The Mission

The Transitions Center provides safe, supervised visits and exchanges between parents and their children under the supervision of a compassionate, trained adult monitor and an off-duty officer who protects the child from any harm, threat or manipulation.

Transitions Pgrogram Volunteers

A Clay County Transitions volunteer is a trained individual that is designated to provide court-referred supervised visitation between a non-custodial parent and the child, so that a healthy relationship can be built between the child and visiting parent.

Qualifications of a Transitions Volunteer

1. Interest in children, parents, and their rights and special needs.
2. Time to devote to a training session, and a commitment of at least one year.
3. Ability to work with children and parents using tact, concern and basic human relations skills.
4. Ability to communicate verbally and in-writing…making verbal and written visitation comments, to the Court, to the program director, and other persons as needed.

Requirements of a Transitions Volunteer

1. Attend initial training session.
2. Agree to supervise at least four parent/child visits a year.
3. Agree to show up and supervise the visit at the designated time and location for the eight-week visitation, allowing two hours of their time.
4. Observe confidentiality of all information.
5. Be available Thursday evenings.
6. Report any problems or situations to the Program Director.
7. Provide assistance between the child and parent during the visit, if necessary.

Duties of the Transitions Program Director

1. Recruit and train new volunteers.
2. Provide names, times, locations and case information to the volunteer supervising the visit.
3. Assist Transitions Volunteers as needed with visitation problems.
4. Notify volunteers of any visitation changes or situations.
5. Serve as a liaison for volunteers and supporting.
6. Provide on-going training to the volunteer and staff.
7. Provide monetary aid to the volunteers when supervising visits that require a cost.

Visitation between the parent and child is completely voluntary by the parents. The parents can be referred to the visitation program three ways: paternity cases, Family Access Motion (parent does not see the child) or Family Court. The child must have experienced limited involvement of one or more of the parents for a period of six months or more.

The visits will be supervised for eight weeks at the same time and location each week for 60 minutes by the same designated volunteer. The parents and Transitions staff will determine the time and location of the visits.

If the parents choose to use this service, both parents will be assessed a one time fee of $50.00 and both parents will pay for each visit based on a sliding fee scale for the 60 minute supervised visit. This fee helps partially cover the administrative, security and visitation costs. The fees must be paid in advanced or the visits will not take place.

**Parents are responsible for payments of the security and visitation fees in advance, unless there are exceptional circumstances that make this unfeasible. Any payment arrangements must be approved by the Program Director in advance.**

Rules and Policies

The visits will be supervised once a week for eight (8) weeks at the same time and location each week. Supervised visitation will be for 60 minutes per visit. The parents and Transitions staff will determine the time and location of the visits.

Custodial and non-custodial parents will not come in contact during arrivals and departures of visits. The non-custodial parent will arrive at the visit 15 minutes before the start of the scheduled visit and will stay 15 minutes after the end of the scheduled visit. There will be a 10-minute grace period at the time the visit is to start. If after 10 minutes, one or the other parent has not arrived, the visit will not take place. The custodial parent must be available by phone/pager to pick up their child if an emergency arises or a visits must be cut short for other reasons.

The visiting parent may bring to the visit: snacks or dinner, along with a favorite game, toy or gift if they would like.

The Transitions Volunteer will immediately terminate the visits, if for any of the following reasons happen:

• negative comments made about parents, in-laws, relatives, partners, step-parents, grandparents, siblings or anyone, by any of the parties involved, including the child
• whispering or note passing during the visits
• drug or alcohol use
• threats of kidnapping or parental abduction
• harassment, arguing or verbal abuse
• physical violence
• threats against the court, court orders, attorneys, or Transitions Program staff or volunteers
• weapons
• no picture taking or audio-visuals are allowed
• no other family members or friends are allowed in the visit
• no cell phones, pagers or pets will be allowed at the visit

Parents/relatives are expected to vacate the premises immediately upon request to do so.

Transitions Program staff or volunteers will not act as a go between, between the parents and child.

No Transitions volunteers or staff will accept or dispense any medication for the child during the 60-minute visit. It will be the responsibility of the custodial parent to give their child medication before the visit begins.

Parents are to call 24 hours in advance to cancel a visit. Only in emergencies should a parent cancel the visit. It will be up to the Transitions Staff to decide if the visit should be rescheduled. Additional costs may be required if visits are cancelled without advance notice.

In the event that parents see one another, they will act civil to each other in front of their child.

Visits will be held for the scheduled time only. If they start early or begin late, the visit will only be for 60 minutes. Upon arrival and leaving each parent must sign in and sign out with the volunteer.

After the last scheduled visitation, it will be the responsibility of both parents and/or their attorneys to come to a mutual agreement about where and when visits between the parent and child take place.

There will be an off duty officer on site at every visit (on a case by case bases). The custodial parent is expected to be off the premises while the visit takes place. The custodial parent may not wait in the lobby or parking lot of the visitation site.

A photograph will be taken of the child and each parent. Photographs will be kept on file for identification.

Before the first visit, a photocopy of each parent's driver's license or other state issued photo will be taken to be kept on file for identification purposes. Each parent will provide a valid driver's license or other state issued photo and present this identification at each visit. Each parent will also provide at each visit a license's plate number and the make and model of the car driven to the visit for identification purposes.

During the provisions of the visits, Transitions staff may require to exam all packages, bags, or containers brought in by the parents and staff may request that parents check in personal property deemed necessary by staff.

Transitions staff are required to write comments or provide detailed observations for each visit, for the court, if necessary.

Programs offered by Transitions Center

The Transitions Family Visitation Center offers two programs to help parents visit their children.

Supervised visitation is a program that allows the non-custodial parent to see his/her child(ren) in a supervised setting. There are many reasons why supervision may be needed such as substance abuse, domestic violence, and allegations of sexual abuse – just to name a few. There is an intake fee and a fee for service for this program. It is helpful if we know ahead of time which parent or party is responsible to pay for these fees; or if both parents or parties are responsible for the payment of fees. Intake interviews are required prior to starting supervised visitations and have a non-refundable fee of $50 for each parent or party to pay. Each parent or party needs to bring his/her last year's income tax return so that a determination of the weekly fee can be made. The weekly fee is determined on a sliding scale basis. If either parent or party cannot or does not produce the tax return, there is an automatic fee of $25 per week. We are currently supervising visits on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in Liberty, MO. There are two sessions offered, 5:30 P.M. - 6:30 P.M. or 7:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. We try to work with the parents' schedules when assigning a session to a family, however availability is a factor. Once in the program, visits continue until further order of the Court or by agreement of attorneys.

Safe Exchanges is a program offered to assist parents when dropping off or picking up the children from the other parent for visitation purposes. These are especially helpful for parents with an ExParte Order of Protection and No Contact Orders where one parent cannot legally come in contact with the other parent; or when parents are having problems with being timely and consistent when dropping off and picking up the child(ren) for visitation. There is a $20 non-refundable intake fee for each parent to pay for this program. After that exchanges are free. Parents can sign up for this program voluntarily or they can be court-ordered into the program. The Safe Exchange Program is offered at the following location: R. Kenneth Elliott Children's Justice Center, 351 E. Kansas, Liberty, MO. supervised exchanges are offered Monday and Tuesday 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M., Wednesday and Thursday 8:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M., Fridays 8:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M. and Sundays 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. <%-- At the Kansas City Police Department, North Patrol Division, 1001 NW Barry Road, Kansas City, MO. supervised exchanges are offered Fridays and Sundays 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.--%>

If you believe either of these programs would be beneficial to you and your family or you have questions or need further information, please contact Mim Simpson at (816) 736-8417.

SAFE Exchange Program

SAFE Exchange is a child-friendly monitored exchange program to help parents reduce the stress of custodial exchanges of their children. This is a free service offered by the Transitions Center, Inc. Exchanges take place at a neutral location monitored by a Transitions staff person. Arrival and departure times are staggered so that parents have no direct contact. Children are under the supervision of a person attentive to their needs while at the exchange site. Children are less anxious and more relaxed during departures and arrivals.

Families who benefit from SAFE Exchanges:

• Conflict has been experienced during exchanges
• Parents do not agree on exchange arrangements
• Law enforcement has become involved in exchanges
• Conflict has been experienced during exchanges
• Parents are subject to an order of protection

SAFE Exchange services are free but you must pre-register to be scheduled for exchanges. Contact Transitions Staff at 816-736-8400.

SAFE Exchange services are free but you must pre-register to be scheduled for exchanges. There is a $20 intake fee per parent. Contact Transitions Staff at .

Transitions SAFE Exchange locations:

• North Kansas City, 1001 N.W. Barry Road, Kansas City
• Children's Justice Center, Liberty
• Children's Justice Center, 351 E. Kansas, Liberty
• Transitions Center, 9 S. Leonard, Liberty