A parent gets one hour a week to prove they can be a parent, and they get to do it under fluorescent lights across a folding table. Nobody plays well in a room like that.
Put a rug down and the hour changes. That hour is what the judge hears about.
Warm Up the Visitation Room
Supervised visits between parents and kids in care happen in bare agency rooms with a table and two chairs. Stock one with toys, books, a rug, and snacks.
What you'll need
- A rug, a lamp, and a soft chair a mom can hold a baby in
- Toys for a toddler and games for a nine-year-old, plus board books
- Shelf-stable snacks and juice boxes, restocked monthly
- Wipes, diapers in three sizes, and a changing pad
What to say
I'd like to make over one of your visitation rooms — furniture, toys, snacks. What are your rules on what can go in there?
Pitfalls
- Ask first. Agencies have rules about fabric, cords, and anything a kid could hide something in.
- Everything has to be wipeable. It gets used six times a day.
- Sign up to restock. A room that runs out of snacks in month two is worse than no room.
Learn to do good. Seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. — Isaiah 1:17