Responding to feedback from recent focus groups with parents, Rise is launching a new publication and partnerships to ensure that, when children enter foster care, parents get the information they need to make choices in their cases.

Rise TIPS – a series of one-page handouts — will provide basic information about handling challenges in child welfare cases. The first set of TIPS focuses on visiting. Content was developed by parents, with input from caseplanners at Graham Windham; the project was underwritten by ACS’ Family Permanency Services.

In Fall 2016, Rise will partner with Graham Windham, Sheltering Arms and JCCA–three NYC foster care agencies–to support caseworkers in using the TIPS with parents. The goal is to inform parents and to build stronger communication and trust between parents and caseplanners early in the case.

The TIPS project will be successful if parents report reading the TIPS and finding them valuable, and if they help parents and caseplanners have meaningful conversations to help parents either get off to a positive start with visiting their children in foster care or address problems in visits.

Based on feedback from parents and caseplanners at these agencies, Rise will tweak the TIPS and publish them for subscribers in Winter 2017. We also will hold a forum with ACS to share the TIPS with agencies citywide.