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The Connections Project: a relational approach to engaging birth parents in visitation

Charyl E Gerring1, Susan P Kemp, Maureen O Marcenko

  • 1University of Washington School of Social Work, New York, New York 10025, USA. cgerring@u.washington.edu

Child Welfare
|June 19, 2009
PubMed

Insights

This study offers a framework for relational practice in child welfare, focusing on parental visitation to strengthen connections between birth families, foster families, and children. It achieved high parent participation and positive relationships within the child welfare system.

Area of Science:

  • Social Work
  • Family Studies
  • Child Welfare

Background:

  • Engaging parents in child welfare services is challenging for social workers.
  • The Birth Family-Foster Family Connections Project aimed to improve connections among all parties involved with young children in foster care.
  • Existing frameworks for relational practice in child welfare require practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a practical framework for relational practice with birth families centered on parental visitation.
  • To enhance engagement between birth parents and child welfare services.
  • To foster supportive connections between birth families, foster families, children, and the child welfare system.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a relational practice framework within the Birth Family-Foster Family Connections Project.
  • Focus on strategies used by social workers before and during parental visitation.
  • Collaborative research demonstration project involving a private agency and state child welfare services.

Main Results:

  • Established strong parent-worker relationships.
  • Achieved very high participation rates in weekly parental visitation.
  • Facilitated extensive contact between birth and foster families.
  • Demonstrated a practical and effective framework for engaging parents.

Conclusions:

  • The developed framework provides a practical approach for social workers to engage parents effectively through visitation.
  • Strengthening relational practice enhances connections within the child welfare system.
  • Parental visitation is a key service for building positive relationships and improving outcomes for children in foster care.

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