February 2004Vol. 5, No. 1Visiting Between Children in Care and Their Families: State Policies
Foster care managers seeking information on State policies regarding visiting between children in care and their families will find a useful summary in a recent paper published by the National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning. "Visiting Between Children in Care and Their Families: A Look at Current Policy" (www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/family-child-visiting.html) reviews State policies in the following content areas:
- Written visit plans
- Who may participate in visits
- Frequency of visits
- Responsibilities regarding visits (for caseworkers, parents, foster parents)
- The "right to contact" between children and families
- Where and when visits occur
- Visit supervision
- Visiting activities
- Visiting in specific situations (e.g., an incarcerated parent, domestic violence)
Policy excerpts are included to illustrate the wide variation among States, and a checklist is provided of 30 content areas that States should address in their own policies.