There are many options and interventions Guardians ad Litem (GALs) can recommend to minimize risk to children (as well as protective parents) during exchanges and parenting time with an abusive parent. In addition to including protective conditions, a GAL may recommend the use of a supervised visitation center. Supervised visitation centers are good options if the abusive parent is unsafe to be with the child alone. Supervised centers provide third-party supervision to ensure a visit is safe from multiple forms of abuse. Centers can also be recommended as a first step in a step-up parenting plan, or during the period an abusive parent is attending batterer intervention programming. To know if supervised visitation or exchanges are the right fit for a family, it is important that both GALs and courts fully consider the nature, context, and effects of domestic violence when tailoring their responses.
