How Can Non-Custodial Parent Ensure Visitation is Followed

[Kai4]

My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Arkansas

Long story short... I raised my daughter completely alone for the first 16 years of her life. She had decided to cut her father out of her life and I always made her respect and see him since he is her father. I let him set his child support (never had it raised) and always paid for half of his visitation. I also let him see her whenever he wanted (even outside of court ordered visitation). Basically, I did everything I felt was right in our situation.

My daughter and I began to have problems starting when she was 15. She was being a pretty typical teen. I was a real parent. She was grounded, scolded and restricted for incidents I won't get into. She called her father and they both persuaded me that the best option was for her to move in with him to finish the school year when she was 16. I was stupid, thinking she'd miss her sisters and I, learn her lesson and want to come back ASAP. Except her father and stepmother let her do whatever she wanted. They let her remove and block me from online accounts. They didn't make her talk to me to try to repair our relationship (as was the agreement when she left). She is allowed to have boys over in her room unsupervised, had a drinking party for her 17th birthday (no, I can't prove it but comments made to one of her best friends whose mother is a good friend of mine lend to that being true). They bought her a brand new car, brand name clothes, weekly hair and nail appointments... basically a teenage girls dream. I don't blame her for choosing that over me, a strict mother, who believes all those things need to be earned (I had bought her a car for her birthday after ensuring good grades, a part time job and clean room was met). The stepmother didn't even put me on her school paperwork and now my daughter calls her "mom". At six months with the dad and in preparation for the summer, I'd bought her a plane ticket to come back for a visit. It was my understanding that we would discuss where she wanted to live at that time. At six months and one day, and three days before she was to get on a plane they filed a restraining order so I couldn't take her out of the state of AR and filed for physical custody (we still have joint). I eventually gave in and just signed the agreement because seeing my daughter was more important than fighting over child support in court. I definitely felt visitation was held over my head in order to get me to sign... if I hadn't signed the agreement... it would have been an entire year before I saw my daughter... I know it might seem silly to some of you but I love her. She is my oldest and every day away kills me inside. I know I made a huge mistake and now I have to live with it. I won't say anything bad... I do feel it so don't think I'm a pushover... I just don't see the sense in fighting when it would probably be turned around to my daughter and alienate her even more. I am just going off the premise that I raised her for a majority of her life and that one day she will come back to that.

So now that is where I stand... court order is enacted. I pay monthly child support. And it's now the first visitation since the summer break. I'm afraid they aren't going to put her on the plane for Thanksgiving visitation. They won't answer me and confirm. The only email I got is asking me to change her return flight because it interferes with the stepmother's black Friday shopping plans. I can't because there were no other flights out of our small airport which I told them. I'm going to send another email to them requesting confirmation that she will be on the plane but doubt I will get a response as all correspondence comes from the stepmother.

Is there any way I can contact someone official in the state of Arkansas to ensure she is placed on the plane for visitation? Thank you.

[mmmagique]

I don't think so, hun. I'm sorry you're going through this. Just remember to document, document document. So when it's time to take them to court for contempt, you will be the one to "win".
Good luck.

[Dogmatique]

Respectfully, before we go down the contempt road, what EXACTLY does your agreement say about TG visitation and about who is responsible for pick up/drop off, word for word?

(Minus names & identifying info)