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Safe Moves creates supervised visitation center
By Sarah G. McC. Moise
Staff Writer
Safe Moves, a local, not-for-profit family violence resource center, has developed the area’s first supervised visitation and monitored exchange program, which has been deemed a “necessary component” of protecting victims and their children during court ordered visitation, by the National Council of Family Court Judges.
In 2004, Safe Moves served approximately 400 people with a budget of less than $100,000. The supervised visitation program is expected to cost an additional $100,000 and double the number of clients served.
“Our goal is to create a safe environment for parents to visit or exchange children when courts determine supervision is necessary to prevent further abuse,” says Linda Toporek, executive director of the Safe Moves Family Violence Resource Center. The program will serve the 500 families who obtain Orders of Protection from Charleston County Family Court every year, have had their children removed from the home by the state or DSS, or are involved in high conflict custody cases.
“The Family Court is already ordering it in Charleston County. We’re going to Berkeley and Dorchester (counties) too,” says Toporek. “This is the second center in the state after the one in Spartanburg. Florida has 30 centers, to give you an idea of the difference.”
After researching similar programs around the country, Safe Moves acquired a larger site last November, at 4731 Mixson Ave. in North Charleston, which can now accommodate three visitation rooms as well as its regular program. The center has one full- time paid employee who manages the visitation program, and is currently training several employees to be part-time supervisors. Safe Moves staff has training in matters of domestic violence and child abuse as well as the program’s procedures and rules.
Sabrina Grogan, a family law attorney in Mount Pleasant, says the center should fill a gap for Lowcountry families resolving custody issues. “It’s reliable. Using family or friends to supervise visitation can be hard to schedule, while an organization you know you can count on and can schedule in advance allows the children and the parents to have a reliable schedule.”
Grogan also says that many times family members or friends are not equipped to deal with problems that arise during visitations. “People are supervised for various reasons; sometimes it’s physical or sexual abuse and parents have to be monitored. Sometimes parents have mental problems that might affect their ability to care for the child or result in them exercising bad judgment or saying things to the children they shouldn’t. Parents or friends may not know what to look for or be strong enough to terminate the visitation before things get out of hand.”
Toporek says that both the custodial and non-custodial parents and the children participate in an orientation on the rules of the program. “Parents know the do’s and don’ts. They can’t ask where the child is going to school, where the child is living, who’s taking care of the child. The supervisor will interrupt the session twice, but the third time, the visit is canceled. It makes sure that there is no fighting. It gives good quality time between the non custodial parent and the child.”
The trained supervisor stays in the room and listens during the visitations, and both the room and the facility has cameras, so that all sessions will be recorded. There are two entrances to prevent unwanted contact between parents, and the center can schedule staggered arrival times for parents either afraid of domestic violence or who simply can’t get along.
Toporek says, “There is also a police officer at the entrance, and all participants are wanded to make sure they aren’t carrying any weapons,” Toporek says. “If a parent smells of alcohol, they will be administered a Breathalyzer.”
“You want children to have contact with a parent, even when there are problems with the relationship of the parents. If a child can’t see the parent, it creates even worse problems,” says Grogan, who adds that Safe Moves is a cheaper alternative for many parents. “There is no other organization doing the same service that I know of. I’ve had situations with private visitation councilors or guardians, and they do a good job, but it is sometimes too expensive for clients.”
Safe Moves currently charges $40 per hour on a sliding scale for people who can’t pay the full amount.
“I’ve got two cases now where supervision is required pursuant to a court order—we’re usually talking a supervised visit every other weekend. I always having a case like that, so I could use a service like Safe Moves a couple of times a month,” says Grogan. “It will provide a reliable, independent, professionally trained group of people who see that the children are protected but still have contact with parents they need.”
All Safe Moves policies and procedures are designed by an advisory board of members of guardian ad litem programs, family court judges, victims service providers, offender treatment providers, drug and alcohol treatment providers and others. Family Court judges are currently ordering Safe Moves participation with all Orders of Protection.
The next step will be relieving DSS of some of the burden of supervising visits with children currently in foster care that are seldom allowed to see their parents. “Children in foster homes may not be visiting with either parent more than once or twice a month for an hour,” says Toporek. “That’s hardly enough. This way will get to visit more often and it won’t be taking up DSS’s time.”
Family Violence is at the root of major societal problems, including poor school performance, community violence, overcrowding in prisons, poverty, and the country’s $67 billion cost to the country in domestic violence related medical expenses. However, most importantly, there is at least a 30% to 60% overlap between spousal and child abuse. In fact, children who live in homes where there is violence between parents are 1,500% more likely to be victims of abuse, themselves. Sixty-three percent63% of child abductions occur during visitation.
For many years, South Carolina has been in the top five states for the highest number of deaths of women killed by men, only recently becoming number sixNo. 6. For additional information on the visitation program, visit www.Safe-Moves.org.
Sarah Moïse is a staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail her at smoise@crbj.com.
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