Family Services Program

Nataly Jimenez
Family Support Services Coordinator
(410) 996-1157

Family Support Services
Circuit Court for Cecil County
129 East Main Street
Elkton, Maryland 21921

The following services and programs are available to the Circuit Court for Cecil County:

Parenting Classes
6 Hour Online Co-Parenting/Divorce
(for specific pricing, please reach out to FSS for discount codes)
For divorcing, separated or never married parents who have been recommended to attend a co-parenting class. Focus is on the children, as parents learn skills to avoid common mistakes and effectively work together with their co-parent.

12 Hour Online Parenting w/out Conflict
(for specific pricing, please reach out to FSS for discount codes)
Skills-based co-parenting course designed by Bill Eddy, for potentially high-conflict families during separation or divorce. These skills help parents protect their children from conflict as their family reorganizes in new ways.

12 Hour Online Parenting Skills
(for specific pricing, please reach out to FSS for discount codes)
Provides parents a foundational understanding of basic parenting skills in order to raise children from infancy to adulthood. Three class options; Ages 0-5, 5-13, and 13-18.

Registration: https://md.onlineparentingprograms.com/

Mediation 
Custody and Visitation Mediation assists parents and/or guardians to reach agreements, define issues and improve communication regarding the care and parenting of children. Parties can participate in mediation voluntarily or by court order. The mediator is a third- party neutral who can assist in parties in developing a parenting plan. Property and Financial mediation can also be done on a voluntary basis.

Custody Evaluation
An evaluation may be ordered to assess the family with the intention of assisting the court with information obtained through the evaluation which provides narrative of the family history and recommendations to the court as to what is in the best interest of the children. The evaluations are performed by licensed clinical social workers and forensic psychologists. Families are given the opportunity to utilize the evaluation to assist with developing their own parenting plan, or the information may be provided to the court in assisting with the determination of a disputed custody case.

Psychological Evaluations/Substance Abuse Evaluations
Individuals requiring a psychological are referred to a licensed forensic psychologist. Individuals requiring a substance abuse evaluation are referred to the Cecil County Health Department or private providers in the community. Substance abuse is also addressed through random drug testing and hair follicle testing by court order.

Therapeutic Visitation 
The main goal of therapeutic reunification therapy is to reintroduce a parent (or parents) back into a child’s life in a safe, controlled, and therapeutic manner. The process of reunification therapy can be a very long one, but it designed to ensure a safe environment for the children and parents involved to create a new and secure bond with one another under the close supervision of a clinician. The most important idea of reunification therapy is the long-term goal of reconnecting the parent and child for a long-lasting bond.

Parenting Coordination
Parenting Coordination is used for cases in which the family is either high conflict or needs frequent intervention. The case is assigned to a monitor/coordinator to assist the parents for a period of (6) six months and up to (2) two years to resolving problems outside of court; as it relates to the best interest of their children. 

Community Supervised Visitation/Visitation Center
Supervised Visitation refers to contact between a non-custodial parent and one or more children in the presence of a neutral third person responsible for observing and seeking to ensure the safety of those involved. These supervised visitations will occur in the community which can include the non-custodial parent’s home or any child-friendly location.  Community supervised provides a less restrictive environment whereby families in the program are given the opportunity to experience cultural and community-based family events to enhance the quality of the parent/child supervised visits.
Holcomb Visitation Center is a place for parents and children to visit that is safe, relaxed, and non-conflict oriented. Parents can spend time constructively and enjoy their time together. The visitation center is open limited evenings and weekends. The center also provides supervised exchanges between parents needing assistance in exchanging the minor child/children from one parent to the other.

Family Law Assistance
An attorney is available at our Family Law Clinic to provided legal assistance with forms and advice to individuals who are income eligible and are unable to afford an attorney. This service is provided in room 205 in the Circuit Court. See days/hours of operation.