QPI Practice Guides

Quality Parenting Initiative Update and Practice Guidance: September 2018 Announcement

• Initial Call
  The initial call is the practice of contacting the child's previous caregiver (birthparent, relative, and/or foster parent) as soon as possible following removal (or replacement) to convey the safety of the child, to exchange critical information needed to best meet the immediate needs of the child, and to introduce caregivers.

• Initial Removal
  To assist in reducing the trauma and demonstrate better quality of care and practice within our child welfare system, staff should utilize strategies that are designed to provide accurate and sufficient information and establish open and collaborative relationships.

• Planful Transitions
  Planful Transitions are the thoughtful, collaborative processes, and actions designed to ease the trauma for a child, to maintain established attachments and connections, and to facilitate attachment with a new caregiver and a successful move.

• Icebreaker Meetings
  Utilization of the Icebreaker Meeting is the practice of scheduling and facilitating a meeting between the birth parent(s) and foster caregiver(s) for the primary purposes of sharing information and building relationships.

• Confidentiality
  The issue of confidentiality vs. what information about a child or his family can be shared has often presented challenges and confusion for staff and foster parents.