Goals of Supervised Visitation
In the District of Columbia, the court may order a non-custodial parent to have supervised visitation with the minor children. The Supervised Visitation Center is a wonderful resource that is run by D.C. Superior Court. It’s a safe place where non-custodial parents can visit with their child in a supervised environment.
Sometimes the court orders supervised visits because one parent has a history of violence, and the Supervised Visitation Center is a controlled setting where the children will be safe. Other times, the court may order supervised visits because the non-custodial parent has been absent for a period of time and the child needs some time to become comfortable with the non-custodial parent again. In some cases, parents prefer only to exchange the child at the Supervised Visitation Center, which they consider neutral territory, so they don’t have to interact with each other.
The Center has six private rooms furnished with books, games, and even a television. There is also a common play area where parents can interact with other families. A court staff member remains in the room and writes a brief summary about the visit. When scheduling a visit, the Center will stagger the parents’ drop off and pick ups, so they don’t see each other.
The Supervised Visitation Center is open for two hours in the evenings on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. We are lucky in D.C. to have this valuable resource for free.