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Three Steps to Adapt and Prepare for Reunification During COVID-19

April 27, 2020

by Annie E. Casey Foundation, with contributions from Plummer Youth Promise Practice Leadership 

 

Reunification is the first and primary permanency option for children and youth placed in foster care. At the same time, the COVID-19 epidemic presents challenges to timely reunification due to the associated health risks and the need for social distancing. Child welfare professionals are asking, “How should we actively pursue reunification goals and help to assure families are safe and stable during this public health emergency?”

 

1.    INSTITUTE STEPS AND CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERING REUNIFICATION

  • Develop criteria to identify the children and youth who are candidates for reunification in the short-term. Criteria may include: using data to identify cases that may be ready for extended visits, trial or final discharge; updated safety and risks assessment were completed, risk factors related to COVID-19; no current safety threats that prevent reunification; accessibility and availability of services and supports; reunification plan approved by the court; and critical elements of case plan were completed.

  • Develop or utilize an existing collaborative teaming process to create the plan to reunify the family and address identified needs. These decisions should not be made unilaterally and should most importantly include the family and ensure the inclusion of the child’s and youth’s voice.

  • Allow assessment of safety and risks to drive reunification versus strict adherence to case plan completion. Evaluate the completion of elements of the case plan necessary to support and maintain reunification for each case.

  • Consider the unique circumstances of each family dealing with the realities of COVID-19 and assess if there might be compelling reasons to delay or reconsider reunification efforts (particularly for those cases nearing the statutory timelines of 15 out of 22 months).

  • Think about providing more support over a longer period that is slowly tapered off, especially for families whose children and youth have been in group placements. This assures the continuation of critical services and supports through the COVID-19 crisis (unless these children and youth will remain eligible for ongoing services).

  • Allow transition age youth who are reunified to remain eligible for aftercare or extended care services for a minimum of one year following reunification.

 

2.  ENGAGE AND PREPARE PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS

  • Reach out to providers to assure services and supports are available, adequate and can be delivered, especially in communities that are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

  • Connect with the courts, legal representatives and advocates to find out how they are using technology to continue their work. If necessary, explain why it is important to continue moving children and youth to reunification, even amid this this crisis.

  • Ensure that agency staff, parents, children, youth, kin caregivers and foster families can connect virtually to hearings, virtual visits and and meetings.

  • Ramp-up current agency expectations for post reunification contact through increased visits/contact and adapt procedures to maximize virtual visits.

 

3.    DEVELOP A REUNIFICATION ACTION PLAN WITH THE FAMILY

  • Keep in mind that sustaining the safety of children requires building safety networks— relationships that increase the overall visibility of the child or youth and provide both protection and a strong sense of belonging, especially during times of crisis. Safety networks incorporate relatives, friends, community organizations, faith communities and the like, in addition to professional supports.

  • Develop an open, judgement-free comfortable environment that allows caregivers, youth and children to freely ask for and expect supports requested for successful reunification.

  • Think creatively about how to provide and maintain essential in-home services and supports to families who are reunified, for example, virtual case worker home visits and tele-therapy. Provide lists with links to community resources, especially those that can assist during the COVID-19 emergency.

  • Ensure that there is an emergency care plan in place that includes identified options as alternate caregivers in the event that the primary caregiver/s is temporarily unable to care for their child/ren or youth (for example, due to illness or relapse).

  • Support the maintenance of connections with previous kinship caregivers and foster parents who can be a source of continuity for the child or youth and support for the family.

  • Engage the family’s network of support in providing resources for the family (for example, emotional encouragement, respite, childcare, transportation — and include supports by phone or virtually (video-calls, texts, emails,  etc. ).

 

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Foster Care in a Time of Crisis: Coping with the Coronavirus

April 9, 2020

 

Everyone’s life has been changed by the coronavirus. Families are spending more time together under difficult circumstances. Our routines have been disrupted. The threat of serious illness is always present. Financial concerns are on our minds. Foster families must cope with all of these challenges while meeting the needs of their foster children during a crisis.

 

Foster children all share the experience of having been traumatized by the circumstances that led to their coming into the child welfare system. They’ve also had to adjust to a new family, school and community. Under the stress of the virus, foster children may re-experience some of the feelings and memories connected to things that happened to them in the past. Their behavior may regress. Some of the progress they have made in care may disappear. They may act younger, more needy and more anxious. What can a foster parent do?

 

This crisis is probably causing a disruption of your foster child’s sense of safety. When a foster child enters your home so many of your efforts go into helping them feel safe. You do this by creating a home environment which is stable and predictable. You establish routines which not only help your child learn how things work in your home but also give them a sense of safety. If you say that dinner is always at six, you do everything in your power to ensure that dinner is on the table then. When things have to be changed, you are careful to explain the change and the reason why it’s happening to your foster child. These are the things that help children to feel safe. As foster children feel safer in your home they begin to trust you as a parent.

 

Focus on helping them know that they are safe with you. As new circumstances come up at home, establish new routines and stick to them.  Talk about how it is normal for everyone to have anxiety in times of change and share examples of things you are adjusting to. At the same time, express your confidence that things will get better in the future.

 

Do things together, but also try to make sure kids have time to themselves. Cook together, make up a question of the day (what is your favorite song?) to discuss over dinner, or ask your foster child to help you make a video of “a day in the life” of your family. Also, especially with older kids, try to ensure that they get some planned time alone if that is something they want and need. Even a “quiet hour” every day when interaction is not expected (and privacy is protected) can be very helpful for older kids and make them more open to being a part of the family the rest of the time.

 

Finally, remember that your foster child is worrying about other people their life, especially birth family members. Raise the subject with your foster child. Wonder aloud if they are thinking about their family a lot. In a time when many face-to-face visits with birth parents and siblings have been canceled, do whatever you can to support phone contact or virtual contact via Face Time or Skype. If technology is a barrier, reach out to those that might be able to help, including social workers.

 

Hang in there and try to take care of yourself, too. We will get through this. Remember that as difficult as this has been, it has given your foster child the opportunity to be part of a family that has made it through a crisis together. Whatever challenges they may face in the future, your foster child will have this experience of coming together to weather the storm.

 

by Diane Kindler

https://plummeryouthpromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/sharon-mccutcheon-bEDh-PxXZ0c-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg 1333 2000 competenow /wp-content/uploads/2023/04/logo-1-1.png competenow2020-04-09 14:23:132023-04-29 07:10:41Foster Care in a Time of Crisis: Coping with the Coronavirus

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