Building Healthier Families

NOTE: Our supervised visits and exchanges program now accepts families who do not have a court order. See below for procedures and details. 

The St. Cloud Area Family YMCA is especially proud to provide Supervised Visits, Supervised/Monitored Exchanges for area families. For more information, contact Ashley, our Social Work Director.

OUR MISSION

To provide families with a positive, healthy environment in which to interact, offering them a place where family vulnerability will be reduced.

SUPERVISED VISITATIONS

Fractured families may use supervised visitations to ensure the best experience for any child and family member involved. We serve families with court orders for supervised visitations and those without court orders.

Non-custodial parents (or extended family members) visit with their children in a neutral, controlled condition for a set period of time promoting positive interactions through health and wellness for youth development, for healthy living, and for social responsibility.

Each visitation is directly supervised and documented to ensure the contact is made in a healthy and positive manner. This takes place whether or not a family has a court order for supervised visitations.

PROCEDURE

The custodial and non-custodial parties will contact the visitation director at the Y. The custodial and non-custodial parties must go through an intake process and be approved into the program before scheduling visitations. 

If there is a court order, both custodial and non-custodial parties must provide the visitation director with appropriate court papers.

Custodial and non-custodial parties will be contacted by supervised visitation staff after the case has been approved.  Visitations may begin one to two weeks after being accepted into the program, depending on availability and schedules.

TIMES & VISIT HOURS

During the school year:

Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Visits can be scheduled for up to two hours, twice weekly.

FEES

Please contact the Social Work Director for fees. Scholarships are available.

ACTIVITIES 

Children and parties are able to utilize these fun activity areas.

Large Gym: Basketball, soccer, kickball, football etc.

Rainbow Room/Kid’s Gym: coloring, painting, reading, puzzles, toys, climbing wall, listening to music, etc. 

Lobby/Conference Room: eating, reading, talking, coloring, watching swimmers, watching movies, etc.

Outside Activities: Playground, football, soccer, baseball/softball, catch, etc.

*All activities are dependent upon gym and racquetball schedules and the availability of the conference room. Please notify the Visitation Supervisor of your desired plan.*

SUPERVISED EXCHANGES

Supervised exchanges occur when parents (or extended family members) exchange their children for their scheduled visitation time. Families do not need a court order to participate in this program.  

The exchange is monitored and documented by supervised exchange staff members, who attempt to ease the process for the children. This takes place whether or not a family has a court order for supervised visitations.

PROCEDURE

Custodial and Non-custodial parties will contact the social work director at the Y. The custodial and non-custodial parties must go through an intake process and be approved into the program. Supervised exchanges will not be provided until BOTH parties have completed an intake.

If there is a court order, both parties must provide the appropriate court papers before an exchange can take place.
 

FEE

The fee for a supervised child exchange is $10.00 per exchange and should be shared by both parties unless stated differently in the court order. In the event that the cost is shared, scholarships will not apply.

About vistiation and exchange staff members

All visitation/exchange supervisors have backgrounds in social work, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, or human relations, and are trained to deal with issues concerning families in crisis. Visitation staff are informed of the confidentiality policy and sign a waiver stating the same. Any breach of this policy will result in the dismissal of the visitation/exchange supervisor.