A Structured, Child-Focused Approach
FairPlay Parenting Education was established by Julia Brice in 2005, building upon decades of professional work in supervised parenting time, parent education, domestic-violence advocacy, and court-connected family services.
FairPlay operates through a team of professionally trained supervisors working under Julia Brice’s direction and within the same method, rules, guidelines, policies, and protocols. The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is familiar with the program.
FairPlay provides community-based services rather than limiting families to a visitation-center setting. Parenting time may take place in developmentally appropriate community environments such as libraries, museums, parks, recreational activities, restaurants, and other locations appropriate for the individual child and family.
The goal is not simply to have a supervisor watch a visit.
FairPlay creates a professional structure within which parents and children have the opportunity to interact naturally, develop or maintain their relationship, and spend meaningful time together.
Creating an Environment for Healthy Parent-Child Relationships
By following FairPlay’s established rules, guidelines, policies, and safety protocols, supervised parenting time takes place within a structured, predictable, and neutral environment.
This structure helps reduce adult conflict and uncertainty, allowing parents and children to focus on their time together.
Clear expectations and consistent boundaries create the conditions for positive parent-child interaction, healthy bonding, rebuilding trust, maintaining meaningful relationships, supporting families experiencing estrangement or disrupted relationships, and creating a safe space in which healthy reunification may develop.
FairPlay supervisors support this process while maintaining professional neutrality and appropriate boundaries. The goal is not to investigate, evaluate, diagnose, or determine the outcome of a family’s case, but to provide a safe and workable framework in which parents and children have the opportunity to connect.
Four Decades of Work With Families
- 1986
Family service work began
Julia Brice began a career serving children and parents through community and public agencies.
- 1994
Children’s Supervised Visitations
Julia Brice cofounded a nonprofit center providing supervised family contact and graduate student training.
- 1990s
Standards and program development
Julia Brice helped develop the Massachusetts Coalition of Supervised Visitation, contributed to practice standards, and advocated for program funding.
- 2005
FairPlay was founded
Julia Brice began providing private supervised parenting time, parent education, coaching, training, and consultation.
Clear Roles and Consistent Practice
FairPlay’s rules and guidelines give families and referring professionals a shared understanding of the supervisor’s role, visit expectations, communication, and safety planning.
Within those boundaries, supervisors support ordinary parent and child interaction in the least intrusive setting appropriate for the family and governing order.
Professional Neutrality
Supervisors support the structure and safety of parenting time without investigating, evaluating, or advocating for either parent.
Active Parenting Support
When appropriate, supervisors may provide real-time guidance, prompting, redirection, and parent education within the defined service role.
Predictable Expectations
Written protocols help families, professionals, and the Court understand the uniform framework under which services are provided.
When an issue affects parenting time, the supervisor responds proportionately, supports de-escalation, and refers to the applicable written guideline when needed.
In the Community and When Appropriate in Homes
FairPlay provides supervised parenting time in developmentally appropriate community settings and, when appropriate, in homes. Locations are selected for the individual child and family.
FairPlay may coordinate with therapists, parenting coordinators, DCF, GALs, attorneys, and other professionals while maintaining a clearly defined, nontherapeutic and nonevaluative role.
The Original FairPlay Site
Our earlier site remains available for reference and additional background.