Committee backs bill to fund supervised visitation centers to protect children and families

The House Children and Family Law Committee on May 18 voted to advance House Bill 775, a bill that would create funding and statewide standards for supervised visitation centers where children can meet with parents under monitored, safety-focused conditions.

Representative Jody Nelson introduced the measure and turned much of the testimony to Dr. Scott Hampton, who operates the remaining supervised visitation center in Strafford County. Hampton described supervised visitation as a safety intervention for children and parents when domestic violence, stalking or other safety concerns make unsupervised contact dangerous. “Children New Hampshire's children should have an opportunity to spend time with both their parents safely,” Hampton testified, and he described centers as a way to provide a “protective bubble” during…