In-person foster care visits suspended over virus concerns

In-person visits between birth parents and their children in foster care have been suspended over COVID-19 concerns in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Foster Families Association said the directive came from the provincial government on March 24.

"That was in keeping with all the recommendations coming frommedical professionals and leadership within the province," said Diane Molloy, executive directorof the association.

"For now, family contact would be telephone calls, FaceTime, any kind of creative ways that people can come up with, ways that families and children can stay in contact safely."

Prior to the directive from government, Molloy said the association was hearing concerns from foster parents for the safety of the children, the birth families and for their own families. She said the province also received notes from worried foster and birth parents.There are 580 foster families across the province.

Molloy said visitation varies among families. Some children may be picked up by their birth families; other times, if visitations are supervised, the child will have to be transported in a taxi then taken to a neutral location.

"We haven't had any conversations with foster parents to indicate it's not going OK," Molloy said.

"I have no doubt that birth families are in a very difficult situation right now and our foster parents certainly understand that."

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