Section 301.210  Family-Child Visitation

a)         The Department recognizes that there is a strong correlation between regular parental visits and contacts with a child and the child's discharge from placement services.  Therefore, when a child is in placement and the permanency goal is return home, parent-child visits, telephone calls at reasonable hours, and mail are encouraged unless they have been prohibited by court order.  The name, address and telephone number of the foster parent/relative caregiver shall not be disclosed to the parents until the assessment has been completed and a determination has been made whether to disclose the information in accordance with Section 301.440(a).  The responsible agency shall arrange for parent-child visits and shall advise parents that repeated failure to visit according to the visiting plan shall be considered a demonstration of a lack of parental concern for the child and may result in the Department seeking a termination of parental rights.

b)         When the permanency goal is return home, a visiting plan shall:

1)         be established before placement or within three working days after placement out-of-home unless the placement was an emergency;

2)         be established within ten working days after an emergency placement;

3)         specify that visits are to begin immediately;

4)         specify that parents shall be expected to visit weekly unless there is documentation to the contrary in the case/record;

5)         increase in length unless specific harm to the child is caused by the visits;

6)         specify visiting in the home of the child's parents, if consistent with the safety and well-being of the child.  When visits in the home of the child's parents are not consistent with the child's safety and well-being, visits shall be in the most homelike setting possible.  Office visits are acceptable if structure is necessary to evaluate or protect the child;

7)         specify how contacts are to be maintained if the determination has been made not to release identifying information regarding the foster parent/relative caregiver in accordance with Section 301.440(a); and

8)         specify the responsibilities of the Department, the purchase of service providers, the parents, and the child in regard to visitation.

(Source:  Amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 11803, effective September 14, 2001)