Safe Harbor was originally created by a man who struggled with finding a suitable location for supervised visits with his own child. At the time, the system was not favorable towards fathers, and he saw an opportunity to provide support to other fathers in similar situations. Amid his situation, he created Safe Harbor and used it as an outlet to connect other children with their parents providing a safe and fun place to enjoy time together.
Carol Dvoor, President/Director, grew up in Flemington NJ. Carol started out as a special education teacher and spent 30 years as an advocate for those that had experienced physical and sexual abuse. As Carols passion grew, so did her heart. In 2017 Carol took over Safe Harbor as her own Non-Profit organization.
From there, Safe Harbor flourished. The program expanded into multiple programs in efforts to help their community while still staying rooted to the original focus which is child & parent. Safe Harbor is contracted with courts serving Warren, Somerset, and Hunterdon Counties. They serve anyone who is looking to come to their center. People come from as far as California to use Safe Harbor as a space to see their children. The center is designed to be trauma sensitive and has designated play areas, a Zen room, and an outdoor space.
Open 7 days a week, supervised visits are hosted evenings and weekends to accommodate work and school schedules. Safe harbor provides many different opportunities to meet the needs of the families and children they serve.
Since 2020, teen suicides have spiked due to the pandemic; Safe Harbor then created a teen group offering an outlet to youth struggling with issues at home and school. It soon became a space to play games, be with other teens, and proved someone to talk to. The program hosts several events on teen mental health awareness that highlights participant talents using games and other activities with a purpose and goal. They listen to their community and provide support to them in any way they can help.
The men’s support group started out with an attorney and financial planner for men that were going through various stages of divorce and the challenges of emotions that come from being only weekend dads. Supporting each other mentally along the way and using Safe Harbor as a safe space to meet without judgement significantly built confidence in their ability to build strong relationships with their children.
Safe Harbor goes all out for their community, hosting Friday Fun Nights. It is open to anyone and offers multiple activities set up for the community to enjoy and engage together throughout the center and invites you to come to the center to see all that they do. Safe Harbor hosts several themed events such as Salsa night and Farm events that are geared towards domestic violence and mental health. Several nights a week volunteers offer classes for Spanish speaking community members to learn English and provide childcare while the parents learn. Drop-in sessions are offered to mothers that come with their children and baby wipes and diapers are offered to mothers in need.
Most of Safe Harbor’s programming is free and aims to have additional space to do even more for their community in the future. If you would like to donate or volunteer with Safe Harbor, please reach out to them directly. We thank Safe Harbor for this interview and all that they are doing for their community!
Safe Harbor Child Access Centers
171 Main Street 2nd Floor, Flemington, NJ 08822
908-278-4284
Safeharbor17info@gmail.com
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