Frequently Asked Questions

What Should I Look For In An Agency?

Do they have company liability insurance?
Do they meet labour requirements and carry WCB?
Are they a registered company in the province of Alberta?
Are they Accredited?

What is Supervised Visitation?

Supervised visitation is a way for non-custodial parents to have access to their child(ren) in a safe and supervised environment. Supervised visitation is usually active in order to protect childrren from situations that could be dangerous, while at the same time allowing non-custodial parents to see their children and, in the case of supportive supervision, obtain support and guidance to improve the parent-child relationship. Reasons why supervised visitation may be required are many, including (but not limited to) domestic violence, neglect, drug/alcohol abuse, and sexual abuse.

During supervised access, a professional support worker will supervise access between parent(s) and child(ren) and will provide a detailed report of the visit (including the events of the visit and how the parent(s) and child(ren) interacted throughout the visit) which can be obtained via request to this agency after the visit has concluded (reports generally take about 1-2 weeks for processing). The advantage of a neutral, professional, third party supervisor is that if family or friends are supervising, family or friends may not be neutral and impartial (and may find it difficult to avoid participating in the visit), may be unable to ensure the safety of the child(ren), and may not feel comfortable intervening and confronting the supervised adult if an issue occurs.

During supervised access, the support worker will remain quiet and will only be observing. The support worker will frequently be writing things down, as these are notes for the visit report the worker will write later. In the case of supportive supervision, the support worker will take a more active role, also offering guidance, advice, coaching, prompting, modeling, and cueing when the worker feels it important. This is done in order to help the parent(s) develop parenting skills.

It may feel uncomfortable or nervous having a support worker present while parent(s) and child(ren) are visiting, and the parent(s) may also feel resentment in being in the situation all together. However, having a positive attitude is important in order to have the best possible visit, as the reason for the visit is for the parent(s) and child(ren) to see each other, and if a parent is negative and preoccupied with the presence of a support worker or the situation in general, the visit may suffer.

How to Prepare for a Supervised Visit?

FOR VISITING ADULTS:

Aside from having a positive attitude going into a visit, here are some ideas on how to prepare for an upcoming supervised visit in order to get the most out of it.

Ensure you have brought along some food and beverages for your child(ren) if the visit takes place during breakfast/lunch/dinner times or if the visit is lengthy.
Prepare activities to do with your child(ren) during the visit, especially activities you know your child(ren) will like.
Remain child-focused during the visit (i.e. pay attention to your child(ren) by ignoring other stimuli like television, cellular phones, cleaning, etc.
Prepare so that you are able to meet the needs of your child(ren) during the visit (i.e. have spare diapers, toys, etc.)
Avoid negatively discussing the situation, and do not speak negatively about others involved in the case (i.e. custodial parents, lawyers, case workers, police, etc.). In almost all cases, support workers will have been instructed to intervene to cease such topics of conversation, and if such topics continue to be discussed, the worker may have to terminate the visit early.

FOR CUSTODIAL ADULTS SENDING CHILD(REN) FOR A VISIT:

Encourage your child(ren) to have fun and remind them that you want them to have fun.
Strive to make the goodbye before a visit as quick as possible; long goodbyes, particularly when the child(ren) is nervous about going, can make the child(ren) more nervous and add to their stress.
Avoid asking your child(ren) excessive questions about the visit. Try to just ask questions such as “did you have fun” or “are you excited to go next time?” Too many questions may stress your child(ren), and if you have any concerns about the events in the visit, they will be addressed in the support worker’s report.
Avoid negatively discussing the situation, and do not speak negatively about others involved in the case (i.e. custodial parents, lawyers, case workers, police, etc.).
Review with your child(ren) what they can expect during the visit and that your child(ren) will be safe and protected while with the support worker(s).
Introduce your child(ren) to the support worker before the visit.