Being guided by a court order can be a simple and safe way to determine protocols. However, it may help to have a better understanding of the risks involved, so here are a few questions one should ask when creating a protocol that does not enhance risk to a victim parent or child since child care / early ed is a common place for unsafe parents to take a child: 1) Is this a certified copy of the court order, 2) Is there another court of jurisdiction, 3) Is there a risk of abduction, 4) am I inadvertently assisting an abusive parent, 5) Is there a temporary emergency order that supersedes the one I was given, 6) does this court order reflect the true danger to the child, 7) has this order been signed by the judge and filed by the court, 8) is this an order or a petition, 9) what is a writ of attachment, 10) is this a default order and why does that matter, 11) how would I know if the parent who registered the child is the safe parent, 12) is it safe to call the other parent during an unscheduled pick-up, 13) has the safe parent not been listed as having access by the registering parent, 14) is there an order of protection that has not yet been or can't be served, 15) am I familiar with how children respond to a parent in high risk situations, 16) is there a temporary emergency order in the works, 17) is there a case on the docket to flip custody or order supervised visitation...?
Taking children into one's care, by its very nature, requires that administration and staff are comfortable with asking these questions (even if the answer is not complicated).
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Shari Doherty
Program Director
Child Find of America, Inc.
New Paltz NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-28-2019 03:32 PM
From: Samantha Coontz
Subject: Parent guardianship issues
HI!
As long as the parent is listed as someone who can pick the child up, I am not getting in the middle of custody issues. They need to work it out among themselves.
The policy reads (The Center) remains neutral in custody disputes. Records and information will only be released with court order. We are unable to limit a parent's access to their child without proper court documentation. It is the family/ guardian's responsibility to keep us informed of any changes in child's family situation and provide the appropriate documentation.
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Samantha Coontz
Center Director
Sunshine House at CSU
Fort Collins CO
Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2019 01:59 AM
From: Jaymie Gaucher
Subject: Parent guardianship issues
Good morning,
What policies do other centers have about custody issues. I am specifically looking for anything on how centers deal with a situation where parents are separated and one parent comes to pick up the child on a day when the other is supposed to? Do you let the child go with that parent? Call the parent who was supposed to come to confirm this it is okay for for the child to go with the parent who is there?
Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. If anyone has any actual policies to share that would be great. Thank you for your advice.
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Jaymie Gaucher
Manager/Director
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