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 exchanges.

Hampton traced the state’s history of visitation centers, noting there were as many as seven centers before funding declines, and said federal Justice for Families grant support once sustained multiple sites. He said operating costs for a center during the years his program was federally funded ran “about a hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand dollars a year” and said national training and technical-assistance partners can reduce some startup costs. Hampton argued even a single prevented child-protection catastrophe can justify the investment, citing a prior case that cost the state millions.

Several local organizations testified in support. Emily Lawrence, advocacy director at Waypoint, said her staff receive requests from families asking if they could provide supervised visits and that community providers see families exchanging children at libraries and fast-food restaurants because safe options are unavailable.

DHHS representative Susan Brisson told the committee the department agreed on the need for centers but flagged the fiscal note. The committee and witnesses noted a fiscal note that accompanied the bill was substantially larger than costs described by Hampton; the transcript records a fiscal-note figure of $5,000,000 mentioned in committee discussion, and Brisson said she could not confirm which agency contacts produced that number.

Committee members discussed several practical paths to implementation, including county-level support: Hampton said Strafford County is temporarily supporting the only remaining center after federal funding ended. Multiple lawmakers urged outreach to county delegations and county commissioners to seek in-kind contributions such as space or security.

After the hearing the committee voted “ought to pass.” The chair moved to advance the bill; the ranking member seconded. The clerk recorded the roll and the motion carried (committee record shows the motion passed as reported on the roll). Members said they would continue to pursue funding conversations with the speaker’s office and county officials so the centers could be stood up statewide.

The bill requires centers to meet guiding principles developed by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and includes provisions for training, safety features (separate entrances and staggered arrival/departure times were described in testimony) and monitoring. Supporters emphasized that services would be provided free to families under the design presented at the hearing.