By: Kimberley Haas, Union Leader Correspondent
STRAFFORD COUNTY, NH / DOVER — The Strafford County Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center has been awarded a grant of nearly $600,000 to continue its work and expand services for families with a history of abuse.
Scott Hampton, who is the project coordinator for the visitation center, said its target population consists of people who have suffered from domestic or sexual violence, stalking and child abuse. Unlike other centers in the state, there specifically needs to be a vulnerable parent involved. Staff makes sure that vulnerable parent and their abuser never meet, and children have supervised visits with non-custodial parents while a deputy sheriff is on site.
“We assume every family that comes in to us is a potential fatality,” Hampton said, explaining that there are panic buttons, and that the Dover Police Department is only minutes away from the center’s location on Central Avenue.
Right now, the center offers visitation hours for families from New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. With the additional funding, hours could be added on Wednesday and Sunday.
Hampton said they will be hiring a child services coordinator to connect families in need with other services. That person will work with the Family Justice Center in Rochester.
Approximately $50,000 will be used to help New Hampshire Legal Assistance representatives meet with vulnerable parents. One goal is to help victims of violence come up with a safety-focused parenting plan. Hampton said the family court’s current model of splitting parenting responsibilities in half unless something can be proven is not the best thing for victims because it reinforces the abuser’s power.
“When one person doesn’t have a voice, asking that person what they want isn’t always helpful,” Hampton explained.
Hampton said there are similar problems with the concept of mediation. He would like to see victims come up with a tailor-made plan that best suits their family, while still allowing children to see their non-custodial parent on a regular basis.
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, congratulated the county for its work. The center opened in 2015.
“Domestic violence affects people of all ages and backgrounds across the Granite State and we need law enforcement, courts and advocates working together to address it. The Strafford County Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center is a model for community-oriented approaches to create a safe space for victims and their children to recover and rebuild,” Shaheen said.
George Maglaras, who serves as chairman of the Strafford County Commissioners, said the center is just one of the ways people are working to change the face of the criminal justice system in his region.
There are also child visitation centers in Nashua, Boscawen and Jaffrey.
Original article: Supervised visitation center in Dover awarded $600k grant to develop, expand services