Supervision of meetings

We help to ensure that the meetings between the child and their parent are arranged with the child’s best interests in mind.

Supported and supervised meetings as well as supervised exchanges enable safe meetings between a child and a parent who lives separately from them. The purpose of the service is to support the relationship between the child and the non-custodial parent as well as to enable the relationship to continue despite difficult family circumstances. During the meetings, we work together with the parents to support their parenthood. The goal is that these meetings could eventually be carried out without external support or supervision. A supervised exchange can be arranged when, for example, conflicts between the parents make communication between them difficult or impossible. The service ensures that the parents hand over the child to each other safely. A supported meeting allows a child and a parent to meet safely in a child-friendly environment. During the supported meeting, a supervisor is available to assist and support the child and the parent as needed. In general, the supervisor is not continuously in the same room with the child and the parent. Instead, the supervisor monitors the situation and ensures that the meeting begins and ends appropriately. Supervised meetings can be arranged to ensure the safe continuation of meetings between a child and a parent in situations that would otherwise involve risks. During a supervised meeting, the supervisor maintains continuous auditory and visual contact with the child and the visiting parent. The conversation between the parent and the child is also supervised. An interpreter is used if the supervisor does not understand the language spoken by the parent and the child. Supervised meetings are carried out only when supported meetings or supervised exchanges are not sufficient to secure the child's best interests. The duration of supervised and supported meetings is typically 1 to 3 hours. If necessary, all services can be carried out without the parents meeting each other.

Conditions for receiving the Service

Supported and supervised meetings as well as supervised exchanges can be arranged based on a court decision or an agreement confirmed by a child welfare officer. The provisions for supported and supervised meetings and supervised exchanges are laid down in section 9b of the Child Custody Act and section 27 of the Social Welfare Act.

The service is free of charge.

Do this:

  • We agree on the meetings together with the child, the family, and the support network while paying particular attention to the child's needs.
  • For more information about the service, contact your local child welfare officer or visit the meeting place.