Transitioning Children From Placement to Placement

							       Transitioning Children From Placement to
                      Placement

I.        Attachment: Example of Transitional Plan

II.       Transition Plan for Miguel

III.      (8 month old boy attached and in home for 4 Months)


1. Prospective foster family interact with MIGUEL in current foster parent’s home for three
   visits of 1-2 hours each in as close to consecutive days as possible. Longer visiting time is
   more beneficial.

The current foster parents should interact with and be as friendly as possible with the prospective
foster parents to help reassure MIGUEL that the current foster parents feel good about the
prospective foster parents

       A. Tasks

              Prospective foster family to observe MIGUEL
              Prospective foster parents take the forefront over their children in interacting with
               MIGUEL
              Prospective foster family’s children take a back seat in interacting with MIGUEL
               during the first visit.
              Current foster parents start nurturing activities.
              Prospective foster family takes over nurturing activities in the company of the
               current foster parents. (Feeding, bathing, changing, game playing, reading to, etc.)
              Prospective foster family brings over pictures of home, relatives, pets, etc.
              Prospective foster family allows Miguel to go to them on his timetable.

Current foster family takes MIGUEL to prospective foster family’s home for as close to 3
consecutive days as possible, for 1-2 hours, staying with MIGUEL during the visits.

IF THERE IS CONCERN THAT THE TRANSITION IS NOT LENGTHY ENOUGH BY
OBSERVING MIGUEL NOT BEING COMFORTABLE WITH THE NEW FAMILY, THE
TRANSITION TIME SHOULD BE LENGTHENED. TRANSITION SHOULD BE ON
MIGUEL’S TIME SCHEDULE, NOT OURS.

Current foster family performs nurturing activities in the prospective foster family’s home with
the prospective foster family taking over these activities.

No overnight visits are to take place at the prospective foster family’s home in order to avoid
confusion for MIGUEL.

All visits should take place when MIGUEL is refreshed and alert - shortly after naptime, etc.
Never just before naptime.

       All visits to the prospective foster family’s home should occur in daylight hours as much
       as possible.

2. The final transition day should occur as close to the following as possible:

Due to the amount of time that MIGUEL has been in his current home, we must assume that
significant attachment has taken place, and therefore, the greatly likelihood of trauma should the
transition take place too quickly.

The transition should take place well before bedtime and preferably with several hours of
daylight left.
The ideal transition time should be in mid to late morning to give the most amount of daylight
hours for adjustment prior to bedtime. This will also provide MIGUEL an opportunity to
become more in touch with his surroundings before the move.

The current foster parents should make sure to have MIGUEL see them packing his possessions.

The current foster parents should literally hand MIGUEL over to the prospective foster parents in
their home and walk with the new foster parents as they leave the house and take him
permanently.