For the approximate 200 Westchester County children in foster care, frequent and ongoing contact with their families is critical. Visiting reduces the trauma that children experience by being separated from their families and increases their chances of living in a permanent home. Host Visitation volunteers, or Visit Hosts, are professionally trained community volunteers who support families by supervising and coaching them as they visit one another despite the separation of foster care. Using Coached Visitation, a model developed by Marty Beyer, Ph.D., Visit Hosts guide parents as they cope with their own feelings, respond to the unique needs of their children, and build on the strengths in each family. Coached visitation helps parents plan for meaningful visits in a natural and community-based environment whenever possible. 

Host Visitation is a contract service through the Westchester County Department of Social Services.

Behind the success of Greater Mental Health of New York’s Host Visitation program is a team of passionate and trained volunteers. Our Visit Hosts commit to a minimum of one year of service, undergo background checks and complete a comprehensive 15-hour training. These community volunteers dedicate their time and efforts to ensuring the well-being of children in the child welfare system through the supervision of family visits. Most of our Host Visits’ work occurs Monday through Friday during regular business hours, with supervision occasionally extending until 7 p.m. to accommodate working parents and children returning home from school and activities.