NYC Partners For Families

ACS Best Practice Guidelines for Family Visiting Arrangements for Children in Foster Care

(issued December 19, 2000)
These guidelines encourage frequent parent-child contact as a vital prerequisite to achieving early permanency. The guidelines seek to encourage visiting in settings which allow parents to assume as much parental responsibility as possible and which involve the lowest possible level of formal supervision consistent with the child’s safety and well-being.

When Visits Should Start

1. As soon after removal as possible and safe
2. Visits should be discussed at the 72 hour family team conference and a visiting plan developed there with the parent’s input. If possible, a visit should be arranged to take place as soon after this conference as possible.
3. At least one parent-child visit should occur before the 30 day family team conference

Frequency of Visits

1. If permanency goal=reunification, visits at least every two weeks, preferably weekly
2. Younger children should have more frequent visits (twice weekly through 18 months)

Duration of Visits

1. at least 2 hours a visit (unless not in child’s best interest)
2. younger children, more frequent, shorter visits are preferred over less frequent, longer visits.

Location of Visits

1. Whenever possible and safe, visits should be outside the agency/ field office.
2. Possible places include the park, public library, community center, relative’s home, parent’s home, foster parent’s home.
3. Parents should be consulted as to where they would like their visits to take place and included in the development of the visit plan.

Visit Plans

1. Should be written
2. Should outline who, what, where, when, how long, and other details about how the parent and child will spend time together
3. Parents’ input in visit plan is critical  
4. Considers family’s culture, religion, language, and customs.
5. Should be regularly updated
6. Should increase in duration if reunification is plan
7. Should decrease in supervision
8. Weekly to day visits to overnights to weekend visits to discharge

Visit Supervision

1. Purpose of visit supervision:  child’s safety, monitor case progress, and help parent strengthen parenting techniques
2. Three  levels of supervision: Unsupervised, Monitored, and Supervised
3. Visits should be at the lowest level of supervision which still guarantees the child’s safety.
4. Reasons for level of supervision should be clear to all involved, including the parent, and documented in the case record.
5. Level of supervision should shift and decrease as the case moves towards reunification.

Interpreting Visits

1. Interpreting children’s (and parents’) responses to visits requires very careful assessment
2. Unless child’s well-being compromised, don’t automatically suspend visits if child has negative or regressive response to a visit.
3. Consult experts and/or supervisors if considering limiting or suspending visits.
4. Critical to have prep and debrief around visits

Changes in Visit Plans

1. At a minimum, visiting plans should be re-assessed every 6 months and should reflect progress towards achieving the chosen permanency goal.
2. Court orders pertaining to the visit arrangements can be modified in between court dates.