The court can order a parent to be supervised while they spend time with their child. This happens when the child would not be well or safe if they were alone with the parent. A supervisor monitors all interactions between the parent and the child, including in-person and virtual meetings.
On this page, “parent” refers to both parents and guardians.
Need to know
- Supervised parenting is a temporary or permanent safety precaution.
- The court only grants supervised parenting time when they are concerned the child would not be well or safe if alone with the parent.
- A parent with supervised parenting time can ask the court to remove this requirement by showing they are trustworthy.
- A supervisor is usually a paid professional or a trusted family member or friend.
- Being a supervisor is a serious role that someone should accept only if they are willing to act in the best interests of the child, not in the interests of a parent.
What is supervised parenting
Supervised parenting means a supervisor monitors all parenting time the parent has with the child. This includes in-person interactions, such as playdates, and virtual interactions, such as phone or video calls.
The court will grant a supervised parenting order in situations where the supervised parent:
- has a history of family violence (alleged or proven)
- has a history of addictions and there is a concern the parent will be impaired during their parenting time
- has not been active in their child’s life so the child and parent need to get to know one another
- has a history of not following court orders by not returning the child to the other parent or by moving the child without the other parent’s knowledge and consent
Supervised parenting is meant to be a temporary transition period where the parent can prove they can be trusted to be alone with their child in the future.
A parent can ask the court to order supervised parenting time for the other parent. They must have evidence to prove why the other parent should be supervised.
A supervised parenting order is a type of parenting order. To get a supervised parenting order, follow the steps on the Get or respond a court order page.
Who can be a supervisor
A supervisor must put the best interests of the child before the supervised parent. They are present to monitor the interaction between the child and the supervised parent, not to interact with the supervised parent.
There are 2 types of supervisors: professional supervisors and informal supervisors.
Professional supervisor
A professional supervisor is someone you hire for a fee. They are trained supervisors who have no connection to either parent.
Some professional supervision services can also help transport the child between the parents. For example, this can be helpful if there is a protection order saying the parents must stay a specific distance away from each other or if the primary parent cannot drive.
Find a professional supervision service in Alberta by searching online or visiting the Supervised Visitation Directory (note this directory is not complete).
Informal supervisor
An informal supervisor could be someone both the supervised parent and the other parent trust, such as a family member or friend. This person volunteers to supervise parenting time.
To be an informal supervisor you must:
- be present for all the supervised parent’s parenting time. This means listening to conversations between the child and parent. You are responsible for the child’s physical, mental and emotional well-being during that time.
- say no to the supervised parent when they make an unreasonable request of you. For example, they may ask you to bend the rules or leave the room.
- end the parenting time if the parent shows signs of intoxication or verbal or physical abuse towards the child or if the parent is not acting in the best interests of the child
- follow a consistent schedule
- make a report about what you saw and heard during each parenting time that can be reviewed by the court, the supervised parent or the other parent
A person is not suitable to be a supervisor if they have a history of enabling or ignoring the supervised parent’s negative behaviours.
Who pays a supervisor
The court can order one of the parents to pay for the supervisor.
If you are hiring a professional supervisor and meet certain criteria, some agencies offer supervision services at subsidized rates or low rates, sometimes called a sliding scale.
If you cannot find an agency within your budget, you can ask the court to allow someone to be an informal supervisor instead of hiring a professional.
Where supervised parenting takes place
Supervised parenting time can take place anywhere the supervisor can be:
- on the phone or video chat
- at the supervisor’s office
- at the home of the parent who requires supervision
- in a public place, such as the mall, a park or event
The supervised parenting order can say where the supervised parenting takes place or it may let the parents and supervisor decide.
When supervised parenting ends
Moving from supervised to unsupervised parenting time takes a lot of time and patience. Supervision must continue until the date listed in the supervised parenting order.
Supervised parenting can also end if both parents agree to end supervision and get a consent order to vary the supervised parenting order. If the parents cannot agree, the supervised parent must ask the court to end the supervised parenting time.
If you are the parent who asked for supervised parenting
Think about the following:
- What needs to happen before you think supervision should end?
- Should it end on a specific date if the supervised parent is proving their trustworthiness?
If you are the supervised parent
There are things you can do to help transition from supervised to unsupervised parenting time, including:
- get regular reports from the supervisor that detail what happens during your parenting time, their observations and any concerns they have
- make sure you are fully present and engaged during parenting time with your child
- prioritize seeing your child and do not miss your parenting time. Ask for makeup time if you have to miss parenting time for something outside of your control, such as illness or a family emergency.
- do not interact with the supervisor. They are there to make sure everyone is safe, not to talk with you.
- ask the court for small increases in the length of time and frequency of your visits with your child
When you are ready, apply to court to remove the need for someone to supervise your parenting time. You must have evidence to show the court you can be trusted to care for your child by yourself.
But be realistic about what you ask the court for. They are likely to grant you longer and longer periods of time alone with your child. They are not likely to grant you primary care of your child.
To change the parenting order to remove supervised parenting, follow the steps on the Get or change a court order page.
Potential issues
The court doesn’t think the other parent needs to be supervised.
You must have evidence to show why the other parent should be supervised. You cannot ask for supervised parenting just because you don’t like the other parent.
If you have concerns about the other parent, try to gather as much evidence as you can to support your concerns. This could also mean getting help from a professional.
You and the other person cannot agree on a supervisor.
You bring your suggestions to court and ask the court to decide on a professional or informal supervisor. The court can include the person’s name in the supervised parenting order.
Explore related topics
The best interests of the child principle
Factors to look at when making decisions about a child.
Make a plan for how to co-parent
Plan for how to co-parent your child after a separation.
When one parent isn’t following the plan
Enforce a parenting plan if one parent isn’t following it.
How to communicate with the other person
Tips for effective communication after a separation.
Get or respond to a court order
Ask the court for an order to resolve family issues.