For Immediate Release
Contact: Nancy Parello, (609) 954-5347
January 14, 2010
Child Advocate: Quality "Family Time"
Results in Shorter Foster Care Stays
New Report Provides Ways to Improve Family Visits for Children in Care
Consistent, quality visits between parents and children in foster care can result in children returning home sooner and safely staying there, according to a Child Advocate report released today.
In fact, for children in foster care, the quality of time spent with parents is one of the most important factors in determining whether they will reunite with their families, the report says.
"Research demonstrates that when children and their parents participate in quality family visits, it results in shorter foster care placements and makes it more likely that children will return home and stay there. In fact, child welfare professionals largely consider visitation to be ‘the heart of successful reunification,' ‘' the report states.
The report goes on to highlight examples of quality visitation programs and practices both inside and outside New Jersey and offers important strategies for facilitating meaningful family visits, unless it is contrary to a child's well-being to do so.
"The goal of our report is to increase understanding of the significance of visitation and expand sound practices in New Jersey," said Acting Child Advocate Ronald Chen.
"This information is especially important in light of data that show New Jersey has room to significantly improve the way family visits are now conducted," Chen added. "It is our hope that this information will be used by professionals in all areas of the child welfare field to view visits as an opportunity to further strengthen families and ensure that even more children safely return home."
The report notes that many people - social workers, judges, law guardians, resource parents and others -- play a critical role in ensuring that families have quality time together when children are in foster care. Unfortunately, research also indicates that there is often a lack of understanding of the benefits of quality visitation and the tremendous impact this can have on keeping families safely together.
Studies show that regular and supported family time improves child well-being in critical areas, including:
- Increasing the chances children will reunify with birth parents
- Shortening children's stays in foster care
- Lessening the separation anxiety for children while in care and improving overall child well-being
The federal court settlement agreement, under which New Jersey is reforming its child welfare system, requires that by Dec. 31, 2010, at least 60 percent of children in out-of-home placement have weekly visits. The court monitor's recent review to establish baseline performance in this area found that the state has a distance to go to meet the settlement's visitation requirements.
In September 2009, federal data was released showing that less than half -- 46 percent -- of New Jersey children visited with their mothers at least weekly, while 24 percent of fathers had weekly visitation. This percentage fell significantly short of the federal government's 90 percent standard and was based on a review of 40 cases in Essex, Gloucester and Somerset counties.
The Child Advocate's report offers various strategies, many of which require no additional funding, to improve this important aspect of the child welfare system.
"While New Jersey has made great strides in reforming its child welfare system, this is a critical area that clearly needs more focused attention," Chen said. "It is our hope this information is helpful as the Department of Children and Families moves forward in accomplishing reform."
The New Jersey Office of the Child Advocate is an independent state agency dedicated to promoting positive change for children, especially those with the greatest need.
