Promoting and Supporting Family Time

The Fostering Agency recognises the importance for Children and Young People in fostering placements of maintaining links with their birth families and significant others.

Children and Young People will be supported in family time arrangements with their parents, grandparents, siblings, half-siblings, wider family, friends and other people who play a significant role in their lives. 

Family time can take a variety of forms, from promoting, supporting, facilitating, supervising direct family time, to supporting and facilitating in-direct family time i.e. letters and telephone calls where this is part of the Care Plan.

Family time arrangements and roles and responsibilities will be discussed at the Placement Planning Meeting. Family time arrangements will also be informed by the Care Plan, and any Court Order or requirements. Arrangements for family time will also be detailed in the Placement Plan and in most instances there will be a written Family time Plan.

Family time is subject to regular monitoring and review and arrangements can change, increase or decrease, in accordance with the needs of the Child or Young Person. Family time is reviewed as part of the Child in Care Review however arrangements for family time might also be Court directed. 

Foster Carers play a valuable and vital part in promoting and supporting family time in accordance with the Care Plan, Placement Plan, and Foster Carer's responsibilities.

The following are some useful approaches to family time for Foster Carers:

• It is important that wherever possible a positive and professional relationship is established between Foster Carers and birth parents/families/significant others;
• Foster Carers must fulfil the responsibilities relating to family time as set out in the Placement Plan which will relate to transportation and facilitation (facilitation of family time is different to supervision of family time and refers to ensuring that Children and Young People are ready for family time and arrive at the venue at times agreed where the Foster Carer has responsibility for the transportation);
• Where it has been risk assessed as appropriate and agreed as part of the Placement Plan, supervising family time. Foster Carers will use the Foster Carer Supervised Family time Session Form for this purpose and there will be a Supervision of Family time Working Agreement in place in these circumstances along with a Risk Assessment;
• It is important that Foster Carers are aware of and have an understanding of the Child or Young Person's need for family time where at times will mean keeping own personal views and opinions to oneself unless there are concerns the Foster Carer has regarding family time;
• Foster Carers must have an awareness of the needs of the other Children and Young People in placement along with confidentiality considerations;
• Foster Carers will acknowledge the Child or Young Person’s background and family circumstances and the potential difficulties this may pose on all individuals;
• There must be consideration as to how and where family time can take place, as this may have a significant impact on the Foster Carer's own family life;
• Children and Young People should be able to make and receive telephone calls in the Foster Carer's home in private if considered appropriate and part of the Care Plan. The agreed times of telephone calls will be followed;
• Children and Young People must be given letters unopened and be encouraged to keep these in a safe place where this has been agreed as part of the Care Plan. Foster Carers should check with the Child or Young Person's Social Worker if they have any concerns or queries in relation to this;
• Foster Carers must comply with the agreed Family time Plan for any Child or Young Person. Any concerns resulting from family time should in the first instance be discussed with the Child or Young Person’s Social Worker and/or Supervising Social Worker;
• The Supervising Social Worker will provide support to enable Foster Carers to deal with any difficult emotional or other issues that the Child or Young Person and Foster Carers may have as a result of family time;
• A written record should be made of the outcome of any family time by the Foster Carer noting their observations of the Child or Young Person's emotional and behavioural needs and any comments they make to the Foster Carers either before or after family time. This is in addition to the Foster Carer Supervised Family time Session Form if Foster Carers are supervising family time. This information must be fed back to the Child or Young Person's Social Worker without delay which in the first instance might involve verbal feedback.