{"id":31754,"date":"2020-06-11T17:25:10","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T17:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/family-time\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T17:27:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T17:27:53","slug":"tiempo-en-familia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/family-time\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo puede el tiempo familiar frecuente y de calidad promover las relaciones y la permanencia?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Family time is essential for healthy child development, especially for children in foster care, as it helps to maintain parent-child attachment, reduce a child\u2019s sense of abandonment, and preserve a sense of belonging as part of a family and community. Family time offers reassurance for children and their parents, opportunities to strengthen cultural and kinship connections, and motivation for parents to enroll in treatment or meet other permanency plan requirements. Although there is no generally accepted way to structure family time to optimize chances for reunification,1<\/sup><\/a> families that spend time together regularly have a greater likelihood of timely reunification<\/span><\/a>, and frequent family connections may also decrease depression, anxiety, and externalizing problem behaviors in children.2<\/sup><\/a>,<\/sup>3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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A right, not a privilege<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Family time is not a special or elective service<\/span><\/a>, nor is it to be used as a bonus or reward; it is a fundamental right<\/span><\/a> for all children and youth in foster care, and their families. There are very few instances in which family connections should be curtailed, restricted or terminated.4<\/sup><\/a> Even when parents are engaged in the process of alcohol and drug use treatment, family time should be supported. (See the Kentucky Safe Families in Recovery Drug Testing White Paper<\/i><\/span><\/a>, which asserts that a positive drug test should not be used to cancel time between parents and their children since this can be harmful to a child and affect bonding and attachment; and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services\u2019 Child and Family Visitation Best Practice Guide<\/i><\/span><\/a>, which does not consider drug or alcohol use prior to family time a reason to cancel, but rather a reason to assess level of supervision, location, and family support needed.) Amidst natural disasters or public health emergencies, family connections are even more important to mitigate child and family stress, and agencies may need to use a variety of creative approaches<\/span><\/a> to sustain family time, such as more frequent telephone and video calls, front lawn\/front porch visits, and meetings in open parks or walking trails.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Family time and connection, not visitation<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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While most agency policies, state laws, and court decisions have focused on family visits or visitation, \u201cfamily time\u201d and \u201cfamily connection\u201d<\/a><\/span> are more appropriate terms and goals. \u201cVisits\u201d and \u201cvisitation\u201d are terms more often associated with hospitals, prisons, treatment facilities, or other involuntary settings. Family time and family connection, on the other hand, reflect positive connotations and values, including that time spent with family members is fundamental.<\/p>\n

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Parent-child connections are essential for a child\u2019s well-being<\/span> and, perhaps more so than any other intervention, correlate with successful reunification<\/span><\/a>. Research reveals that family time has a number of additional benefits<\/span><\/a> for both children and their parents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Consequences for children and parent(s) who do not maintain regular, frequent family time include:<\/p>\n