3237 Family Time and Sibling Connections
A. Family Time
Regardless of the case plan goal, parents and children retain the right of reasonable contact with each other, with a parent’s rights only impacted when terminated or the court orders no contact.
1. Frequency and Method of Connection
a. If the case plan goal is reintegration, in-person family time shall occur a minimum of once a week. The frequency and length of family time shall increase as the case progresses, only decreasing in the event there is a documented concern for danger or risk should family time progress.
i. When a parent’s whereabouts are unknown, diligent efforts by the Child Welfare Case Management Provider (CWCMP) to locate and engage the parent in planning family time shall be ongoing.
ii. When a child declines to participate in family time, the CWCMP shall explore the reasons for refusal and actively support progress towards consistent participation in family time.
c. When parents maintain parental rights and the case plan goal is not reintegration, family time shall continue to occur monthly at minimum, with additional in-person, telephone, video, and e-mail contact available when possible unless there is a documented
d. Following termination of parental rights, family time is no longer required. The CWCMP shall continue to assess whether opportunities for family time support the child’s emotional well-being and permanency goals and continue supporting the relationship between parents and children when appropriate.
2. Location
a. Whenever possible, family time shall occur in the family home.
b. When it is not possible or in the best interest of the child for Family Time to occur in the family home, family time shall occur in a setting that is homelike, familiar to the child, or both.
i. A child’s family-type placement setting, such as a foster home or relative placement, may be explored as a location option. Prior to a first interaction in the placement home, roles and expectations shall be reviewed with the parents, child, and placement family.
3. Supervision
a. Family time shall be supervised only when:
i. Required by a court order.
ii. The CWCMP has determined there is risk to the child during family time maintain safety of the child.
b. The basis for requiring family time to be supervised shall be documented on the PPS 3053.
4. Documentation
a. Plans and the schedule for family time shall be documented on the PPS 3053.
b. The PPS 3053 is a stand-alone document that shall be updated and sent to all affected parties and the DCF Foster Care Liaison whenever the family time schedule changes and at every case planning conference. Illness, inclement weather or other exceptional situations may arise which may affect planned family time, however, documented family time should demonstrate a pattern of consistent and frequent connections between parents and children.
c. Family time shall be documented in the case file. An encounter data code has been created for these interactions, and these interactions shall be included in the monthly submission of encounter data to PPS.
B. Sibling Connections
Sibling connections are presumed to be the best interest of children. This presumption can only be set aside if there is a present risk of danger arising from the siblings being in the presence of each other and the risk cannot be mitigated by any means other than eliminating contact completely.
1. Frequency and Method of Connection
a. The responsibility for arranging connections with siblings who reside with the parent(s) rests with the parent(s) and shall occur with the same frequency provided for family time unless shared connections does not further the permanency goal.
b. Connections between siblings in the custody of the Secretary and in out-of- home placement shall occur in-person at least twice monthly with additional in-person, telephone, video, or e-mail contact allowed when possible.
i. When parental rights are intact and family time is occurring, at least one of the monthly required sibling connections shall occur during family time.
2. Documentation
a. When siblings are in out-of-home placement but not placed together, a plan which allows for frequent and regular sibling connection shall be in place and documented on the PPS 3053. Illness, inclement weather or other exceptional situations may arise which may affect planned sibling connections; however, documented sibling connections should demonstrate a pattern of consistent and frequent interactions.
b. All sibling connections shall be documented in the case file.