Access and Visitation (AV) Program
Who does the AV Program help?
If you are a non-custodial parent in Tennessee who wants to build or maintain a relationship with your child but are experiencing barriers to visitation, the Access and Visitation Program may be able to help. We offer free services to parents who have never been married to each other, helping them focus on the best interests of their child(ren) by developing a visitation or parenting time schedule through voluntary agreement or court order.
How does the AV Program help?
- Drafting Parenting Plans
- Linkage to legal services as needed
- Identify community partners and support resources for successful co-parenting
- Gain access to mediation services
- Connection to Non-Therapeutic counseling support for parents and families
- Assistance with making supervised visitation arrangements
- Coordination with juvenile courts and child support services
What happens when the AV Program helps?
AV Program participants…
- Establish safe, stable visitation arrangements with their children.
- Develop clear, workable parenting plans that serve the best interests of their children.
- Strengthen parent-child bonds and family relationships.
- Navigate the child support and court systems more effectively.
- Connect with community resources that support healthy co-parenting.
- Create positive pathways for ongoing involvement in their children’s lives.
Children benefit when both parents are actively and appropriately involved in their lives. However, establishing and maintaining visitation can be challenging for never-married parents navigating the child support and court systems. In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the communities we serve, the Access and Visitation Program provides comprehensive, trauma-informed services to help non-custodial parent.
Service Areas
The AV Program serves parents across Tennessee.
For more information about the Access and Visitation Program or to access services, please contact:
By Email: accessandvisitation@utk.edu
AV Information Hotline (Monday through Friday 8AM—5PM): (865) 722-3226
Jodi Sprayberry
Additional Resources
Family Champion online Chatbot
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please:
- Call 911 if you are in an immediate life-threatening emergency.
- Please contact the 24/7 State-Wide Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-356-6767 for counseling and information about shelter and other support services near you.
- You may also visit the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence at www.tncoalition.org
- Any incidences of child abuse/neglect should be reported to the 24/7 Tennessee Child Abuse Hotline at 1-877-237-0004.
The Access and Visitation Program is funded through a grant from the Tennessee Department of Human Services in partnership with the federal Office of Child Support Services.
