It works for grandparents and extended family members.

It also works for parents who, for whatever reason, are far away from where their kids are.

It’s virtual visitation via the internet.

Thanks to widespread high speed internet access, parents can do practically anything with their kids via web conferencing.

Look each other in the eye while talking. Play board games. Etc., etc.

It’s the next best thing to being there, in the flesh. And, in many ways, it negates the feeling of distance between parents and their kids.

Several states specifically provide for web-based visitation by statute.

Although some noncustodial parents argue it is used as a justification to deprive them of in-person access to their children, some custodial parents argue that it is so popular with the kids that it cuts into the custodial parents’ time with their kids.

Clearly, though, it well serves a valuable purpose in our mobile society, where relocation is a frequent issue.

It can also be useful in certain situations otherwise managed with supervised visitation.

Read more in this Toronto Metro News article: Virtually there – Cyberspace helps divorced parents keep in touch with kids.