There is Drama. Conflict. Overwrought emotions. Two parents unable to put their heads together and come to an agreement. The parents or guardians will probably head to family court and possibly divorce. Perhaps a custody dispute will ensue. This situation may require the involvement of professional caseworkers or even the police! A court of law will assign custody to one parent, but not the other. This situation didn’t occur for no reason at all; events all have direct consequences.
In the aftermath of all this, one parent is designated the “Custodial Parent,” and the other the “Monitored Parent.” It is best at times for the children to maintain contact and continue their family relationship with the Parent who was not awarded custody. Somehow, all parties involved must agree to set aside differences for the best interests of the children.
Both parents need to reach some agreement; in some cases the family Court may impose an arrangement, and both parents must comply. The children are permitted to spend time away from the Custodial Parent to visit the Non-Custodial Parent. But a professional and impartial individual will monitor and supervise the Non-Custodial Parent during the visit. This assures the safety and wellbeing of the children. Sometime, after the visit, the Monitor will produce a detailed and accurate report on the visit for the family Court, and all professionals involved.
www.professionalchildcourtmonitor.com proudly provides qualified, trained, and professional Monitors to supervise these visits.
Contact Cynthia: 714-868-2271
Email: professionalchildcourtmonitor@gmail.com
On The Day of the Visitation. Both Parents are notified in advance of the date, time, and location of the visit and visits are to be arranged by parents, attorney’s or justice. The Monitored Parent is required to arrive at least fifteen minutes before the visit starts. The Monitor will usually arrange to meet the Custodial Parent and retrieve the child or children someplace where it is a safe distance from the visit’s appointed location. Then the Monitor will accompany the child or children to the Monitored Parent who is waiting some distance away. During the visit the Custodial Parent must leave the area.
When the visit begins and the child or children along with the Monitored Parent spend time together. The Monitored Parent must follow the Monitor’s instructions. The Monitor is empowered to cancel or terminate the visit for any reason. If the Monitor reaches this decision, it is final and irrevocable.
Usually the visit passes without incident. The children and the Monitored Parent benefit from their time together.
When the visit is over the Monitor leaves the location with the child or children and returns the child or children to the Custodial Parent. Together the Custodial Parent and child(ren) immediately leave the area.
The Monitor writes a detailed account of the visit and reports what she saw, heard, and felt during the visit. The report acts as a declaration of specific facts of the Monitor’s own observations. Copies are furnished to the court and to the attorneys of both parties, and, if required, to child welfare agents. The Monitor can appear in court as a witness if summoned to do so.
When it goes well, other Monitored Visits will be scheduled, and the same procedure is followed. This nurtures and fosters better communication between parents and their children and strengthens positive family relations.
Contact Cynthia: 714-868-2271
Email: professionalchildcourtmonitor@gmail.com
All providers of supervised visitation must operate their programs in compliance with Family Code section 3200 and 3200.5. The code can be reviewed:
on the Court’s website: www.occourts.org select Divisions, Family Court Services, Keeping Kids Safe link, What is Supervised Visitation, then the first link, or
the external link on the Judicial Council website at:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=fam&group=03001-04000&file=3200-3204
When selecting one of the following supervised visitation monitors it is very important that you, as parents:
Be familiar with the Standards of Practice
Use good judgment when selecting any monitor
Consider the value of having the monitor registered on TrustLine or cleared through a criminal background check
Trustline requires all caregivers listed on its registry to pass a background screening that qualifies them to be a child care provider. All persons listed on TrustLine have been cleared through a fingerprint check of records at the California Dept. of Justice and have no disqualifying criminal convictions or substantiated child abuse reports in California that would prevent them from being a child care provider. As a monitor may be spending some time alone with your child, it is wise to select a monitor that is registered. It is your responsibility as a parent, to verify that the monitor is actually registered by calling 1-800-822-8490. Some agencies have the authority to do their own criminal background screening with the Department of Justice without having to go through TrustLine.
Consider using a monitor that carries professional liability insurance that specifically covers supervised visitation; ask to see a copy of their policy.
Understand that a separate intake interview must be conducted with each parent and the
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