The Michigan courts find it to be of best interest that even in the case of a divorce, your children should maintain a good relationship with both parents. But when you have a mental illness, addiction, or become a present danger to the child physically, mentally, or emotionally, the courts may limit your access to your children by ordering supervised visits.
Such a situation may arise to protect your child during each visit from the non-custodial parent. Supervised visits happen in an area where the supervisor can have a full vision of the non-custodial parent and your child at all times. During this meeting between the non-custodial parent and your child, it is your child that must initiate all physical contact unless you receive approval from the Michigan Family Independence Agency.
All the conversations that the non-custodial parent has with your child should be loud enough for the supervisor to hear. There should be no discussion about abuse, living and school arrangements, custody, and any details about the other parent. All the conversation should be in a fluent language. The non-custodial parent should not give any gifts that have not gone through the approval process to the child.
The supervisor accompanying your child through the parenting times is a trained professional with an association to a state agency. The court may as well order the parenting times to take place in the presence of a therapist to help mend the relationship between the child and the parent.
This information is provided to give a general idea about the process of supervised child parenting time. You should not interpret it as legal advice.