Family Care Services

Visitation Services

Purpose of Supervised Visitation:

• Strengthens parent-child relationship through regular contact
• Maintains attachment between parent, child and siblings
• Lessens impact of separation on both parents and child
• Gives parent a chance to learn and practice newly-acquired skills
• Provides the opportunity to make progress in a permanency plan
• Allows the opportunity for assessment

Program Goals

Through the intensive services provided, the Family Access Program seeks to achieve the following goals, as determined appropriate in each case:

• Reduce the negative impact of violence (physical and emotional) on children by providing a safe, neutral & supportive environment for these victims to maintain parent-child relationships with their (adult) offenders/parents
• Provide assistance to families to stabilize parent-child relationships after a victimization to a child, or their primary caregiver, has occurred
• Prevent further child abuse and neglect to children
• Increase fathers' involvement with their children
• Improve parenting skills of the parents (father and mother)
• Improve co-parenting relationships of the parents (father and mother)
• Improve families' access to community resources that prevent child abuse and neglect
• Provide or arrange for the provision of family resource and support services and support outreach services
• Increase parents' awareness of the importance of specific concepts and skills that are essential in developing and enhancing their relationships with each other and with their children

Documentation

Family Care Services remains neutral when providing information to the court. If subpoenaed, visitation records will be made available for court hearings. These records contain non-judgemental, factual reports of events, including some quotes, that occur during visitation between the child and the parent while under supervision. Staff do not report on a parent's progress and do not make recommendations to the court as to how long visitation should remain supervised.

Referrals

Referrals are typically made by the Court or the local Department of Human Services. Additionally, attorneys, social service agencies, child advocates, and individuals may provide referrals. The Family Access Program primarily serves counties in southern Maine, but does accept referrals from other counties or states.

Fee Schedule

In domestic relations cases, the referring judge will usually determine which party will pay.

• Supervised Visitation Services = $35.00/Hour
• Home-Based Visitation Services = $55.00/Hour (plus expenses)
• Transfer of Custody Services = $5.00/Transfer
• Alcohol Testing = $15.00/Test
• Registration Fee = $100.00 (covers individual parent intakes and children's orientation to program)

In order to provide services to all children in need of a safe haven from violence a sliding fee scale will be available, on request and on a limited basis, for those meeting income guidelines.

Hours of Operation

The Family Access Program attempts to offer services at times that will accommodate both school-aged children and the work schedules of parents.

Presently visitation hours are on Tuesday and Friday from 8:00 am to 7:30pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Monitored exchanges take place in Springvale during these hours and in Biddeford on alternating Friday evenings and Sunday evenings.

Office hours are by appointment only.