Making Connections, Preserving Memories

Making Connections, Preserving Memories

When we reflect on what makes our visitation and exchange program special, one of the first things that comes to mind is our Harmony House property. The historic farmhouse has been well lived-in and well-loved across its life, and is a big part of what sets our program apart. Families visiting here are able to comfortably settle into the homey environment, cook favorite meals together in our kitchen, watch bunnies darting across the yard, or snuggle up together on the couch. It’s a beautiful house and it’s obvious to anyone who visits that families make meaningful memories here.

But it’s not just the house that makes our program special. Documentation is a feature of supervised visitation, which is defined broadly as a non-custodial parent spending time with their child or children while under supervision to ensure safety. Families use supervised visitation for many different reasons, and sometimes the service is court-ordered or recommended. For these families the careful documentation of what happens and what is said during visits becomes an important record for the court and all parties interested in the case. Perhaps surprisingly, visit documentation can become an important keepsake for visiting families as well.

Recently at the Harmony House, two families had big moments captured in their documentation. One dad heard his little boy say his very first words during their visit! Another young boy told his father he loved him for the very first time. We’re glad families can experience important and special moments like this in our space, and we’re doubly glad these memories are preserved in the documentation in real-time for parents and families.

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Are you interested in supervising and documenting visits for families? CLC’s visitation and exchange program offers both traditional and non-traditional internships. Contact Sarah at Sarah@casalarimer.com for more information about internships.