Class puts lesson into action

Students enrolled in an IU class on divorce and the effect it has on children were not content to merely talk about the problems kids face. Instead, they helped in a collaborative effort to create a free monitored exchange program so kids could enjoy the transition from one parent to the other with less stress. \nThat passageway? Call it The Children's Door. \nThe Children's Door offers divorced, separated and never-married parents the opportunity to exchange their children for scheduled parenting time under neutral supervision in a safe, child-friendly environment, according to its brochure. \nThe possibility of a free monitored exchange in Bloomington became a reality after students from Associate Professor of Applied Health Science Robert Billingham's class and other volunteers did some exploring. Volunteers from IU's Department of Applied Health Science's Human Development and Family Studies and the South Central Community Action Program's Head Start group talked with the attorneys, mediators and social service providers around Monroe County. \n"We found enthusiasm for such a program," said Karen Ellis, a graduate student. "This service is offered free to anyone who wants to participate. It is a great improvement for many high conflict families that have exchanged children in commercial parking lots or outside the sheriff's office, for instance." \nRecent research is starting to suggest that the behavior of parents toward each other after the divorce might be more damaging than the divorce itself. Some long-term consequences on children consist of increased risk of dropping out of school, underage sex, substance abuse and divorce later in life, according to a press release. \n"Everyone involved was concerned about the potential for negative effects of divorce and separation on children when there is a high level of conflict between parents," Ellis said. "High conflict parents often focus their disputes on child issues such as parenting time, custody and child support. Supervised visitation services, which include the monitoring of child exchanges before and after scheduled parenting time, are proven to reduce the potential for conflict surrounding parenting time." \nInitially The Children's Door received seed funding from the Applied Health Science Department and was open three days a week. Recent funding from Bloomington's Jack Hopkins Social Service Fund has allowed open hours to include Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday evenings. \nThe policies for Children's Door are based on the best practices established by the nationally recognized Supervised Visitation Network, Children's Rights Council organizations and the Florida State University's Clearinghouse on Supervised Visitation, Ellis said. \n"Parents using The Children's Door for child exchanges can expect the respect and neutrality of the trained monitors and on site security personnel," Ellis said. "If the parents choose not to see each other during exchanges, or if they are not allowed to have contact because of a court order, we have procedures in place to honor such requests and orders." \nThe exchanges are documented to indicate date and time of arrival of each parent, which are useful in parental arguments about timeliness, Ellis said. The Children's Door is meant to keep the exchanges safe and neutral. \n"One of the best things about providing this service is to hear parents say how relieved they are to exchange their children without the conflict they were used to," Ellis said.