- California Association of Supervised Visitation Service Providers
- Supervised Visitation Network
- Responsibility and Opportunity for Non-residential Parents (42 USC 669B)
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Civics Education
- Collaborative Justice Courts
- Community Outreach
- Court Innovations—Kleps Awards
- Court Interpreters Program (CIP)
- Criminal Justice Programs
- Domestic Violence
- Equal Access
- Facilities
- For Families and Children
- Judicial Administration Fellowships
- JusticeCorps
- Tribal/State Programs
Related Links
Access to Visitation
Access to Visitation Grant Program
The Judicial Council is charged with administering and distributing California's share of the federal Child Access and Visitation Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement.
These grants, established under section 391 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub.L. 104–193, 110 Stat. 2258)—title III, section 469B of the Social Security Act—enable states to establish and administer programs that support and facilitate noncustodial parents' access to and visitation with their children.
The use of the funds in California is limited by state statute to three types of programs:
- Supervised visitation and exchange services;
- Education about protecting children during family disruption; and
- Group counseling services for parents and children.
Background
Program Administration
The Judicial Council is charged with administering the federal Child Access and Visitation Grant Program. The grant program also receives guidance from the Judicial Council’s Executive and Planning Committee and the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee, the state Legislature, and the federal Administration for Children and Families. The Administrative Office of the Courts Center for Families, Children & the Courts (CFCC) has primary responsibility for administering and managing the grant program.
Eligibility
Under California’s Access to Visitation Grant Program, grant funding is awarded to the family law division of the superior courts through a statewide request-for-proposals grant application process. Applicants are strongly encouraged to involve multiple courts and counties in their proposed programs and to designate one court as the lead or administering court. While the superior courts may contract with local community-based nonprofit agencies to provide the direct services on behalf of the court, contract agreements are made only with the designated superior court. Grant funds may be used to expand or augment existing programs but funds may not be used to supplant existing funding for those programs.
Program Monitoring
States are required to monitor, evaluate, and report on programs funded through the grant—on an annual basis—in accordance with regulations prescribed the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (45 C.F.R. 303.109). California’s Access to Visitation Grant Program monitoring of grantee programs draws on multiple sources and methods, with feedback from the courts, clients, community stakeholders, and service providers at the local, regional, and state levels. Methods also include site visits, questionnaires, focus group and roundtable meetings, and data collection and document analysis. Many of the grantees use client feedback surveys and questionnaires to assess their own service delivery. Additionally, grant recipients are required to submit monthly statistical data reports and quarterly progress summary reports.
RFP Information
California’s Access to Visitation Grant Program Request for Application (RFA) for Fiscal Year 2013-2014
Subject to the availability of federal funding, the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts, Judicial & Courts Operations Services Division, Center for Families, Children & the Courts Access to Visitation Grant Program, announces the availability of approximately $755,000 to $770,000 to be awarded for fiscal year 2013–2014. The RFP Continuation Grant Application for Fiscal Year 2013–2014 will be for one-year of funding (i.e., April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014) and funding eligibility is open to only those superior courts awarded Access to Visitation funding for fiscal years 2011–2012 and 2012–2013. Funding is limited to three types of programs: supervised visitation and exchange services, parent education, and group counseling for noncustodial parents and their children. Completed application and hard copy must be received at the AOC office by 5 p.m., Friday, January 18, 2013.
Please send any questions or inquires about the grant application process or grant program to Shelly La Botte, at shelly.labotte@jud.ca.gov.
- California Access to Visitation Program RFA
- Appendices and Budget Forms
- Assurances Form
- Certifications Form
California's Access to Visitation grant application for fiscal years 2011–2012 and 2012–2013.
Contract - Exhibit E Forms
Publications and Reports
Legislative Reports
Report to the Legislature on the programs funded and whether and to what extent those programs are achieving the goal of promoting and encouraging healthy parent and child relationships between non-custodial or joint custodial parents and their children while ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of children, and other goals described in this chapter.
Legislative Report 1
California's Access to Visitation Grant Program for Enhancing Responsibility and Opportunity for Nonresidential Parents-The First Five Years: Report to the Legislature
(March 2002).
Legislative Report 2
A Report to the California Legislature: California's Access to Visitation Grant Program for Enhancing Responsibility and Opportunity for Nonresidential Parents Fiscal Year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 (February 28, 2003).
Legislative Report 3
California's Access to Visitation Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 (March 2004).
Legislative Report 4
California's Access to Visitation Grant Program: Fiscal Years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 (March 2005).
Legislative Report 5
California's Access to Visitation Grant Program: Fiscal Years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 (March 2006).
Legislative Report 6
California's Access to Visitation Program: Fiscal Year 2005-2006 (July 2007).
Legislative Report 7
Ten Years of Access to Visitation Grant Program Services (Fiscal Years 1997-2007) (March 2008).
Legislative Report 8
California's Access to Visitation Grant Program (Fiscal Year 2009-2010) (March 2010).
Research & Publication
Supervised Visitation - An Annotated Bibliography
A Guide for the Non-Professional Provider of Supervised Visitation
Supervised Visitation and You (English)
Supervised Visitation and You (Spanish)
California's Access to Visitation Grant Program - Directory of Supervised Visitation Agencies
Standard 5.20 and Family Code Section 3200.5
Standard 5.20
In 1998, the Judicial Council adopted standards for supervised visitation providers. Family Code section 3200 defines the term “provider” as including any individual or supervised visitation center that monitors visitation. Supervised visitation contact is contact between a noncustodial party and one or more children in the presence of a neutral third person.
In 1998, the Judicial Council adopted standards for supervised visitation providers. Family Code section 3200 defines the term “provider” as including any individual or supervised visitation center that monitors visitation. Supervised visitation contact is contact between a noncustodial party and one or more children in the presence of a neutral third person.
All supervised visitation and exchange programs funded by California’s Access to Visitation Grant Program must comply with all requirements of the Uniform Standards of Practice for Providers of Supervised Visitation as set forth in Standard 5.20 of the California Standards of Judicial Administration.
Family Code section 3200.5
Effective January 1, 2013, Assembly Bill 1674 (Stats. 2012, ch. 692) added Section 3200.5 to the Family Code, relating to qualifications and training for supervised visitation providers. Family Code section 3200.5(a) requires that any standards for supervised visitation providers adopted by the Judicial Council to conform to the new provisions of the bill (i.e., Standard 5.20 of the California Standards of Judicial Administration). In 1997, Family Code section 3200 required the Judicial Council to develop standards for supervised visitation providers. The Judicial Council adopted, effective January 1, 1998, the Uniform Standards of Practice for Providers of Supervised Visitation as section 26.2 of the California Standards of Judicial Administration. Section 26.2 was changed (superseded), effective January 1, 2007, and became Standard 5.20. Family Code section 3200.5 codified, in part, some of the existing provisions under Standard 5.20 of the California Standards of Judicial Administration.
Training Information
Trainings and Education Events for Fiscal Year 2013
| Training Date | Training Description | Registration Information |
| March 19 | Webinar– Understanding the Dynamics of Domestic Violence for Professional Providers of Supervised Visitation related topic 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with California Association of Supervised Visitation Service Providers (CASVSP) |
| March 28-29 | Supervised Visitation training (AOC / Sacramento). | Registration is closed due to space capacity. |
| April 16 | Webinar – How to develop a program service agreement 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| April 29 | Advanced Skills Practice training – Court report writing for professional providers of supervised visitation 9-4:30 p.m. (San Diego – Marriott Mission Valley) | Register with CASVSP |
| April 30 | AOC Access to Visitation Grant Program Advanced Skills Supervised Visitation Training: Role of the Professional Provider and Safety Planning 9-5 (Los Angeles – LAX Westin) | Register Here |
| May 7 | Webinar – How to develop a protocol with local law enforcement 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| May 31-June 2 | Standard 5.20 and Family Code section 3200.5 Training (This is a collaboration between the AOC/Access to Visitation Grant Program and CASVSP) 8-5 p.m. Please note post the training--the evening event will offer opportunity for training credits on developmental needs of children and basic family and juvenile law per Family Code section 3200.5 requirement) (Southern California TBD) |
Register Here |
| June 18 | Webinar – How to develop child abduction protocols, including how to work with the child abduction task force 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| July 20 | Advanced Skills Practice Training – Court report writing for professional providers of supervised visitation 9-4:30 p.m. (Bay Area TBD) |
Register with CASVSP |
| July 23 | Webinar – Reconstructing your decision making process through the utilization of provider case scenarios Pt. 1 - 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| August 13 | Webinar – Reconstructing your decision making process through the utilization of provider case scenarios Pt. 2 - 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| September 17 | Webinar –Working with sexual abuse cases – 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| October 22 | Webinar – Domestic Violence related topic 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| November 1-3 | Standard 5.20 and Family Code section 3200.5 Training - 8-5 (Northern California TBD) (collaboration between the AOC/Access to Visitation Grant Program and CASVSP) | Register with CASVSP |
| November 19 | Webinar Off-site supervised visitation services – Challenges for the professional provider – 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Register with CASVSP |
| Dec 10 or 17 | Webinar Off-site supervised visitation services – Challenges for the professional provider – 12:00-1:30 p.m. |
Register with CASVSP |
| Feb 2014 | CASVP Annual Training Institute (this will be a two-day conference event, with a pre-institute on day one) (TBD) | Register with CASVSP |