Headwaters Family Visit Centre - Dufferin Child and Family Services (DCAFS)

When parents separate, access visits with children may become  problematic.  Sometimes, difficulties arise at the time of the exchange of the child between the parents, or between the parent and a relative, such as a grandparent.  Other times, there may be concerns about the visits themselves.

Supervised visits may be appropriate in cases where, for example, there are concerns about the safety of a child and/or the child’s parent; the non-custodial parent has a drug or alcohol problem or a psychiatric disability; there has been a lengthy separation between the non-custodial parent and the child; or there is a risk of abduction.
Supervised exchanges may be appropriate in different types of situations.  In separated families where there is a great deal of unresolved conflict between the parents, a neutral place to exchange the children for visits makes access easier to arrange and reduces the tension for the child.  In some cases, it is important to ascertain whether or not the parent who is visiting with the child is under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the exchange.  In other cases, the safety of one of the parties at the time of the exchange may be a concern.

The Headwaters Family Visit Centre offers separated families a way to deal with some of these problems by maintaining the important emotional bonds with family members in a setting that is both pleasant and supportive.