Keep Me Safe
Keep Me Safe provides a trauma-informed and supportive environment for children to visit with their non-custodial caregiver under supervision. We can also facilitate no-contact exchanges of children between caregivers for unsupervised parenting time.
we strive to create a positive, healthy, and nurturing environment where physical and emotional safety needs of children and caregivers are prioritized. we do this through:
Treating each family member with respect and without judgment
Providing age-appropriate activities to support family time
Safety planning to address safety concerns
Policies grounded in safety and respect
Maintaining a secure facility
Staff who are trained to support the unique needs of families
cada's supervised parenting time and exchange center
getting started with keep me safe
for caregivers
If you are the caregiver of a visiting child and would like to start visits, you will need to fill out the self-referral form and email it to the Program Manager at: kms@cadamn.org. Once we receive your referral form, we will contact you to discuss orientation and scheduling visits.
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for service providers
If you are a service provider and would like to refer a family, please fill out the agency referral form and email it to the Program Manager at: kms@cadamn.org. Once we receive your referral form, we will contact you and the caregivers to discuss orientation and scheduling visits.
frequently asked questions
What kind of supervision does keep me safe (kms) provide?
KMS provides supportive supervision which means that we intervene to maintain safety and we offer interventions that can help support the parent/child relationship. However, we do not offer formal parent education, parenting coaching or classes, or therapeutic supervised visitation.
How do I get started with visits at keep me safe?
BOTH caregivers must complete the self-referral form and submit it to kms@cadamn.org. If you are not in contact with the other caregiver, we can send it directly to them. If contact information of a caregiver is not provided, KMS is unable to move forward. BOTH the visiting and custodial caregiver must consistently communicate with KMS and consent to receive services before moving on to the Intake process. The length of this process is greatly influenced by the level of cooperation of each party.
What is the intake and orientation process like?
Once both Self-Referral Forms have been received, we will schedule separate intake meetings for each caregiver. This includes a tour of the KMS center, a review of our policies, and a discussion of your family circumstances to help us assess if our services can meet your family's needs and how we can be most supportive. A child orientation may also be scheduled prior to the first visit. Additional follow-up and assessments may be needed before visits can begin.
What happens if the other caregiver doesn’t want to use KMS or cooperate with the intake process?
KMS does not have the ability to mandate any party to receive services. Even with a court order, if either party declines, KMS cannot move forward with scheduling. If one party does not cooperate with the intake process, the referral is closed. Due to confidentiality, we are unable to provide you with specific details on what communication has been with the other caregiver. For additional questions you may want to contact your attorney as KMS cannot provide legal advice.
How do visits get scheduled?
Once both parties have completed orientation and all needed information is gathered, KMS will assess whether scheduling can begin. We take into account the availability of caregivers and children, the family’s needs, and our current scheduling capacity. KMS offers visits and exchanges seven days a week, but availability may vary depending on the needs of current families being served and staffing capacity. Final decisions about visit dates and times are made by KMS. Once the schedule is set, it will remain the same each month to help provide stability and predictability.
How often can I have visits?
The maximum amount that can be scheduled per family is two, 1-hour visits per week. If one visit per week is requested, the visit can be extended to 1 1/2 hours, depending on availability. Visits may also be requested bi weekly or monthly as available. KMS is not able to accommodate court orders that call for more time. If you have concerns with this, you may want to consult with your attorney or seek alternate services from other providers.
Will having visits at KMS help my custody case?
KMS is a neutral third party. Neutrality in Supervised Visitation means maintaining an unbiased, objective view and not taking a position between the caregivers. Documentation completed by staff includes observations which have occurred in a structured and protected setting. KMS does not provide evaluations of families who use the program or make recommendations about future parenting time or custody. In order to receive a copy of the visit documentation, both parties must sign a Release of Information. Be sure to fully understand the limitations of KMS documentation before starting services.
What happens if my child doesn’t want to start the visits?
There are many reasons a child may be apprehensive about supervised visitation. During child orientation, the Program Manager will assess their concerns and safety plan to address their reasons for apprehension. Ultimately, if a child continues to indicate that they do not want to visit, the intake process may be ended until they are ready. KMS will never force a child to participate without their consent.
Will I have to communicate with or see the other caregiver?
KMS does not allow contact between caregivers at the center. We will do all scheduling and communications separately to ensure confidentiality. We cannot communicate with you through anyone else and ask that you do not relay information to us on behalf of the other caregiver. KMS also requires a staggered arrival and departure process to prevent contact between caregivers at the center.