Coordinated Community Response Column

Family Access Solutions (FAS) is a program of HELP of Door County, Inc., that provides supervised visitation and monitored exchanges. FAS provides space and opportunities for children and parents to interact in a safer and a more conflict-free environment. Supervisors and support staff are on hand to make sure visits and exchanges occur appropriately and in a more positive and relaxed atmosphere. What FAS does not do is make judgments of parenting. That is the responsibility (if needed) of the courts, the guardian ad litem or social services.

Parents and children use our program for a variety of reasons. They might be court ordered due to custody issues; the parents might have restraining orders or a high-conflict relationship. This makes it difficult to find a way to exchange children where everyone is safe. A parent who is having difficulty getting access to a child might find the program a valuable alternative. This also protects the supervised parent from being accused of things that do not happen.

This program is worthwhile for a parent who is uncomfortable about what or how the other parent is seeing their child.

The judicial/legal system is aware of how domestic abuse harms children. Statute 767.41(6) requires that the perpetrator have supervised visitation if there has been domestic violence in the household, until he/she has completed a certified batterer’s treatment program. FAS makes it easier for parents to have access to their children.

Supervised visits are used for many different reasons. It might be for something as simple as a parent not being sure the other parent has the parenting skills, ability to maintain a commitment to their child, or the visiting parent does not want the visits to happen in the custodial parent’s home. For supervised visits a supervisor sits in the room during the visit. The supervisor does not interact in the visit unless there is a safety issue. Monitored visits are similar but the supervisor would sit outside the room but still have sight and hearing of the activity between the parent and child.

For monitored exchanges, the parents arrive at separate entrances and the child is escorted from one parent to the other. The child is not exposed to conflict between the parents, the parents are assured that each parent is following the custody order, and the child has a better opportunity to experience a more relaxed and positive atmosphere. Each parent also has the assurance that if there is a restraining order, there is less opportunity of it being broken or there being accusations of it being broken. Additionally, each parent has the opportunity to become more child focused and less focused on the conflict with the other parent.

Family Access Solutions belongs to the national Supervised Visitation Network and is part of a statewide group of visitation centers. The FAS program provides services in Brown and Door Counties. If sites are needed elsewhere, FAS can help locate other programs.

If you feel you or someone you know could make use of this program, contact FAS at 920.743.8819 or 920.495.2830.

This article is brought to you in part by the Door County Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Teams and the Door County Elder and Adult-at-Risk Interdisciplinary Team.

Jessica Adams is the Domestic Violence Services Coordinator of HELP of Door County, Inc.