Whether a child has been removed by court order or has been voluntarily placed into foster care by parents or other caregivers, they will likely request to maintain a continuing presence in the child’s life. An exception is applicable for parents or other caregivers whose parental rights have been terminated and the child is placed into an adoptive home. Unless parental rights have been terminated or voluntarily surrendered, it is essential that visitation occurs at least monthly, or more frequently, as ordered by the court between the child and his or her birth parents. Statistics have shown a high correlation between the number of parent/child visits and successful long-term reunification.

• Every child who enters foster care must have a face-to-face family (parent/caregiver and sibling(s)) visit no later than seven calendar days from the date of removal unless restricted by the court. If the child is placed out-of-state or more than 75 miles away from his or her family, the initial contact may be done via telephone or a video conferencing method 
• A written visitation plan should be developed as part of the child’s case plan to support continued contact between the child and his or her parents, siblings, and/or significant others in the child’s life
•  The frequency of parent-child visitation for children between the ages of birth and five years shall be increased when reunification is defined in the permanency plan to facilitate familial bonding and the overall well-being of the child

Unless otherwise specified by the court, the minimum frequency of parent-child visitation for children between birth and five years of age with a permanency plan of reunification is: 

• At least three parental visits per week for children from birth to two years of age 
• At least one parental visit per week for children between the ages of three and five

Foster parents play a key role in ensuring that the foster child experiences successful visits with his or her family by effectively helping the child to prepare for the visit beforehand and following up with him or her afterward. Foster parents and the child’s case manager should work collaboratively to make family visits as positive and beneficial as possible for everyone involved. 

Your case manager will assume the primary responsibility for scheduling and coordinating family visits based upon the child’s case plan. Great care will be made in planning with consideration for all persons involved, including the foster parents, since they will be responsible for assisting the case manager in getting the child to and from the family visits. Under certain circumstances, the foster parents may be given the responsibility of planning and coordinating the visits while keeping the case manager informed at all times.

Family visits between a child and his or her family usually take place at a neutral location such as the DFCS office. These visits may be supervised or unsupervised, depending on the child’s unique situation. In some instances, foster parents may agree to have the child visit with his or her parents and/or family in the foster home. This depends largely upon the relationship that has been established between the foster parents and the child’s parents. The case manager should be involved in the planning of these visits.

If it is in the child’s best interest, he or she has the right to visit with his or her parents and siblings. Even if the parents are presently unable to provide a home, they are still important people in the child’s life. It is imperative for the child to feel comfortable talking about his or her parents at all times, including after visitations. Even if the feelings or emotions the child shares are negative, your goal is to provide a safe and comforting environment for open communication.

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