit may take place at the parent’s home or in a public location, such as a library, play centre, playground, or park.
Judges often order supervised visitation when the visiting parent’s fitness is in question, such as if there is prior alcohol or substance misuse, or if there have been allegations of abuse or domestic violence either against a parent or child. The purpose of supervised visitation is to ensure that parents have an opportunity to maintain contact and their relationship with the child in a structured environment that is both safe and comfortable for the child. Reports are written during the visits to show the interaction between the parent and the child which can show the need for a parent to maintain their relationship with the child.
