Facilitating Contact

Facilitating Contact Between Birth Parents and Children


  • Foster parents transport children to weekly visitation


  • Foster parents role in transitioning child to birth parent during visit is critical! (Foster parent may be involved in visit if appropriate.)


  • Foster parents meet with birth parents and relatives before and after visits to discuss the child’s adjustments, concerns, etc.


  • Foster / birth parents and/or agency worker frequently take pictures at the visits


  • Foster parents provide birth parents/relatives with photographs from home or school, artwork, notes/letters with important information, report cards, etc.


  • Birth Parents are encouraged to give the foster parents or child (if old enough pictures, cards / letters, important keepsakes


  • Foster parents demonstrate by action and words to children and birth parents that children can love more than one parent


Adapted from Preparing Permanency Planning Foster Parents, A Foster Parent Training Manual, Linda Katz, M.S.W., Laurie Colacurcio, Kristina Corders, Lutheran Social Services of Washington and Idaho


Last modified: December 8, 2008