*Prepared by the Southwest Supervised Parenting Alliance (SWSPA)*

Table of Contents

• Purpose
  
• Assumptions
  
• Limitations
  
• Special Situations
  
• What Parents Can Do to Support Healthy Visitation
  
• Age-Based Visitation Suggestions:
  
•  Infants and Toddlers (Birth to 2½ Years)
  
•  Preschoolers (2½ to 5 Years)
•  Elementary Age (5 to 12 Years)
•  Adolescents (12 to 18 Years)
• Conclusions

Purpose

At SWSPA, we recognize that parenting apart—especially in the context of conflict, trauma, or young parenthood—can be deeply challenging. Still, research and experience affirm a consistent truth: when it is safe and appropriate, children benefit from healthy, ongoing connections with both parents. These connections help build a secure foundation for a child’s emotional, social, and developmental growth.

This guide is designed to help you make visitation decisions that prioritize your child’s well-being at every age and stage. It offers practical, developmentally informed guidance for creating visitation schedules that are stable, predictable, and child-focused—yet adaptable as your child grows and circumstances evolve.

We know that life doesn’t always follow a script. What works for one child might not work for another—even in the same family. What feels fair to adults may not always align with what’s best for a child. And sometimes, putting your child’s needs first means making hard choices, navigating grief, or working through unresolved feelings. You are not alone in that.

This guide is here to support you with insights, not mandates—to empower, not judge. We encourage you to use it as a tool to build visitation arrangements that reflect your child’s needs, your family’s reality, and the hope of healing and growth.

Assumptions

This guide is grounded in a few basic assumptions that may or may not reflect your family’s circumstances:

• The child benefits from safe, meaningful contact with both parents.
  
• One parent may have primary physical custody or day-to-day caregiving responsibility.
  
• Both parents are generally capable of safely and appropriately parenting.
  
• There are no current concerns involving child abuse, domestic violence, or substance use that would compromise a child’s well-being.

If any of these assumptions don’t reflect your situation, please refer to the **Special Situations** section below—or seek guidance from a trusted professional, legal advisor, or advocate.

Special Situations

There are times when standard visitation plans must be adapted—or avoided altogether—to keep children safe. This guide may not apply, or may need significant adjustment, if any of the following are true:

• Child abuse  (physical, emotional, or sexual) has occurred or is suspected.
  
• Domestic violence has taken place between parents or involving the child.
  
• A parent is experiencing substance abuse or chemical dependency.
  

In any of these cases, visitation must be approached with heightened caution, possibly under professional supervision, and always in alignment with court orders and the advice of safety professionals. Your child’s safety is paramount.

Limitations

This guide is not a court order, legal directive, or one-size-fits-all solution. Specifically:

• It does Not override existing court orders or parenting agreements.
• It does Not establish required visitation amounts or timeframes.
•  It does Not substitute for professional legal or therapeutic guidance.
•  It is Not legally binding—but it is designed to be helpful, flexible, and child-centered.