Foster parents attend planning meetings and engage in an ongoing supportive relationship with the birth parents. Case Managers are Family Workers, not just Child Workers. One of the most important factors in whether children are reunified is how much the parents change their behavior. The worker's role is to assess the needs of the parents and to link them with resources. This is not a new role, but one that is not emphasized in current practice.
Staff often view their role as ensuring the safety of the child.
Being a family worker doesn't exclude this, but expands to include a responsibility to engage the entire family. The crisis of having a child placed can spur families into working on changing behavior. Family Team Meetings Family Team meetings are held soon after a child is placed and then on an as needed basis to keep the team working together toward permanency for the child. Meetings are held to identify issues, clarify relationships and set goals. The worker discusses with the birth parents the initial plan for reunification, and backup plans such as relative placement very early in the process.