1. Lifeworks Kids Exchange (KE) administrative business hours are Monday-Friday 10:30-4:30, by appointment only. All other hours of operation are dedicated to providing supervised visitation and supervised exchanges to families, by appointment only: Wednesday and Thursday 5-8; Friday 5-7 and Saturday and Sunday 9-7 .

2. KE's main office is located at 8913 Collinfield Drive. During the AISD school year, Exchanges are offered at our South location during standard possession times only. The address of the child receiving KE services will determine the location for service .

3. KE is closed on the following holidays: Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Day and New Years Day. Clients will be notified of other holidays that are observed with reduced hours .

4. In the event of inclement weather, KE follows the closures of AISD and/or City of Austin/Travis County office closures .

5. KE receives a high amount of phone calls daily. Clients are advised to leave a voice message and the call will be returned in the order in which it was received .

6. The only phone number answered on the weekends is 324-6888 .

8. Children may not be present during intake. This appointment covers adult information and is the time for clients to ask questions and discuss specifics. After completing the attached packet, return it to KE (fax, email, mail or drop off at front desk). An intake appointment must be made to complete the process .

9. If a party is more than 20 minutes late for an intake appointment that appointment will be cancelled. Clients that fail to show up for an intake appointment, cancel an intake appointment without at least one-hour notice or are more than 20 minutes late for an intake appointment will be charged a 30-minute case management fee, which is due prior to scheduling another appointment .

10. After both adult parties have completed intake, an intake for the child(ren) will be scheduled. This intake will allow the children to come and explore the building, toys, meet staff and ask any questions they may have. Ideally, parents will remain in the lobby while KE staff and the child tour the premises .

11. Services cannot begin until all parties have completed the intake process.

12. KE will attempt to comply with the hours specified in the court order; however the time and amount of hours for each family will depend on the availability of resources of KE. Kids Exchange may adjust the schedule at any time during services .

13. Kids Exchange follows the AISD school calendar (or the calendar of the district in which the child lives) in regards to school holidays .

14. Kids Exchange will not attempt to arrange or rearrange exchanges or supervised visits within less than two business days. Request of change is due by 5pm, two business days before scheduled visit :

15. Client information is confidential at Kids Exchange. Limits to confidentiality includ:

(a) When a client is believed to be in imminent danger to him/herself or others;

(b) When there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse, staff are obligated by law to inform the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services;

(c) When a client is also a client of the Domestic Relations Office of Travis County. (KE reports DRO client activity on a weekly basis);

(d) When records and/or testimony are requested through subpoena;

(e) When the client gives staff written permission to talk to another party;

(f) When information is requested through a representative of the court or an attorney.

16. The premises of Kids Exchange include the parking lot of the KE building and all adjacent land.

17. Before and after arrival and departure, the adult client must be 200 yards away from and out of sight of Kids Exchange. This applies to all visitors. It is the adult clients responsibility to make sure visitors understand the Kids Exchange policies.

18. KE clocks determine the correct time concerning appointments, services, lateness, late fees and cancellations.

19. To begin an exchange or visit: The visiting (non-custodial) parent will arrive at KE 15-30 minutes prior to the exchange or visit, sign in and wait in the community room. Exchanges/supervised visits will be automatically cancelled by KE if the visiting parent has not signed in by 15 minutes prior to the exchange/visit. Visiting parents are to remain in the KE community room for the 15 minutes before the child arrives. At the time the exchange/visit is to begin, the residential (custodial) parent will arrive in the Lifeworks lobby and sign child in with KE staff. Residential parents will remain in the lobby during the sign in process. KE staff will escort the children from the lobby to the community room and the residential parent will immediately leave the area. The visiting parent and child will remain in the community room for the first 15 minutes of the exchange/visit .

(a) If a residential parent is more than 15 minutes late, the exchange or visit will be cancelled and fees will be assessed to that parent as the canceling party.

(b) If a residential parent is late for the exchange/visit, that parent will be assessed a late fee of $1.00 per minute .

(c) If a residential parent is late, KE reserves the right to lengthen the exchange/visit in order to ensure the visiting parent has access to their child for the court ordered amount of time .

(d) In the rare event that both parties are present at the same time, one party (at KE's discretion) will be escorted to a different room to allow the other party to leave without direct contact.

20. Parties are to sign the children in upon arrival and sign out upon pick up.

21. For infants, the visiting party must bring bottles of milk/formula for the visit, at least 3 diapers, changing wipes and a change of clothes. KE does not keep child care supplies on hand. (SV only) .

22. KE reserves the right to limit discussion about the case with those that are specifically authorized in the court order or Rule 11 Agreement. Discussion about the case includes cancellations, schedule changes and case specifics .

23. To end an exchange or visit: Visiting parents and children will return to the community room 15-30 minutes before the exchange/visit is to end. Visiting parents and children (and supervisor, as applicable) will stay in the community room for the last 15 minutes of the exchange/visit. Residential parents will arrive in the lobby at the scheduled end time of the exchange/visit. Children will be escorted from the community room to the lobby by KE staff. Residential parents and children will immediately leave the area. Visiting parents will remain in the community room for up to 15 minutes to ensure that parents do not cross paths and will then sign out and leave .

(a) Visiting parents that are late in returning will be charged a late fine of $1.00 per minute.

24. To ensure that child(ren) have a reliable schedule, Supervised Visits and Exchanges are scheduled on a monthly basis. Requests are due to the Supervised Visitation Coordinator by noon on the 20 th of each month for the following month by phone, email, on a Note to Coordinator or by fax. Exchanges automatically are scheduled on a monthly basis according to the most recent court order .

25. The canceling party will be charged the full fee of the visit (or $40 for a missed exchange) if they fail show up for a scheduled exchange or supervised visit. A fee of $40 will be assessed if parties fail to notify Kids Exchange of cancellation by 5pm two business days prior the scheduled visit/exchange. The balance will be due prior to the next visit or exchange .

26. In order to cancel a visit due to illness, KE must be provided with written instructions signed by a physician and specifying that the visit/exchange with the other party should not occur, at least two hours before the visit. The note must contain a statement from the physician specifically stating that the visit/exchange should not occur. A statement such as “the child should not attend school or child care” will not suffice. Letters from the physician must be provided within 48 weekday hours after the cancelled visit/exchange in order to avoid a fine .

27. If it is decided that parties will not be using Kids Exchange services anymore, parties must notify KE. Parties should not depend on the court or the other party to notify KE. If KE is not notified by 5pm, two business days in advance of a scheduled visit or exchange, each party will be responsible for an equal portion of the full amount of the visit/exchange .

28. If two scheduled visits/exchanges have been missed or otherwise do not occur, the case may be taken off the schedule. If services have not been used for six months, all parties will be required to repeat the enrollment process and pay enrollment fees .

29. Behavior during Visits/Exchanges

(a) Parties are expected to be responsible for supervising the children's behavior during a visit/exchange.

(b) Parties are responsible for the essential needs of the children during a visit or exchange. KE staff do not change diapers, administer medication or feed the children .

(c) Parties are expected to set limits and discipline appropriately when needed, however physical discipline of any type (spanking, swatting, pinching or any other type of corporal punishment) is not allowed .

(d) Children should not be allowed to interfere with other visits, harm other people or property or engage in other inappropriate behaviors .

(e) Parties are expected to clean their area before moving onto another area .

30. Unless a court has prohibited specific interactions during a visit or a licensed mental health professional provides written documentation about a potential emotional or psychological threat to a child from specific interactions, adult-child interactions, which falls within KE guidelines, will be allowed. This may include activities that the custodial parent may not always approve of, but will be age appropriate .

31. In the best interest of the children, it is recommended that each parent have in their possession the items that are important to their child(ren). Items passed through KE will be passed only at the discretion of KE staff and may be limited to medications or other health related items .

32. Children that are potty trained will use the restroom privately without the visiting party. If a child needs assistance, a supervisor will remain in the restroom with the visiting party and the child. All contact between the visiting party and the children must remain supervised at all times. (SV only) .

33. Parties are expected to interact with the children in a positive and supportive manner. Any communication or behavior that is emotionally or physically threatening to the child will not be allowed. Profanity will not be allowed. Derogatory comments or comments that paint the other party or KE services in a negative light will not be allowed .

34. Time at Kids Exchange is a time to focus on play and on strengthening relationships between parent and child(ren). If a child brings up questions about living arrangements, the party should answer the questions honestly as best s/he can. Parties should avoid questioning children or making judgments about the other party. Kids Exchange reserves the right to terminate the visit when re-direction does not work. (SV only) .

35. Interrogation of the child will not be allowed. Defining interrogation is left to the discretion of KE staff and includes using the child to gather information about the other party or leading the conversation in such a manner that encourages the child to reveal information. Conversations should be natural and focused on the child's interest rather than that of the adult, and should focus on the here and now rather than on future possibilities .

36. All parties must conduct themselves in a manner that clearly demonstrates that the well being of the children is the highest priority .

37. All communication devices should be turned off prior to entering Kids Exchange. The use of cell phones or other communication devices is not allowed during visits/exchanges .

38. Discussion of the litigation, the current legal situation, or issues involving the court with the child or other adults during visits/exchanges is not permitted. This includes any discussion of potential future issues that are not currently authorized by the court, such as “when you visit me at home, “when we go to Disneyland” or “when we get to visit other family members or friends”

39. All conversations between the parties and the child must be audible to the Visit Supervisor. Unless a staff member is available who understands another language, the conversations must be in English. (SV only)

40. Gifts may be given to children with some restrictions. Please use gifts bags rather than wrapping paper. The amount of gifts given is restricted to what the child can physically carry in one trip to the other party's vehicle. Gifts may not be given with the understanding that the gift is the child's to keep “when they go home” with the visiting parent. (SV only)

41. KE reserves the right to inspect any items brought by either party prior to presentation to children or adults. Exchanging pets and personal items, as well as communication of issues that do not involve the child will not be allowed .

42. KE staff has the right to determine what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and conversation with the children. Parties are to comply with the limits set by KE staff without complaint, comment or further explanation during the visit. Parties may contact the appropriate coordinator during business hours if further explanation is needed .

43. Out of respect for the children, the children may not be inspected before or after a visit. If a party has a concern about the child's condition, the concern may be put it in writing and placed in the file .

44. Kids Exchange staff are here to observe and record the behaviors and interactions between the adults and children. The Visit Supervisor may interact when necessary at their own discretion. Neither party should initiate involvement of the Visit Supervisor in conversation or activities. (SV only)

45. Parties are not to involve KE staff in discussion disparaging the other party, providing personal information regarding the party or the other parties, getting staff to try to “take sides”, or in discussing their opinion of the court's orders .

46. Parties are not to ask personal questions of KE staff. Bartering between parties and staff is strictly prohibited.

47. During exchanges and visits, parties are not to discuss the case, litigation, concerns, complaints, questions, or the other party with KE staff or other clients.

48. Video recording or audio recording is not allowed during exchanges or visits.

(a) Photography is allowed with PRIOR approval of SVC.

(b) Parties may not photograph other adults or children in the center.

49. Smoking, illegal substances or alcohol use is not allowed at any time during exchanges or visits. Any party who appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be allowed to visit or exchange children.

50. Weapons are not allowed on Kids Exchange premises, with the exception of security guards employed by Lifeworks or the site .

51. Parties are to keep KE informed of all changes in income, attorneys, address or telephone numbers.

52. Attempting to contact KE staff outside of the center can be grounds for immediate termination of services and possible charges filed against the individual.

53. KE staff is required by law to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect. This includes physical, sexual or emotional abuse or physical neglect.

54. If a child requires medication, it is the responsibility of the parent who has custody to leave written, detailed instructions and the medication will be passed to the visiting parent by staff. Kids Exchange staff cannot administer medication to the child .

55. In order to protect the child(ren), if the court orders specify that a competent adult may pick up child(ren) from Kids Exchange, staff must be notified in advance and that person must present valid ID.

56. (SV only) Arrangements for visitors and/or off-site visits must be made in advance and cleared through the Supervised Visitation Coordinator .

(a) Off-site visits are allowed at the discretion of KE staff and are reserved for clients who are cooperative and compliant with policy .

(b) Parties are required to pay for all of the Visit Supervisor's fees (food, rides, entrance fees, etc) related to the location of the visit .

(c) There is a $5.00 fee for each approved visitor on supervised visits. There is a limit of two additional visitors per visit.

(d) Locations for off-site visits must be pre-approved through the Supervised Visitation Coordinator when scheduling the visit and may not exceed a distance of 15 miles from Kids Exchange. Locations excluded from approved sites include, but are not limited to: laser tag, swimming, movie theatres, the visiting parents residence or any private residence. KE reserves the right to change locations or activities of the visit at the discretion of the Visit Supervisor .

(e) For off-site visits, parties drive their own car with a Visit Supervisor present. Vehicles must have current auto liability, registration and inspection. Children must be secured in proper child restraint. All posted speed limits and traffic laws must be followed .

(f) For off site visits, parties are to provide a driving record for the past 3 years. This can be obtained at txdps.state.tx.us for a cost of $8.50. Records must be given to SVC prior to visits taking place off-site. KE reserves the right to limit off site visits based on the driving record information .

57. During the registration and intake process there will be time set aside to respond to any questions. All adult parties must carefully read these guidelines and ask any questions during intake .

58. After intake is complete, all concerns, questions or complaints by any party must be addressed in writing. KE staff will not be able to discuss a concern or complaint with parties or take any action until the consideration is received in writing. All written concerns, questions or complaints should be presented to the appropriate coordinator. Failure to follow this process will result in case management fees being assessed .

59. Once a complaint/concern is received in writing, KE will review and respond by phone or in writing (as appropriate) within ten business days of receipt. All concerns, questions or complaints are addressed during weekday business hours .

60. Parties may request an appointment to discuss issues other than complaints, which should be submitted in writing. Time set aside for appointments is billed at the case management rate. If a party fails to show or is more than 20 minutes late, the appointment will be cancelled and the party will incur a 30 min case management fee, which is due prior to scheduling any other appointment for the client .

61. Case management fees are charged as noted above, as well as for noncompliance with rules set forth in this document. KE staff will occasionally make courtesy calls to parties or attorneys involved in cases; however, these contacts are intended to be minimal. Any case requiring more extensive contact with parties or attorneys will also be charged case management fees for time spent interacting outside of the scheduled visit or exchange. Case management fees will be charged at a rate of $40.00 an hour rounded up to the nearest 15 minute increment. Case management fees include time spent interacting with parties and detailing noncompliance that occurred during exchanges and visits or noncompliance that occurs outside of the exchange or visit. The fee will be charged to each party that does not comply and is not part of the court ordered fees .

62. Copies of files will only be released to attorneys or pro se clients by way of subpoena. Records research (copying the file, preparing information) is charged at a rate of $50, with an additional cost of .10 per copied page. If the file is sent electrically or by fax, the .10 per page charge fee will be waived. The records research fee will be charged whether or not the file is picked up. Parties may review their chart by making an appointment with their Coordinator during administrative office hours. In order to maintain confidentiality, parties are limited to seeing only information in the chart that pertains to them. Exceptions to this include situations when the other party has given consent and/or the court order states otherwise. Parties are encouraged to keep their own documentation as well .

63. KE will only testify in court if served by subpoena. The charge for appearing in court is $100 per hour, including all travel time to and from the court. A nonrefundable minimum of $100.00 is due by close of KE business the day prior to the scheduled court appearance. The fee applies for each court visit, whether or not testimony actually takes place. Subpoenas may be served in person or by fax. Testimony will only reflect the content of the chart. KE staff are not allowed to give opinion on custody, access or parenting skills .

64. Exchange fees are charged on a monthly basis and due by the 5 th of each month. Supervised Visitation fees are charged at an hourly rate and are due at the time of service. Services may be suspended for non-payment . A late charge of $25 will be added to the balance for each month of carry over .

65. Acceptable forms of payment includes: cash, money order, VISA, Master Card, American Express, personal check. In the event that the bank returns a personal check, the party will incur a $25 returned check fee, in addition to the amount of the check, and will no longer be able to pay with personal checks .

66. If paying by cash, parties are to bring exact change.

67. Kids Exchange has the right to terminate individual sessions and suspend or cease future services for any reason deemed necessary, including:

(a) If ongoing contact appears to be too stressful or traumatic for the child

(b) If KE determines that staff cannot effectively address safety or other issues involved in a particular case

(c) The case places an undue demand on KE resources

(d) One or both of the parties have failed to comply with these guidelines

(e) A party harasses (yelling at staff, using profanity, attempting to intimidate) or threatens staff.

68. These guidelines are not all encompassing. Additional guidelines may be appropriate for individual cases.

69. The most important guideline to remember is that parties are expected to comply with directives of Kids Exchange staff. Although parties may not understand why an instruction is given or agree with the instruction, the time to address questions and concerns is not during a visit or exchange. In certain situations there may be changes to routine operations in order to accommodate unusual or unforeseen events. Kids Exchange is serving many families at any given time and compliance with the guidelines outlined herein will enhance services for everyone .