Earlier this week, FPSS was pleased to join other B.C. Service providers at a virtual meeting with the
Provincial MCFD staff
overseeing the “scaling up” of in-person family visits for our children and youth in care. We are pleased to share with you meeting highlights here.
We know some caregivers are concerned about the possibility of increasing the risk of COVID-19 spread during the scaling up process. They are asking, “How can we do this safely?” In response to those concerns, MCFD in collaboration with stakeholders and the caregiving community provided the following:
MCFD’s Principles to Guide Practise:
- Collaborating with the child/youth’s care team is essential,
- Family members or other individuals a child/youth has a relationship with will be considered, where possible, for in-person connections that need or require support or supervision,
- A child/youth’s connection to their family will be enhanced by maintaining virtual connections as we move to re-establish in-person connections.
Our practice continues to apply Public Health Principles in our homes:
- Stay informed and follow public health advice, bc-restart-plan
- Practice good hygiene – hand hygiene, avoid touching your face, and respiratory etiquette,
- Maintain physical distancing outside your family and those you live with,
- Stay home when sick,
- No hand shaking or hugging outside of your family or those you live with. **Children and youth in care can hug (have physical contact) with family members during in-person visits. Please direct your questions related to individual placements to your MCFD social worker.
- Increase cleaning of frequently touched surfaces at home and at work.
Exceptional circumstances:
There may be short term exceptional circumstances where in-person connections may not be able to resume due to COVID-19 related health and safety concerns and there are no available mitigation strategies and must be regularly reviewed. In these situations, collaborating with your child/youth’s care team is essential.
Resources for Current Information:
1) Please see the updated MCFD COVID-19 Practice Bulletin #4 - Scaling up
in- person connections and facilitating access for children, youth and their
families. Please read this bulletin fully. There are different scenarios laid out with
mitigation strategies to help support the scaling up process.
Mitigation strategies to consider when arranging family visits:
• Happen outdoors at home, on decks, or in back yards,
• Picnic outings using personal picnic blankets to promote physical
distancing,
• Asking parents to physically distance from other adults during the visit
(Caregiver, service provider etc.)
• Go hiking/walking,
• Arrange an alternate person for drop off or pickup,
• Provide hand sanitizer and wipes to use prior to visiting, before entering
the vehicle or building, and upon returning home.
2) MCFD/BCFFPA/BCPHO FOSTER CAREGIVER JOINT INFORMATION SESSION:
presentation from Dr. Danièle Behn Smith of the Provincial Health Office. Dr.
Behn addressed questions submitted by BC foster caregivers. This information is
current as of May 13, 2020. In her presentation Dr. Behn discussed:
• COVID-19’s BC impact Jan to April 2020,
• Epidemiology of COVID-19 in BC’s children (i.e. patterns of risk and spread,
complications)
• Restarting BC and plans to continue to effectively control the spread of
COVID-19.
3)
MCFD COVID-19 Resources site:
As a foster caregiver, out of care provider or
contracted residential agency you can find many of the resources that MCFD has
COVID -19 related information and resources to support you including:
• Practice Bulletins
• Provincial Health Officer Direction
• Ministry communications
• Links to additional support pages
4)
Foster Parent Services Society
has gathered COVID-19 resources on a wide
available to provide a confidential ear and referral to current information on all
aspects of scaling up visits and care connected to your unique circumstances
during the pandemic.
We know that Resource Workers are reaching out to their caregivers during the scaling up period. As always, if you have questions regarding planning and caring for the specific placements in your home, speak with your Resource Social Worker.
