Confronted with the rise in COVID-19 disease activity across the state, DCYF and court partners worked with the Department of Health to develop new in-person Family Time guidance that directs parties in every case to work together to reduce the opportunity for viral transmission during visits. The guidance does not eliminate in-person Family Time, due to the vital importance of keeping families connected during the pandemic, which has serious emotional and cognitive consequences for children and youth. This is in accordance with recent direction from the federal Children’s Bureau that courts and child welfare agencies provide continued access to Family Time, whenever possible.
The Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plan guidance creates a three-tiered process to support the co-creation of individualized plans.
TIER 1 – Agreed Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plan
The parties and the visit provider review the family’s current plan and agree on changes to reduce the chances of viral transmission. Changes should be based on measures that are scientifically determined to reduce transmission risk and documented in a Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plan.
Key components of a Temporary COVID Family Time Plan include:
- If in-person contact is reduced or suspended, it should be supplemented with expansive virtual contact, such as daily video check-ins, good night calls and texting.
- A review date must be set, within four to six weeks, to discuss how the plan is working and if/when in-person contact can be expanded or resumed.
TIER 2 – Facilitated Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plan
If the parties can’t agree to a new plan, or special circumstances exit, a Shared Planning Meeting will be held within one week. At the meeting, the team will engage in a conversation to examine each family’s vulnerability and the risks they share, with the goal of developing a Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plan.
A useful online survey, the COVID Family Time Assessment Tool, was created to help the case worker gather information, facilitate an open and honest conversation and identify a plan that reduces the risk of transmitting COVID while acknowledging the impact on family relationships.
TIER 3 – Court Ruling on Family Time Plan
If the previous efforts are unsuccessful, DCYF counsel will file a motion with the court to propose changes the Family Time Plan. Evidence gathered as part of the effort to develop a Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plan should be provided to the court to inform its decision.
Resources:
DCYF Temporary COVID Aware Family Time Plan Guidance Dec 2020
DCYF revised Family Time In-Person Visit Protocols for Providers
December 4, 2020, Letter to the Field from Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner, Children’s Bureau
