Harmony House Opens Its Doors
JAMESTOWN, NC—Harmony House, a new supervised visitation program at Family Service of the Piedmont, celebrated its Grand Opening on October 13. Harmony House is designed to provide separated families with a safe, child-friendly environment for supervised visitations and exchanges. The program’s main goal is to protect children from witnessing or being caught in the emotionally and/or physically abusive relationships of their separated parents. The program will also help partners who have escaped domestic violence be protected from further violence when complying with court-ordered visitations or exchanges for their children with their separated partner.
Only families who are referred by the Guilford County Courts or Guilford County Department of Social Services can qualify for services at Harmony House. The program is located at the agency’s Jamestown facility, adjacent to the Ragsdale YMCA.
With the aid of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy providing security detail during operating hours, well-trained professionals will connect children with their separated parents while protecting the custodial parent from interacting with their former partner (in many cases their former abuser). These professionals will facilitate the visitations and exchanges in a home-like setting where negative talk about the child or custodial parent will not be tolerated. The supervising staff will also draft notes about the visits to assist the courts and Department of Social Services staff in making future decisions about the best interests of the children.
The concept for Harmony House in Guilford County began as an offshoot committee of the High Point Children’s Cabinet in 2003. Family Service of the Piedmont has been involved in this committee since its inception, and in 2005 the agency agreed to pursue funding to launch the program. The Governor’s Crime Commission and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro have provided startup funding and allowed Family Service to open Harmony House.
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