Transcript Visitation NM - Court Improvement Training Academy

Visits:
Planned, Purposeful and
Progressive
Rose Wentz
[email protected]
206 323-4394
Definition of Visits
All types of visits (birth parents, siblings,
extended families, even pets)
 All types of contact (face to face, phone,
letters) and all levels of supervision

 Unsupervised
 Observed/Monitored
 Supervised
 Therapeutic
Federal Laws

Adoption and Safe Families Act
 Visits
are an indicator that the ASFA reviews
have shown to improve the outcomes for
children
Permanency
 Safety
 Well-Being


Visits has been legally defined to be
required to meet Reasonable/Active
Efforts through appellate court decisions
The primary purpose of Visits are?
A.
B.
C.
D.
To assess a parent’s ability to safely
parent their child;
To meet the child’s developmental needs;
To be an incentive to encourage the
parent to attend treatment;
To determine the final permanency plan.
Goal of Visits
 The visit allows the child to be safe and
that it is held in the most natural and
home-like location possible.
 Children and parents may feel discomfort
before, during or after a visit. A child should not
be traumatized by visits.
 In some cases “visits” that do
 not require face to face contact
 may be necessary to ensure
 the child’s safety.
Children are more resilient
when they have multiple
healthy connections.
Resiliency is the key to
surviving trauma.
Research





Visits are associated with shorter placements
and higher rates of reunification
Worker contact with parents increases their
participation in visits
Worker encouragement of parent and non-office
locations increase parental attendance
Child’s reactions are the NORM
Regularly scheduled visits increase parental
attendance
Research
Visits cause parents, caregivers and
workers to face their issues and thereby
adults often have reactions to visits
 Be sure adult reactions/conflicts do not
interfere with visits
 It is rare that having NO contact with a
parent is in the best interest of a child
 Children will have contact with parents
even after adoption or years of separation

Best Practice Standards












Written – case records and court orders
Include all parties in the planning
Make the visit as normal as possible
Consistency in location, time, place, people involved
Within 48 hours of initial placement
Phone call shortly after initial removal
Homelike location
At least weekly
At least one hour in length
Overnight visits before returning a child home
Sibling visits must occur regularly if not living together
Caseworker observers at least one visit each month
Four Steps to Developing a
Planned, Purposeful and Progressive
Visitation Plan
Child Development and Parenting Skills
Type of Abuse or Abuse
1.
2.
•
3.
Level of Supervision
Time in Care (Concurrent Planning)
Initial Placement
2. Reasonable Efforts
3. Final Permanency Decision
4. Post Permanency
1.
4.
Other Factors
Child Development
Step One
• The FIRST and PRIMARY purpose is to meet the
child’s needs.
• Children have many different types of
developmental needs: educational, emotional,
medical, moral, social and cultural.
• If meeting the needs of the adults is in conflict
always use the child’s need to determine your plan.
• Over 50% of children in foster care have
developmental delays.
• The goal is to help a child move towards the next
developmental milestones.
• All children are initially traumatized by the
separation from his/her parent. Visits should help a
child handle the trauma and catch up on delays.
Frequency, Activities, Locations,
and Items for a visit
From the
• How frequently should a child of child’s
this age visit with his/her parent?
perspective
• List the activities that can occur
that will enhance parent/child
attachment
• List the locations that the visits
can occur. What location would
be best?
• List activities that can occur when
face to face visits are not possible
• List things the child may want to
bring or have at a visit
(transitional object)
Child Development - Infancy
Trust vs. Mistrust Stage






Do not understand change
Attachment is critical
Communication limited
Interferes with development
Adults must cope for child
Separation is immediate and
permanent
Child Development - Toddler
Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt
Stage
Regression and Fear
 They control the world
 Forms attachments to others
 Adults must cope for the child
 May see foster care as punishment
 Must be helped to learn new home
 Days = permanency

Child Development - Preschooler
Identify and Power Stage






Magical thinking
Does not understand cause
and effect
Forms attachments to adults
and other children
Needs help coping
Self blame – Acting Out Fears
Weeks = permanency
Child Development – School Age
Industry versus
Inferiority Stage
A concrete world
 Months are permanent
 Self esteem tied to
family
 Foster child is “different”
 Compare parents
 Friends are important
 Perception may be
distorted
 Needs to know “rules”

Child Development - Adolescent
Identify versus Identify
Diffusion Stage
Adult understanding
 Decision making
 Adults as role models
 Emotional and body changes
 Moral development
 Future, emancipation
 Ambivalence about family
 Help with conflicts

Attachment and Bonds


Secure attachment: an exclusive attachment made between children
and their contingent, sensitive caregivers, who provide nurture,
comfort, buffering, shared exploration, and help. Parents represent a
secure base for exploration.
Examples of secure attachment from a child’s point of view are:
• My parents come back. They are reliable.
• I can depend on my parents and people whom they entrust to educate and
spend time with me.
• I want to please my parents most of the time.
• I am rewarded for being competent, for my curiosity, and for my positive
states.
• I can get help with psychologically overwhelming events and feelings.
• Parents teach me how to cope with problems and to solve them.
• Intimacy is enjoyable.

Bonds: Close relationships which tend to be formed with teachers,
friends, and others who have shared experiences and emotions.
(Gray, 2007)
Attachment and Bonding
Arousal
Relaxation
Cycle
Child feels
discomfort
Child expresses
discomfort
Child feels
comfortable
Parent comforts
child (need is
met)
Ways to Encourage Attachment

Responding to Arousal/Relaxation Cycle





Initiating Positive Interaction







Using child’s tantrum to encourage attachment
Responding to child when he is physically ill
Helping child express and cope with feelings
Share child’s excitement about her achievement
Making affectionate overtures; hugs, kisses, physical closeness
Reading and playing games with the child
Helping child with homework
Going to fun events together
Saying, “I love you”
Teaching the child about extended family and culture
Claiming Behaviors





Encouraging the child to call parents “mom” and “dad”
Hanging pictures of child in the house
Including child in family rituals
Buying clothes
Involving in religious or rite of passage events
Children’s Reaction to
Grief and Loss
 Separation
is always traumatic
 Child’s reaction will vary according to her
current attachments
 Uncertainty hampers a child’s ability to
cope
 Children who are in trauma stop or regress
on their developmental tasks
 There are no set patterns of reactions
 Yearning is a dominate characteristic
Stages of Grief and Loss
 Shock
 Denial
 Anger
 Protest
 Bargaining
 Depression
 Resolution
Elements of a Visitation Plan
Purpose
Frequency
Length
Location
Who attends
Activities
Supervision
Responsibilities
What to have at the visits
Impact of Separation Chart
S
C
H
O
O
L
Issue
Implications
Visit planning strategies

The child will
compare one parent
to another.



The child can
develop new
attachments and
turn to adults to
meet his/her needs.


A
G
E






The child may talk about what the
“other” parent does or does not do.
Child will have
intense emotions
and may not know
how to handle them.

The loss of siblings,
peer group and
friends may be
almost as traumatic
as the loss of
parents.




Child will call caregivers mom and
dad.
If given permission, the child may
be able to establish relationships
with caregivers without feeling
disloyal to own parents.
Child may bond with other children
she who are a part of the new
family.

Anger, sometimes quite intense, is
expressed as both an honest
reaction to what is happening to
him/her and as an externalizing
attempt to cope with his/her pain,
sadness, and helplessness.

Making new friends may be
difficult.
The child may be embarrassed
and self-conscious about “foster
child” status.
Children who lose too many
relationships may refuse to form
new friendships.
Keep siblings together whenever
possible.











Let the parent know that this is normal.
Let the child talk about without assuming that he prefers
one person over the other.
Never talk negatively about the other parent/caregiver.
Don’t push a child to provide information about the other
parent(s).
Allow the child to determine what names/titles are used;
what to call foster parents, step-parents, other children in
the home, etc.
Prepare the parent for this normal reaction and that this
shows that the child is healthy and normal.
Adults should give positive support of each other’s role.
Disagreements should be handled without placing the
child in the middle.
Keep child in contact with caregivers and others in the
home when the child moves to another home.
Allow the child ways to express her emotions in a safe
manner.
Let her know it is OK to have these emotions.
Parent should admit to things he/she did that lead to the
child having these feelings. Do not be defensive or tell
child not to feel that way.
When possible allow the child to attend the same school.
If not possible, ensure the child can maintain contact with
friends.
Encourage the child to make friends but acknowledge to
the child that it is normal to be afraid that this may cause
more lose.
Have the child get involved in activities and hobbies.
Parents and caregivers work to maintain these
connections.
Have the child develop a scrapbook to save pictures,
Developing a Visitation Plan
Child Development/
Parenting skills
Purpose
Frequency
Length
Location
Activities
Supervision level
Who attends
Responsibilities
What to have at visit
Documentation
Type of Abuse
Time in Care
Other Factors
Othe
Child Development/
Parenting skills
INFANTS
Purpose
Meet child’s
developmental needs
and maintain
connections
Frequency
Length
2 to 5 per week
Long enough for parent to feed,
change diapers, play – 60
minutes minimum
Meets child schedule
Location
Home or homelike environment
Allows for caring of baby
Have items that calms baby;
blanket, pacifier, toy
Community, doctor appts.
Activities
Parent meets child’s needs;
crying, eating, sleeping
Play on floor or eye level
Music, read book, talk to baby
Bonding activities
Supervision level
Lack of communication and self
protection means that
supervision level should be
higher than same situation with
older children.
Who attends
Birth parents & siblings together
or separate,
Other key people with emotional
attachment
Responsibilities
What to have at visit
Bring food, toys, diapers and
comfort items.
Have adult who child feels safe
with (could be foster parent)
help with all transitions.
Documentation
Normal documentation
Do not allow parents to talk to
supervisor of visit during the
visit – focus on the baby
TYPE OF
ABUSE
.
.
TIME IN CARE
Other Factors
Progressive Visitation
 Visits usually start as supervised visits with many restrictions on
location, activities, etc.
 When the parent and child are successfully interacting during
visits, the plan should allow for ONE element to be changed at a
time. Example: Lengthen the visit or change the location of the
visit. Do not change both at the same time.
 The goal is to slowly increase the parent’s responsibility and
move towards unsupervised visits in the parent’s home while
safely testing the parent’s ability.
 One change allows for accurate assessment of success or
failure. The goal is to always have a safe and successful visit
for the child.
 When there is a failure or repeated problems go back to the last
success visit plan and determine what will make the visit more
successful. Try to only change one element at a time even when
there has been a problem.
Reward and Punishment
 Visits are NEVER to be used as a reward or punishment
for the parent or the child.
 Research shows that doing this does not lead to parents
attending treatment.
 Children will get the message that relationships are based on
having good behaviors and thereby are conditional.
 This includes things like:
 If you are clean and sober (pass UA) then you get to have a visit.
 If you follow the rules of the house you get to have a visit.
 When you complete your treatment you will get to have more
visits.
 If you make your husband move out of the house then you can
have unsupervised visits.
 Visitation plans are based on behaviors AT the visit!
Roles and Responsibilities
BIRTH PARENT
SOCIAL WORKER - person
responsible to develop plan
CAREGIVER OF CHILD
CHILD/YOUTH
SUPERVISOR OF VISIT
TRANSPORTER
Back of
Visitation
Plan Matrix
TIMES
Before
During
After
CherRita
Listen to her experience as it relates to her
having visits and contact with her family.
What could have been done to make her
experience better and to maintain her
connections with her birth family?
Types of Abuse – Step Two
Pages 18




The second purpose of visits is to provide the
parents with an opportunity to learn new
parenting skills or demonstrate safe parenting
skills. – REASONABLE/ACTIVE EFFORTS
Legal requirements
Skills can be taught during visits or be learned
from service providers, family or community.
Visits are one of the few ways of assessing the
parent’s FUTURE protective capacities.
The case plan must state the minimum
sufficient level of care.
Levels of Supervision – all cases
A continuum to ensure safety while allowing the
most normal family interactions possible.
FACTORS IN MAKING THE DECISION

Age of child (ability of the child to self protect)

Type of abuse that the child experienced

Parent’s history of family violence

Potential for abduction of the child

Emotional reactions of the child

Where the visit will occur

Who will be at the visit

Progress parent is making to improve parenting skills

Parental issues such as addiction and mental illness
Have agreed upon community Definitions for the levels of
supervision.
Therapeutic Visits
Professional conducts visit to address
clinical needs
 Sex abuse and extreme forms of
other abuse
 Parent who is rejecting the child
 Child who has extreme fear of
parent
 Teaching medical or therapeutic
care of child
Supervised Visits
Trained person is within sight and
sound of child
If the parent is:
 Abusive during visits
 Inappropriate behaviors by parent
 Parent who has not started treatment
When child is:
 Afraid of parent
Observed Visits
An objective party is involved or
location provides protection
 Parent is in treatment but has
not completed his/her
program
 Child expressing discomfort
about being left alone
 Parent had consistently meet
standards during supervised
visits
Unsupervised Visits
No or limited controls needed
 Parent has consistently meet
standards during observed visits
 Parent has made progress in
treatment program and/or has a
safety plan
 Child has a safety plan
 Unplanned drop-ins might occur
Purpose
Child Development/
Parenting skills
INFANTS
Type of Abuse
NEGLECT
Time in Care
REASONABLE
EFFORTS
1 TO 12 MONTHS*
Other Factors
FAMILY CULTURE
Other Factors
DRUG ADDICTION
Frequency
Length
Meet child’s
developmental needs
and maintain
connections
Assess, observe and
teach safe parenting
skills
Teach parenting skills
and observe improved
parenting
Maintain and
strengthen child’s
connection with
culture, tradition and
religion
Protect child from
inappropriate or
unsafe parenting
Location
2 to 5 per week
Long enough for parent to
feed, change diapers, play –
60 minutes minimum
Meets child schedule
Long enough to practice
parenting skills, usually this
will take more than 1 hour
Increase time with increased
skills of parents
At least once a week
At least one hour
Increasing in length and
frequency as family gets
closer to reunification
If child does not have contact
with cultural community
through parent visits or
caregiver this type of “visit”
should be added to case plan
As soon as possible – do n
wait until parent is in
treatment to begin visits.
At time of day parent is lea
likely to be intoxicated.
Activities
Home or homelike
environment
Allows for caring of baby
Have items that calms baby;
blanket, pacifier, toy
Community, doctor appts.
Optimal: In parent’s home
unless the location is unsafe.
Home like environment;
foster or relative home,
home-center
Birth family home whenever
possible or home of relative
and foster parents
Community locations
Agency office least desirable
In family or relative’s home
In community locations with
cultural significance
In language of the family
Neutral location where dru
would not be available – a
homelike as possible
Supervision level
Parent meets child’s needs;
crying, eating, sleeping
Play on floor or eye level
Music, read book, talk to
baby
Bonding activities
Practice the skills that lead to
neglect; feeding, supervision,
preparing for school,
Learn to understand child’s
needs and feelings
Modeling/teaching of
parenting skills
Reactions to visits should be
decreasing
Sharing family history, stories
Teaching family traditions;
holidays, cooking, games,
hobbies
Religious events and learning
Bonding and attachment
activities especially for you
children.
Later activities that maybe
triggers for parent.
Who
attends
Lack of communication and
self protection means that
supervision level should be
higher than same situation
with older children.
Depends on level of neglect.
Severe neglect requires high
level of supervision until
parent demonstrates
improved skills
Usually monitoring is enough
Decreasing level of
supervision as parenting
skills increase, level may
vary depending on who
attends
Use family and people the
family knows whenever
possible to supervise visits
and teach parenting skills,
that person can speak the
family’s language
Therapeutic or supervision
until treatment counselor
approves
UA does NOT indicate the
level of safety or whether a
visit should occur
Responsib
ilities
What to
have at
visit
Birth parents & siblings
together or separate,
Other key people with
emotional attachment
Birth parent(s) or others in
caregiver role, siblings
Later include entire family
doing normal family activities
All the people the child would
live with if reunification
occurs.
Sibling even if the child will
not live with him/her,
extended family
Non-custodial parents
Parents, siblings, extended
family, fictive kin, anyone the
family identifies as important
in the child’s life
Non-addicted parent can b
observer of visit if he/she
shows ability to make safe
decisions
Have a safety plan
Document
ation
Bring food, toys, diapers and
comfort items.
Have adult who child feels
Bring items to practice
parenting skills; cooking,
homework, toys, bathing,
Social worker should observe
visit at least once every 2
months
Bring information, pictures,
reading materials, and other
items to teach family culture
No drugs or alcohol
Set clear rules and enforce
them – Relapse plan
Initial Placement
First Day to 30 days in care








Do a visit ASAP no later than 48 hours
Placement should not feel like a punishment
Expect reactions
Confirm that each other is OK
Bring child’s belongings
Supervised
In family home
Do not forget fathers, siblings, and others child
have an emotional attachment
Reasonable Efforts
2 months to 12 months







Child placed with Resource Family –
relationship between families
Teaching and demonstrating parenting skills –
based on type of abuse
Decreasing supervision
Increasing length and parenting responsibility
Behavior/reactions should be decreasing
Change ONE item at a time
Observation and feedback from Social Worker
– 2X monthly
Final Permanency Decision
12 to 15 months







Overnight if reunification
Limiting if adoption/guardianship
Connections NEVER stop
Reactions to permanent plan may occur
Relationship between families so connections
can continue
Prepare child if he must say “Good-bye”
Maintain connections with siblings, friends,
school, ethnic group, religion
Post Permanency
From PP through Life







Child want us to help them maintain
connections
Children will look for lost family - and often
move in
Siblings is most critical group
Right to know family and history
Help the adults handle their
uncomfortableness
Life books
Complete information in case record and with
child’s legal family
Purpose
Child Development/
Parenting skills
INFANTS
Type of Abuse
NEGLECT
Time in Care
REASONABLE
EFFORTS
1 TO 12 MONTHS*
Other Factors
FAMILY CULTURE
Other Factors
DRUG ADDICTION
Frequency
Length
Meet child’s
developmental needs
and maintain
connections
Assess, observe and
teach safe parenting
skills
Teach parenting skills
and observe improved
parenting
Maintain and
strengthen child’s
connection with
culture, tradition and
religion
Protect child from
inappropriate or
unsafe parenting
Location
2 to 5 per week
Long enough for parent to
feed, change diapers, play –
60 minutes minimum
Meets child schedule
Long enough to practice
parenting skills, usually this
will take more than 1 hour
Increase time with increased
skills of parents
At least once a week
At least one hour
Increasing in length and
frequency as family gets
closer to reunification
If child does not have contact
with cultural community
through parent visits or
caregiver this type of “visit”
should be added to case plan
As soon as possible – do n
wait until parent is in
treatment to begin visits.
At time of day parent is lea
likely to be intoxicated.
Activities
Home or homelike
environment
Allows for caring of baby
Have items that calms baby;
blanket, pacifier, toy
Community, doctor appts.
Optimal: In parent’s home
unless the location is unsafe.
Home like environment;
foster or relative home,
home-center
Birth family home whenever
possible or home of relative
and foster parents
Community locations
Agency office least desirable
In family or relative’s home
In community locations with
cultural significance
In language of the family
Neutral location where dru
would not be available – a
homelike as possible
Supervision level
Parent meets child’s needs;
crying, eating, sleeping
Play on floor or eye level
Music, read book, talk to
baby
Bonding activities
Practice the skills that lead to
neglect; feeding, supervision,
preparing for school,
Learn to understand child’s
needs and feelings
Modeling/teaching of
parenting skills
Reactions to visits should be
decreasing
Sharing family history, stories
Teaching family traditions;
holidays, cooking, games,
hobbies
Religious events and learning
Bonding and attachment
activities especially for you
children.
Later activities that maybe
triggers for parent.
Who
attends
Lack of communication and
self protection means that
supervision level should be
higher than same situation
with older children.
Depends on level of neglect.
Severe neglect requires high
level of supervision until
parent demonstrates
improved skills
Usually monitoring is enough
Decreasing level of
supervision as parenting
skills increase, level may
vary depending on who
attends
Use family and people the
family knows whenever
possible to supervise visits
and teach parenting skills,
that person can speak the
family’s language
Therapeutic or supervision
until treatment counselor
approves
UA does NOT indicate the
level of safety or whether a
visit should occur
Responsib
ilities
What to
have at
visit
Birth parents & siblings
together or separate,
Other key people with
emotional attachment
Birth parent(s) or others in
caregiver role, siblings
Later include entire family
doing normal family activities
All the people the child would
live with if reunification
occurs.
Sibling even if the child will
not live with him/her,
extended family
Non-custodial parents
Parents, siblings, extended
family, fictive kin, anyone the
family identifies as important
in the child’s life
Non-addicted parent can b
observer of visit if he/she
shows ability to make safe
decisions
Have a safety plan
Document
ation
Bring food, toys, diapers and
comfort items.
Have adult who child feels
Bring items to practice
parenting skills; cooking,
homework, toys, bathing,
Social worker should observe
visit at least once every 2
months
Bring information, pictures,
reading materials, and other
items to teach family culture
No drugs or alcohol
Set clear rules and enforce
them – Relapse plan
Culturally appropriate visits





All Families have a culture
Children cannot be raised in a culturally neutral
manner
Ask the family about their culture and family values
There are many different and successful ways to
raise a child
What is something that can be done by
a parent on a visit to teach a child their
family’s culture?
Domestic Violence




Children are impacted by domestic violence even if
they do not suffer direct physical harm
Children suffer brain trauma by living in a family that
has domestic violence
Professionals must be careful not to blame the
victim parent or punish the parent for not leaving
his/her battering partner
Special safety precautions must be implemented in
these cases
Children of Incarcerated and
Hospitalized Parents



These children have the need and right to
visit their parents.
Visits should not be limited, restricted or nonexistent just because of the parent’s living
situation.
Children need to maintain and/or resolve their
relationship with this parent, even if the
parent will be in prison for years or may never
be able to care for the child.
How To Have A Safe Visit With
Addicted Parents
Have a visitation plan that specifically addresses
what is allowed and not allowed.







List behaviors that are unsafe or not allowed
State the process of what will occur if parent violates
visitation rules
Safety plan - Have a method for the parent to ask for
help or ask questions that does not embarrass the
parent in front of their child. This plan would include:
resources for the addicted parent to call for help at
any time,
resources for an older child to call for help if the
parent is not providing safe care, and
family and community members who regularly
check on the well-being of the parent and child.
ADDICTION




The level of supervision is related to safety and NOT to
the progress of drug treatment!
Parents who are sober and/or have completed drug
treatment but who cannot maintain safe parenting
during visits should NOT be allowed to have their visits
progress towards reunification.
Recovery can occur without formal addiction
treatment.
Parents who have not completed treatment but
consistently maintain sobriety should not be denied a
chance to reunify.
Mental Illness

Work with parent and therapist to
determine how the parent’s illness might
impact visits:





Indicators of problems
Medication – how it may affect parent
Treatment plan
Safety plan for parent and child
Older child should be informed of illness
Special Needs of Child





Obtain full evaluation of children
Work with treatment provider to determine the
child’s developmental age
Develop a plan to help the caregivers help the child
achieve developmental milestones
Have the parent involved in treatment and decisions
Use the child’s true developmental age when
developing the visitation plan
Non-Abusive Parent




What are your fears about this parent?
List an issue on a post it note.
Pass the note to the next table.
What would you do to address those fears?
Special Needs of Parent





Work with parent and treatment provider to learn about the
parent’s ability
Develop a visitation plan that allows the parent to truly be
involved
Ensure that services to the parent will enable him to develop new
skills (parenting classes in correct language)
Older children should be informed of their parent’s special need
Help parent develop a support system that will ensure safe
parenting if the child is returned
Purpose
Child Development/
Parenting skills
INFANTS
Type of Abuse
NEGLECT
Time in Care
REASONABLE
EFFORTS
1 TO 12 MONTHS*
Other Factors
FAMILY CULTURE
Other Factors
DRUG ADDICTION
Frequency
Length
Meet child’s
developmental needs
and maintain
connections
Assess, observe and
teach safe parenting
skills
Teach parenting skills
and observe improved
parenting
Maintain and
strengthen child’s
connection with
culture, tradition and
religion
Protect child from
inappropriate or
unsafe parenting
Location
2 to 5 per week
Long enough for parent to
feed, change diapers, play –
60 minutes minimum
Meets child schedule
Long enough to practice
parenting skills, usually this
will take more than 1 hour
Increase time with increased
skills of parents
At least once a week
At least one hour
Increasing in length and
frequency as family gets
closer to reunification
If child does not have contact
with cultural community
through parent visits or
caregiver this type of “visit”
should be added to case plan
As soon as possible – do n
wait until parent is in
treatment to begin visits.
At time of day parent is lea
likely to be intoxicated.
Activities
Home or homelike
environment
Allows for caring of baby
Have items that calms baby;
blanket, pacifier, toy
Community, doctor appts.
Optimal: In parent’s home
unless the location is unsafe.
Home like environment;
foster or relative home,
home-center
Birth family home whenever
possible or home of relative
and foster parents
Community locations
Agency office least desirable
In family or relative’s home
In community locations with
cultural significance
In language of the family
Neutral location where dru
would not be available – a
homelike as possible
Supervision level
Parent meets child’s needs;
crying, eating, sleeping
Play on floor or eye level
Music, read book, talk to
baby
Bonding activities
Practice the skills that lead to
neglect; feeding, supervision,
preparing for school,
Learn to understand child’s
needs and feelings
Modeling/teaching of
parenting skills
Reactions to visits should be
decreasing
Sharing family history, stories
Teaching family traditions;
holidays, cooking, games,
hobbies
Religious events and learning
Bonding and attachment
activities especially for you
children.
Later activities that maybe
triggers for parent.
Who
attends
Lack of communication and
self protection means that
supervision level should be
higher than same situation
with older children.
Depends on level of neglect.
Severe neglect requires high
level of supervision until
parent demonstrates
improved skills
Usually monitoring is enough
Decreasing level of
supervision as parenting
skills increase, level may
vary depending on who
attends
Use family and people the
family knows whenever
possible to supervise visits
and teach parenting skills,
that person can speak the
family’s language
Therapeutic or supervision
until treatment counselor
approves
UA does NOT indicate the
level of safety or whether a
visit should occur
Responsib
ilities
What to
have at
visit
Birth parents & siblings
together or separate,
Other key people with
emotional attachment
Birth parent(s) or others in
caregiver role, siblings
Later include entire family
doing normal family activities
All the people the child would
live with if reunification
occurs.
Sibling even if the child will
not live with him/her,
extended family
Non-custodial parents
Parents, siblings, extended
family, fictive kin, anyone the
family identifies as important
in the child’s life
Non-addicted parent can b
observer of visit if he/she
shows ability to make safe
decisions
Have a safety plan
Document
ation
Bring food, toys, diapers and
comfort items.
Have adult who child feels
Bring items to practice
parenting skills; cooking,
homework, toys, bathing,
Social worker should observe
visit at least once every 2
months
Bring information, pictures,
reading materials, and other
items to teach family culture
No drugs or alcohol
Set clear rules and enforce
them – Relapse plan
Evidence Based Practices
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
The Incredible Years
Triple P-Positive Parenting Program
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(TF-CBT)
http://www.cachildwelfareclearing
house.org/
www.childwelfare.gov
Visitation Resources
• Information Gateway –
www.childwelfare.gov
• National Resource Center for Family
Centered Practice and Permanency
Planning – www.nrcfcppp.org
• CA Clearinghouse on Evidence Based
Practices
http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
Closing
• Thank you for dedication to children and
families
• Complete your evaluations
Remember to develop
visitation plans based
on what the child
wants and needs.