Resources

What does supervised visitation cost?

Nationally, professional supervised visitation typically runs between roughly $40 and $120 per hour, with most metro providers landing in the $50–$90 range. Here's what drives the number — and the charges that hide behind it.

The typical fee structure

• Intake / case setup fee — usually $100–$300, one time. Covers order review, orientation, and file setup.
• Hourly rate — the headline number. Watch for different rates by setting (in-home vs. facility) or by day of week.
• Minimum visit length — commonly 2 hours. A low hourly rate with a 3-hour minimum can cost more than a higher rate with a 1-hour minimum.

Charges to ask about before signing

• Travel or mileage fees (a big one for in-home visits)
• Report-writing fees — some providers charge per report
• Weekend and evening surcharges
• Cancellation windows and no-show fees
• Fees for communication or scheduling between visits

None of these are inherently unfair, but all of them belong in writing before you commit. Our guide to choosing a provider includes the full checklist.

Who pays for supervision?

The court order usually says — costs may fall on one parent, be split evenly, or be divided in proportion to income. If your order is silent, parents can agree, or either side can ask the court to allocate costs. A provider should be able to invoice whatever arrangement your order sets, so parents never exchange money directly.

Budgeting realistically

A common schedule — one two-hour visit per week — at a $60/hour national midpoint runs about $480–$520 per month. Supervision is typically a phase, not a permanent cost: as reports accumulate, many families step down to monitored exchanges (an hour or less per week) and then to unsupervised time.

What Glowbug charges

For comparison: our rate is a flat $55/hour with a 2-hour minimum and a one-time $150 intake fee — identical in all nine metros, with no travel, report, or weekend charges. Full pricing here.