Supervised visitation for a non-custodial parent’s time with their child could be court-ordered for a number of reasons. However, the root cause of supervised visits is to maintain and protect the well being of the child/and or children.
If you feel your ex should only have Supervised Visitation of your child, then it is important to know that the courts will not simply honor your request without having compelling proof justifying such.
Certain conditions which could warrant Supervised Visitation include parents:
- With a lifestyle that is irresponsible, immature, reckless, and/or illegal.
- Who suffer from mental/physical illness.
- With a history or ongoing issues related to substance abuse involving drugs and/or alcohol, sexual addictions/sexually deviant behavior.
- With a history or ongoing issues being physically, mentally, emotionally, or morally abusive to the child.
Furthermore, depending on the given situation, supervision can be seen as a vehicle used to help build and bridge a parent-child relationship that previously has been shaky or nonexistent. This supervision can help safeguard against inappropriate or unsafe activity, giving the other parent some peace of my mind and an extra set of watchful eyes while they’re away from home.
However, while supervision is a great tool and asset used to protect children when done properly, it can be manipulated leaving the child ultimately at risk.
Supervisor Issues
While a supervisor can be a neutral third-party such as a therapist, it could also be a friend, family member, or neighbor.
The potential danger is that an individual with personal ties to a parent could be dishonest regarding the visits’ activities, concealing valuable information.
Another twist that can occur is that the supervised visit could be a fraud. The supervisor only stays momentarily during the “drop-off” and departs soon thereafter, thus leaving the child/parent alone- paving the way for a potentially dangerous situation for the child.
In essence, the supervisor might not be supervising and does not remain present during the entire visitation.
Parent Issues
The reverse could also be true. A parent who is supposed to be spending quality time with their child and developing a loving, nurturing relationship instead leaves the child with the supervisor to pursue personal interests and ventures such as going out with friends. They may be using the supervisor as a type of babysitter and neglecting the child, hence defeating the visit’s purposes for his/her selfish purposes.
Ultimately the safety and well-being of your child is your utmost responsibility. Keeping in mind that the courts will not simply take your word for it, you must ascertain evidence and proof properly; otherwise, it will not be admissible.
In other words, the proof can only be documented by a Licensed agency and not by you, a friend, or another non-licensed third party.
So if you have reason to believe that your child is being exposed to danger during supervised visitation, hiring a private investigator specializing in child custody surveillance is an excellent strategy in revealing the unknown reality.
The safety of your child is invaluable; thus, you cannot leave it up to chance.
