Santa Clara County's Safe Family Visitation Program Gets Boost

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County Superior Court has been awarded with grant funding that ensures the continuation of supervised visitation and safe exchange services as well as expands the number of families eligible to receive services in the county, court officials said. Effective beginning in April and extending through 2021, the California's Access to Visitation Grant Program will enrich the court's existing partnership with Choices for Children, a nonprofit that provides support and services to families and child care providers in communities across the state.

The partnership first began in January 2009 with provision of daycare services in the Children's Waiting Room in the court building. In 2017, services expanded to include supervised visitation on-site at the Family Justice Center Courthouse in San Jose, court officials said.

The no-cost visitations are provided to support parent/child relationships while maintaining safety measures for children and adult victims of domestic violence in a secure facility by trained staff, according to court officials.

The current population served by the Choices for Children program include families court-ordered to supervised visitation with a child under 6 years old, families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.

Appointments for the monitored visitation sessions are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.

"The availability of no cost supervised visitation -- made possible by these grants -- means that all families, including low-income families, have access to such protective visitation," Family Court Supervising Judge Julie Emede said.

By Bay City News Service

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