EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso County has been awarded $138,800 through the Office of the Governor’s General Victims Assistance Resource Grant Program to strengthen services for families impacted by concerns of family violence.
The funding will support Supervised Visitation and Exchange services, which allow parents to take part in court-ordered parenting time with their children in a safe, structured environment at no cost to eligible families.
The services are intended to protect children’s well-being and support healthy parent-child relationships when safety concerns arise.
The grant will also support Supportive Parenting Time services provided by the Domestic Relations Office.
That program is designed for parents who may need guidance in developing appropriate parenting skills or who have had limited contact with their children due to divorce, separation, or other family circumstances.
The goal is to help parents re-engage safely with their children.
Supportive Parenting Time is available by court order or through an application submitted via the county’s website or office. When family violence concerns are present, there is no cost to participants.
Both Supervised Visitation and Supportive Parenting Time services are intended to provide a pathway for parents to safely resume parenting time after previous access was restricted due to safety concerns.
In addition, the grant provides funding for the Domestic Relations Office to deliver Guardian ad Litem services for children in cases involving concerns of family violence when there is no active Child Protective Services case.
Appointed by court order, a Guardian ad Litem represents the best interests of the child by conducting interviews, gathering relevant information, and providing recommendations to help the court make informed decisions about the child’s welfare.
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