Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-26-2019 02:00 AM

    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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  • 2.  RE: Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-27-2019 05:28 AM
    Our policy in court order meaning if the parent gave court order visitations we go by that if not we can't stop parent for picking up  his/her child its a issue they need to work out in court usless its other issue that do allow us to let the child go with the parent






  • 3.  RE: Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-27-2019 08:37 AM

    This is our policy if it helps at all.  Be aware we are in Wisconsin and depending upon where you live there may be different laws dealing with this in your state. 


    When parents separate and one or the other tells you that each will pick up on various days, unless we have a copy of a court document stating their are specific days for each parent, we are obligated to release to either parent.  Now we may call the other parent to alert them that the other parent picked up but legally we cannot deny access to a parent.  We do remind parents of this policy when this situation arises. Again if a court order copy is on file designating who has access to the child when, then it is a whole different ball game.  Dawn


    Dawn M. Justman

    Supervisor

    LeRoyer Child Care Center

    715-623-3231







  • 4.  RE: Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-27-2019 12:27 PM
    We go by court mandates well. If both of the parents are listed on the birth certificate we cannot deny parental rights. Either parent is allowed to pick up the child. If one of the parents is not listed on the birth certificate and we do not have a court mandate that the person is actually the parent that is different. If we have restraining order or court mandated visitation schedules we go by that. I think it all depends on what your state says. What it boils down to for us is that we do not have the ability to deny parental rights and neither does the other parent, that is the choice of the court system.

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    Susan Garrison
    Early Education Administration
    Lanesborough MA
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  • 5.  RE: Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-28-2019 12:21 PM
    ​Please don't hesitate to contact Child Find of America, Inc. to discuss the matter. I don't mean to do a sales pitch, here, but this is quite specifically in our wheelhouse; we provide this type of guidance to professionals around the country. In fact, I'll be conducting a training crafted specifically for educators and edu-carers of young children next week at the young child ed conference in my state. As the issues are complex and may be quite high risk, we are careful to provide training that addresses identifying red flags, understanding court orders, learning more about denied access and parental abductions, and the bevy of related issues that help agencies to craft and reassess their protocols. Child Find is also glad to offer confidential consultation to professionals, so call if you like: 1-800-426-5678.

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    Shari Doherty
    Program Director
    Child Find of America, Inc.
    New Paltz NY
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  • 6.  RE: Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-28-2019 03:33 PM
    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
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  • 7.  RE: Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-29-2019 08:40 AM

    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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  • 8.  RE: Parent guardianship issues

    Posted 03-30-2019 08:46 AM
    Shari:
    Thank you for this list of questions that let us know some of the complexities that might be hidden in difficult custody situations.  It does take administrators and/or teachers to be able to sit with a parent and ask these difficult probing questions, even if it makes us uncomfortable.  Our discomfort can't getting the way of keeping children and families safe.  I'll keep this list in case I'm working with any centers or providers with families in this situation.  Thanks again.

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    Aren Stone
    Child Development Specialist
    The Early Years Project
    Cambridge, MA
    she/her
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