Section 411.320  Visits

a)         The facility shall permit visitation with children and youth in accordance with visiting plans established by each child's or youth's caseworker, subject to the limitations necessary to maintain facility order and security.

b)         Visitors shall be identified on visiting lists approved by the secure child care facility director.  The child's or youth's caseworker shall provide, in writing, any names of persons restricted from visiting the child or youth.

c)         The facility's visiting area shall provide for informal communication, including the opportunity for physical contact.

d)         Searches of visitors and children or youth, restrictions on visitors bringing in personal items, and circumstances under which the visit shall be supervised shall be included in the plan.  If a visit is supervised, the facility shall not deny the child or youth the right to converse with visitors in his or her preferred mode of communication.  The facility's plan for supervised visits must require the attendance of a professional staff member with the ability to communicate in the child's or youth's preferred mode of communication.

e)         All visiting regulations shall be made available to all persons on the child's or youth's visitors list.

f)         Restrictions applying to visits shall be posted in the visiting area and defined.

g)         The facility's plan shall include procedures governing visits by special persons such as Guardian ad Litem or attorney, caseworkers and individuals of other social agencies.

h)         Visitors shall register upon entry into the facility. Proof of identification and a record of each visit, including the visitor's name, date and time of visit, address, and relationship, shall be kept for each child and youth and be returned to the master record file at time of discharge.

i)          The denial of visitation must be based on documented security concerns related to conduct of children, youth or visitors during visits or that involve issues related to safeguarding the children or youth from visitor abuse.  The denial of visitation must be documented in the child's or youth's record and reported to the caseworker.