Before the first visit

By the time your first session is scheduled, several things have already happened: your intake call is complete, your $150 intake fee is paid, your court order has been reviewed, and a supervisor has been assigned. Then:

  • Location is confirmed. Sessions happen at neutral community locations agreed to by both parties — parks, family-friendly restaurants, libraries, indoor play areas. Both parties receive written confirmation with the time, place, and ground rules.
  • Ground rules are shared. Both parents receive the session guidelines in advance: arrival order, what topics are off-limits per the court order, and how the visit will begin and end.
  • Arrival is staggered. Typically the visiting parent arrives first and the custodial parent brings the child after — or the reverse, depending on the order. The parents do not need to interact.

During the visit

  • The supervisor introduces themselves to the child in a calm, friendly, age-appropriate way. To a young child, the supervisor is simply another adult nearby.
  • The supervisor remains within sight and hearing of the child for the entire session — close enough to observe everything, far enough not to hover.
  • The visiting parent and child do normal things: play, talk, share a meal, work on homework.
  • The supervisor takes contemporaneous notes throughout — times, activities, conversation topics, the child's engagement and mood.
  • If a court-order condition is violated — a prohibited topic, an unapproved person appearing, concerning behavior — the supervisor redirects once and ends the session if it continues. This is rare.

After the visit

  • The supervisor confirms the child's safe transition back to the custodial parent.
  • Within 48–72 hours, a written session report is completed — objective, timestamped, non-editorial. It states what happened; it does not argue anyone's case.
  • The report goes wherever your case needs it: to you, your attorney, the guardian ad litem, or Mississippi's Chancery Courts.

Tips for visiting parents

  • Arrive early. Lateness appears in the report because everything appears in the report.
  • Focus entirely on the child. The session is not the place to discuss the case, the other parent, or the court.
  • Bring an activity the child enjoys — it makes the first session feel normal faster.
  • Follow the supervisor's redirections immediately if any occur.

Tips for custodial parents

  • Prepare the child simply and neutrally: "You're going to spend some time with Dad/Mom, and a helper will be there too."
  • Arrive on time for drop-off and pick-up — transitions are documented for both parties.
  • Let the visit belong to the child. A relaxed hand-off helps the child relax too.