Supervised Visitation
What it means
Court-ordered parenting time that takes place with a neutral third party present. The supervisor can be a relative the court approves, a professional supervisor, or a visitation center. The goal is to keep the child safe while preserving the relationship with the parent. New York courts order supervised visitation when there are concerns about the child's safety with the visiting parent — for example, after substantiated abuse or neglect, untreated substance abuse, untreated serious mental illness, prior child abduction, or domestic violence. The order spells out the location, duration, frequency, and who supervises. Most supervised orders are intended to be temporary, transitioning to unsupervised visits as the safety concerns are resolved through services or a treatment plan. Free or low-cost supervised visitation services are available in Monroe County through several nonprofits. The order can be modified by either parent through a Family Court petition.
When you might hear this
Supervised visitation is parenting time that happens with a third party present to ensure the child's safety. It is ordered when the court has concerns about the child's well-being during unsupervised visits but still wants to support the parent-child relationship.
What to ask
- What concerns led to supervised visitation in this case?
- Who can supervise — a relative, professional, or visitation center?
- What is the schedule and how long are the visits?
- What steps would the court look for to move to unsupervised visits?
- Where can a free or low-cost supervised visitation provider be found?