Section 404.40  Visitation

a)         Children shall be allowed to visit families other than their own and friends in the community when the living conditions of the family to be visited are known and the visits are approved by the institution.  The child and persons to be visited shall have opportunity to become acquainted prior to overnight visits.

b)         The institution shall have a written agreement with the parent or guardian for the child to permit visiting overnight with families and friends in the community.

c)         The institution shall assure that visits with the child, on or off the facility's premises, are in the child's best interests.  The institution shall have continuing responsibility for the children who are visiting outside the institution.

d)         The persons with whom the child visits overnight shall be:

1)         made aware of the responsibilities they assume for the child;

2)         informed how to handle possible emergencies; and

3)         given specific instructions on how to reach a representative of the institution should the need arise.

e)         Visits shall not be arranged for the primary purpose of accommodating persons wishing to take a child nor for the purpose of temporarily closing the institution nor for reducing workload of staff nor to have simultaneous vacations or relief periods.