1

WHAT'S INSIDE

Tips for Supporting Virtual 

Family Time

How to conduct virtual family time

Importance of family time

Family time, also known as parent-child visits, is a 

key factor in promoting family bonding and setting 

the stage for successful reunification after a child 

has been placed in out-of-home care. Although 

in-person contact is the preferred method for 

family time, there are extreme occasions when 

in-person contact is not appropriate or safe, such 

as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual family 

time, during which contact is established through 

video or streaming services, offers a safe alternative 

that allows parents and children to strengthen or 

maintain their relationship while not living together. 

This factsheet provides child welfare professionals 

with an overview of how they can promote 

successful virtual family time, including research 

about virtual interactions, how to prepare children 

and families, and tips and activities for visits. 

Although this factsheet is intended to guide virtual 

family time, many of the tips can be applied to 

other types of virtual contact that may be needed in 

child welfare, such as family team meetings, sibling 

contact, and caseworker contact with parents and 

children. 

Use of virtual contact with children

How to prepare for virtual family time

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Conclusion

BULLETINS FOR PROFESSIONALS | JULY 2020

Additional resources

References
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 2

IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY TIME

Family time allows children and parents to 

maintain and strengthen bonds, which is 

critical when they are separated due to outof-home care. It also provides opportunities 

for caseworkers to assess the parent-child 

relationship and determine how to support 

it, if needed. Research has shown that family 

time can help lead to reunification, reduce 

time in out-of-home care, and reduce child 

behavior problems (Nesmith, 2014). 

For a more detailed discussion about the 

importance of family time and related 

best practices, read the Children's Bureau 

Information Memorandum ACYF-CBIM-20-02. You can also visit Child Welfare 

Information Gateway's Parent-Child Visits and 

Assessing Child Visitation webpages.

USE OF VIRTUAL CONTACT WITH 

CHILDREN 

Virtual contact has been used in many fields 

when in-person contact has not been possible 

or warranted. It can be used to link patients 

with professionals, such as physicians and 

mental health providers, and connect parents 

and children who are apart, such as in the 

cases of parental incarceration or deployment. 

Although virtual contact has not been used 

or studied extensively in child welfare as 

a method for family time, it offers a viable 

alternative to in-person contact for the 

purpose of maintaining or strengthening 

parent-child relationships. In one study, 

social workers who had used virtual family 

time reported that it helped to support 

reunification efforts, allowed families to 

connect and bond, and revitalized families' 

energy (Quinn et al., 2015).

Children—even those who are very young—

can benefit from virtual contact. For example, 

children under the age of 2 years can learn 

new words through live interaction in video 

chats (Roseberry et al. 2014; Myers et al., 2017), 

and they can pay attention and respond to 

live video interactions and later recognize 

someone in person they had only met virtually 

(Myers et al., 2017). Furthermore, although 

the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 

discourages the use of screen media for 

children under the age of 18 months, it makes 

an exception for video chatting (AAP, Council 

on Communications and Media, 2016). 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR VIRTUAL 

FAMILY TIME 

To help ensure successful virtual family time, 

caseworkers should take several preparatory 

steps. They will need to plan the technological 

aspects of virtual family time, including the 

virtual platform and how the participants will 

access the visits; develop back-up plans; and 

determine the level of supervision required. 

Caseworkers also will need to prepare all 

participating individuals and schedule the 

visits. 

TECHNOLOGY ISSUES 

As you begin to prepare for virtual family time 

with your clients, you will need to assess two 

technology-related issues: which platform to 

use and how the participants can attend the 

visit. These two issues go hand in hand.

When determining which platform (e.g., 

Zoom, FaceTime) to use, you should first 

check if your agency has already determined 

any required or preferred platforms. There 

are many platforms available, and each has its 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 3

own characteristics and capabilities, including 

whether the service is free or must be paid 

for, its availability on certain types of devices 

or operating systems, whether there is a limit 

to the number of participants allowed during 

the session, whether there are time limits, 

and software security issues. If your agency 

does not have a policy or recommendation 

about which platform to use, you may want to 

discuss the possibilities with your supervisor 

or the information technology team at your 

agency. 

When possible, platforms should include 

both audio and video, allow for the expected 

number of participants, and be available on 

devices accessible to the participants. You 

should also be aware of whether the platform 

has a chat feature that allows either public 

or private messages (i.e., all participants 

or specific participants). Depending on 

the functionality, you may need to discuss 

whether and how to use the chat features 

with the participants before the first virtual 

family time visit. 

As you determine which platform to use, you 

should keep in mind how the participants—

which may include you, another agency staff 

member, the child, the birth parents, and 

the foster parents—will attend the virtual 

family time. Participants will need access to 

a device (e.g., cell phone, tablet, computer) 

on which the platform is available, and they 

also will need internet access through WiFi, a cell phone plan, or other mechanism. If 

participants do not currently have access to 

a device or the internet, there are programs 

that may be able to assist. At the national 

level, check with EveryoneOn and the Federal 

Communications Commission Lifeline

program. You should also see if there are State 

or local programs in your area that can help, 

including checking with local internet and cell 

phone providers. Additionally, the Children's 

Bureau released a letter that describes Federal 

funding and other resources for the purchase 

of cell phones and other tools to assist with 

virtual contact. 

If participants have not used the platform or 

device before, you may want to schedule a 

test session to make sure all features work for 

each participant. You should also make sure 

that whoever is leading the virtual family time 

understands the technology, including the 

platform's host functions (e.g., letting people 

into the session via the virtual waiting room).

LEVEL OF SUPERVISION 

The case plan states whether family 

time needs to be supervised, but if you 

believe the virtual nature of the visit may 

affect that, you should consult with your 

supervisor and agency guidelines about how 

to proceed. If the family time is supposed 

to be unsupervised, you also may want to 

consult with the child, birth parents, and 

foster parents to gauge their comfort levels 

(New York City Administration for Children's 

Services, 2020). If the child is not old enough 

to be alone for virtual family time (e.g., a 

toddler who must be guided through using 

a device and actively participating), the visit 

will need to be supervised to some extent. If 

the child only needs assistance rather than 

supervision per the case plan, you may want 

to explore whether an older sibling or other 

responsible person in the house can support 

virtual family time (Arizona Department of 

Child Safety [DCS], 2020). 
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If the family time is for a sibling group that 

is placed in a home together, the caseworker 

should consider whether the family time 

should occur—and is allowed to occur—with 

the parent and all siblings as a group, with 

each sibling individually, or a mix of individual 

and group time in order to give each child a 

chance to talk or be on the screen (Arizona 

DCS, 2020). This could be an issue if there 

are large age gaps between the siblings. If the 

siblings live separately, however, continue 

to seek opportunities for maintaining sibling 

relationships as outlined by your agency's 

policy. Many of the same guidelines in this 

factsheet would apply to virtual sibling visits 

as well.

PREPARING PARTICIPANTS 

Since this type of family time may be new to 

some or all of the participants, caseworkers 

should have separate meetings with the birth 

and foster parents—as well as the child, if age 

or developmentally appropriate—before the 

first visit to review expectations (theirs and 

yours), concerns they may have (including 

plans for addressing those concerns), and 

technological considerations (Arizona 

DCS, 2020). You should also discuss tips 

for successful virtual family time (see the 

Engaging Children During Virtual Family Time 

section in this factsheet) and how virtual 

family time can still be effective with children. 

When preparing birth parents to participate 

in virtual family time, you should review 

guidelines for who is able to participate. 

If there are restrictions in the case plan, 

those would still apply to virtual family time. 

Relatives or others also in the birth parent's 

house may want to participate during 

the family time, and so you may need to 

determine how to balance a family's wishes 

with the requirements of the case plan and 

agency. Additionally, relatives or others—

either in the house or in another home—may 

hear about the virtual family time visits and 

request their own time with the child. In 

responding to any requests, you should confer 

with the case plan, your supervisor, and—if 

needed—the courts. 

If the birth and foster parents have not yet 

met, you also may want to set up a virtual 

meeting with them together, as appropriate, 

so they can get to know each other and set 

their own expectations (Braggs & Biron, 

2020). The parents and caseworker should 

also discuss how they will let the child know 

about the upcoming changes to family time 

and respond to any questions they may have. 

Additionally, if any of the participants may 

require a translator to fully participate, make 

sure to engage one early in the process to 

make sure they will be available. Do not use 

the child as a go-between for the families.

You also will need to prepare the child for 

virtual family time and reassure them that 

they will still be able to spend time with 

their parents. They may be disappointed, 

confused, or sad about not seeing their 

parents in person. Depending on the child's 

age and developmental level, you can explain 

why virtual family time is the best option, 

explain how it is expected to be temporary, 

and let them know about some activities 

they may be able to do with their parents. 

Some children may question why they cannot 

contact their parents on their own now that 

virtual family time is an option. You should 

explain to them—in a developmentally and 

age-appropriate manner—that you must still 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 5

follow the guidelines in the case plan, which 

determines the level of contact between 

children and parents, and that these changes 

to family time are temporary. Foster parents 

can be a great resource for helping prepare 

the children, too.

SCHEDULING VIRTUAL FAMILY TIME

If there is an existing schedule for inperson visits, check with all participants to 

ensure that schedule still works. Participant 

schedules may change during times of crisis, 

such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or their 

access to virtual platforms may be affected. 

Caseworkers should allot the number of 

hours per week as dictated by the case plan, 

but, if allowable, they may want to consider 

adjusting time for each visit and number of 

visits to meet the needs of the parents and 

child. For example, younger children may 

have a shorter attention span for virtual 

family time, so more frequent visits may work 

better (Arizona DCS, 2020). If you do adjust 

the number and length of the visits, make 

sure the total time remains the same. For 

example, if the case plan includes two weekly 

visits for 1.5 hours each (3 hours total), you 

may be able to schedule three 1-hour visits 

per week for virtual family time. You also may 

want to consider trying to schedule visits 

during times when parent-child interactions 

may naturally occur, such as meals, tummy 

time, or getting ready for bed (Arizona DCS, 

2020). Since screen time for children generally 

is not advised during meals or immediately 

before bedtime, try to emphasize that this is 

occurring as a special bonding time for the 

parent and child rather than something that 

should be a part of the normal routine. 

BACK-UP PLANS 

Even if you have researched the technology 

you will be using and thoroughly prepared 

all participants, you should also develop 

back-up plans for any technological or 

other issues that may arise. If there is a 

technological issue, such as a participant's 

device not working or poor audio or video 

connection on the virtual platform, how will 

you proceed? Hanging up and calling back or 

restarting the call often fixes technical issues, 

but this may not resolve them every time. Is 

it possible to switch to an audio call, or will 

you need to cancel the visit? Is there a backup time set up? Are mechanisms in place to 

repair or replace the device? Examples of a 

nontechnological issue is the child or one 

of the parents refusing to participate, being 

unable to participate, or not being in an 

appropriate state to participate (e.g., being 

obviously under the influence of substances). 

How will you attempt to ameliorate this 

situation? How will you explain it to the 

other participants? You should consult with 

your agency about how missed family time 

visits may affect case plan compliance or 

reunification, particularly when barriers 

or issues may be beyond the control of the 

parent. 

HOW TO CONDUCT VIRTUAL 

FAMILY TIME 

Although there are some similarities 

between in-person and virtual family time, 

caseworkers may need to adjust how the visits 

are conducted. This section reviews how to 

facilitate the call, tips for successful virtual 

family time, and ways to engage children.
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 6

FACILITATING THE CALL

The caseworker, or whoever is hosting the 

call, may want to open the connection 5 to 

10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time, 

if possible, in case people want to test their 

connection or join early. At the beginning of 

the call, the host should lay out any rules, 

guidelines, expectations, timeframes, and 

other pertinent issues. Perhaps remind the 

participants of ways in which virtual family 

time may be similar to the in-person visits 

(e.g., families getting to share information and 

spend time with each other) as well as ways in 

which they may be different (e.g., no physical 

contact, limited shared activities). You should 

remind the participants, though, that there 

are plenty of ways in which family members 

can talk and play in a virtual environment.

GENERAL TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL 

FAMILY TIME

The following are tips you can share with 

families and build into the visits to promote 

successful family time:

 Avoid bright lights (e.g., a sun-filled window,

a large lamp) behind them to prevent

backlighting, which can make it hard to

view them on the screen.

 Make sure the device has enough battery

charge to last throughout the visit and have

a charger handy in case it runs out.

 Use nonverbal cues (e.g., hand gestures,

nodding) in addition to talking.

 Remember, however, that some nonverbal

cues (e.g., subtle facial expressions,

gestures that take place offscreen) may

be harder to pick up, which could lead to

miscommunication.

 Remember to protect your and others'

privacy.

– Items in the background (e.g., papers

with personal information) may be visible

to others, so move items that are behind

or next to you as needed.

– People nearby may be able to overhear

conversations, so some participants

may want to consider using a headset or

earbuds with a microphone. This is not

recommended for children age 3 and

younger, and this may not be possible if

multiple people need to listen at once.

– Even though participants may be using

portable devices, they should make

sure they are in private locations during

virtual family time (e.g., not in a coffee

shop).

 Reduce possible distractions (e.g., silence

phone ringers, close the door if there are

others in the home).

 Be aware that children may become

frustrated when parents multitask during

family time (Quinn et al., 2015).

 Try to place the camera so that it is pointed

directly at your face. The supporting adult

should ensure that the camera is picking

up the child's face. If a toddler is involved,

a mobile device (if available) may be helpful

so that the supporting adult can follow the

child's movement.

 Gather any materials or props for the visit

(e.g., books, pictures).

After the family time visit, caseworkers should 

indicate in the case file that it occurred 

virtually and take notes as they normally 

would for an in-person visit.
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ENGAGING CHILDREN DURING VIRTUAL 

FAMILY TIME 

Parents may need to adjust how they interact 

with their children in order to more fully 

engage them. Parents should still be aware 

that even young children perceive differences 

in in-person versus virtual interactions. 

To help bridge that gap, increase 

attentiveness, and better engage their 

children, parents can use a variety of tools, 

including adjusting how they communicate 

with their children, games, and other 

activities. Here are some tips you can use to 

coach parents about how to better engage 

their children during virtual family time:

 Since parents are not able to touch their

children to show physical affection, they

may need to emphasize other types of

communication, such as facial expressions,

smiling, and laughing. Additionally, birth

parents can describe or act out the physical

touch (e.g., saying "mommy is hugging you

right now" while hugging her arms around

herself) or request that the foster parent

use physical actions on their end that

match what the birth parent is saying (e.g.,

hugging the child, wiggle the child's toes

while the birth parent recites "this little

piggy") (McClure & Barr, 2017; Youth Law

Center & Quality Parenting Initiative, 2020).

This can be especially important for young

children, who rely on physical interactions

for bonding and to maintain attention

(McClure & Barr, 2017).

 For young children, hellos and goodbyes

can be very important to framing the family

time visit and providing closure (Burnson,

2020). It may be helpful to develop a

goodbye ritual to help toddlers and young 

children experience the end of the call 

in a positive way, such as encouraging 

the child—if old enough—to press the 

button that ends the visit after they say 

goodbye out loud (E. McClure, personal 

communication, May 20, 2020). It may take 

a few tries to find the best ritual for each 

child.

 Parents should follow their children's lead

(Burnson, 2020). If they appear to be losing

attention with one activity, move to another

activity or perhaps change locations (e.g.,

moving from the family room to a bedroom

or outside).

 Foster parents can help very young children

engage well during the visit by remaining

in the room and being responsive to the

interaction (e.g., narrating what the parent

is doing) rather than being a passive

bystander (Barr et al., 2018). Children may

depend on the social cues of the person

watching with them to help make sense

of the virtual interactions. You may want

to explain why this is occurring to the

birth parent so they do not view it as the

foster parent telling the child how to act or

controlling the family time.

 Parents can encourage the child to show

affection across screens (e.g., blow kisses)

(McClure & Barr, 2017; Youth Law Center &

Quality Parenting Initiative, 2020).

Just as with in-person family time, a mix 

of talking and activities may help engage 

children and enhance interactions. The 

activities chosen should reflect the age or 

developmental level of the child. If needed, 

you can help parents decide which activities 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 8

may be appropriate for their children. Here 

are some examples of activities parents can 

plan for their family time (Arizona DCS, 2020; 

Iowa Department of Human Services, 2020; 

Braggs & Biron, 2020; Court Appointed Special 

Advocates for Children & Prevent Child Abuse 

Arizona; 2020): 

 Place toys in the room with the child so the

parent can watch and react to the playtime.

 Use props (e.g., toys or other items from the

home) to show the child.

 Sing or play music with the child.

 Have the child play outside with the parent

watching and interacting.

 Have a snack or meal together.

 Read a book to or with the child (perhaps

with the parent having the same book as

the child).

 Ask the child to give a tour of their room or

house.

 Guide the child through an art project or

color together.

 Bake or cook together.

 Share jokes.

 Make up a story together (e.g., take turns

for each sentence).

 Use sound effects or different voices.

 Play games (e.g., I Spy With My Little Eye,

trivia, Pictionary, Boggle, freeze dance).

 Use the games or filters that may come with

the virtual platform.

For younger children, parents may need to 

determine the activities on their own, but 

they may want to include older children when 

planning out what to do during virtual family 

time. For additional ideas, refer to the links 

in the Additional Resources section of this 

factsheet.

CONCLUSION

When crises or other situations prevent 

in-person family time for children in outof-home care, it remains critical for parents 

and children to maintain contact to allow 

them to bond, share, and comfort each 

other. Virtual family time offers a temporary 

substitution in these times. Although some 

of the practices used for in-person visits may 

still apply to virtual family time, caseworkers 

need to prepare themselves and the children 

and families for the certain changes that 

come with a virtual environment. Even with 

the differences, however, the goal of family 

time remains the same: to allow parents 

and children to continue developing and 

strengthening their relationship to promote 

reunification.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

 Virtual Visitation Guidelines: Guidance and

Resources to Support Virtual Parenting Time

(Arizona DCS)

 "Top Tips to Engage With Young Children

When Video Calling" (Court Appointed

Special Advocates for Children & Prevent

Child Abuse Arizona)

 "Top Ten Tips to Engage Children When

Video Calling" (Court Appointed Special

Advocates for Children & Prevent Child

Abuse Arizona)
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 9

 "Using Media Effectively With Young

Children and Virtual Visitation/Part

One: Virtual Communication With Young

Children" (Youth Law Center)

 Screen Sense: What the Research Says About

the Impact of Media on Children Aged 0–3

Years Old (ZERO TO THREE)

 "5 Tips to Make the Most of Video Chats"

(ZERO TO THREE)

 "Successful Video Visits With Young

Children" (National Council on Crime &

Delinquency)

 "Supportive Virtual Family Time Program"

[Training] (Alliance for Child Welfare

Excellence)

REFERENCES

American Academy of Pediatrics, Council 

on Communications and Media. (2016). 

Media and young minds. Pediatrics, 138(5), 

e20162591. https://doi.org/10.1542/

peds.2016-2591

Arizona Department of Child Safety. (2020). 

Virtual visitation guidelines: Guidance 

and resources to support virtual parenting 

time. https://dcs.az.gov/sites/default/

files/documents/files/CSO-2390-

VirtualVisitationGuidelines.pdf

Barr, R., McClure, E., & Parlakian, R. (2018). 

Screen sense: What the research says about 

the impact of media on children aged 0–3 

years old. ZERO TO THREE. https://www.

zerotothree.org/resources/2536-screensense-what-the-research-says-about-theimpact-of-media-on-children-aged-0-3-

years-old

Braggs, J., & Biron, K. (2020, March 20). 

Partnering to support virtual visits. 

Fostering Connections for Families. https://

www.fosteringconnectionsforfamilies.

com/post/partnering-to-support-virtualvisits

Burnson, C. (2020, March 25). Successful video 

visits with young children. National Council 

on Crime and Delinquency. https://www.

nccdglobal.org/blog/successful-videovisits-young-children

Court Appointed Special Advocates for 

Children, & Prevent Child Abuse Arizona. 

(2020). Top ten tips to engage children 

when video calling. https://dcs.az.gov/

sites/default/files/documents/files/

TenTipsforEngagingChildreninVideo

Calling.pdf

Iowa Department of Human Services. (2020). 

Tips for foster parents to support remote 

interactions. https://dhs.iowa.gov/sites/

default/files/Remote_Interactions_

COVID19.pdf?050620201219

McClure, E., & Barr, R. (2017). Building family 

relationships from a distance: Supporting 

connections with babies and toddlers 

using video and video chat. In R. Barr & D. 

Linebarger (Eds.), Media Exposure During 

Infancy and Early Childhood. Springer.

Myers, L. J., LeWitt, R. B., Gallo, R. E., & 

Maselli, N. M. (2017). Baby FaceTime: Can 

toddlers learn from online video chat? 

Developmental Science, 20, e12430. https://

doi.org/10.1111/desc.12430
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Nesmith, A. (2014). Factors influencing the 

regularity of parental visits with children 

in foster care. Child and Adolescent Social 

Work Journal, 32, 219–228. https://doi.

org/10.1007/s10560-014-0360-6 

New York City Administration for Children’s 

Services. (2020). ACS emergency guidance 

for foster care providers: Casework contacts, 

family time and family team conferences. 

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/acs/pdf/

covid19/guidancefostercarecontacts.pdf

Quinn, A., Sage, K., & Tunseth, P. (2015). An 

exploration of child welfare workers’ 

opinions of using video assisted visitation 

(VAV) in the family reunification process. 

Journal of Technology in Human Services, 

33, 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835

.2014.998573

Roseberry, S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Michnick 

Golinkoff, R. (2014). Skype me! Socially 

contingent interactions help toddlers learn 

language. Child Development, 85, 956–970. 

https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12166

Youth Law Center, & Quality Parenting 

Initiative. (2020). Using media effectively 

with young children and virtual visitation: 

Part one summary: Virtual communication 

with young children. http://www.qpi4kids.

org/documents/covid-19/Virtual%20

Communication%20with%20Young%20

Children%20Summary.pdf

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare 

Information Gateway. This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/bulletins-familytime/.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau