During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Steamboat Springs, Colorado’s Advocates Against Battering and Abuse have erected human silhouettes outside the local courthouse, depicting victims of domestic violence.

The organization also started a supervised visitation and exchange program over the summer.

Where there are no specialized facilities and personnel to supervise visitation or exchanges, supervision is provided informally by therapists, family members or the general public. Unfortunately, they lack proper training to ensure compliance or safety.

The new program expects to serve 50 families in this rural area this year.

The program is open to families in need, even if they don’t have a court order. This is an improvement over many supervised visitation and exchange facilities nationwide.

That reduces options for too many families and sometimes creates unreaonably and unnecessarily high risk.

Read more in this Steamboat [Springs, CO] Pilot & Today article: Visitation program helps families.