RECONNECTING CHILDREN WITH ABSENT PARENTS |
| |
| Authors: | Rhonda Freeman David Abel Mary Cowper-Smith Laurie Stein |
| |
| Institution: | Rhondu Freeman is the founding director of Familis in Transition, Family Service Toronto. She is a social worker with extensive experience in clinical practice, social policy issues, and research in the area of child adjustment and divorce.;David Abel is a social worker at Familis in Transition, Family Service Toronto, with extensive experience in the area of child adjustment and divorce. In addition to individual and group counseling and mediation, his areas of specialty include high conflict and fathers.;Mary Cowper-Smith is a social worker at Families in Transition, Family Service Toronto, with extensive experience in the area of child adjustment and divorce. In addition to individual and group counseling and mediation, her areas of specialty include young children, and remarriage and stepparenting.;Laurie Stein is a social worker at Families in Transition, Family Service Toronto, with extensive experience in the area of child adjustment and divorce. In addition to individual and group counseling and mediation, her areas of specialty include play therapy and the child support guidelines. |
| |
| Abstract: | Reconnecting a child with an absent parent is a complex process. This article describes variables influencing the reconnection and proposes a seven-stage model for supporting successful reconnections. Case examples illustrate the discussion. Ethical dilemmas for practitioners and courts involved in reconnections are outlined. Guidelines for working with reconnections and directions for future work are proposed. Experience with the model underscores the importance of maintaining a child-centered focus and timeline, understanding safety and risk issues and implementing an appropriate safety plan, the critical role of assessment and support services, and the value of consultation and teamwork. |
| |
| Keywords: | reconnection children of divorced parents child-parent relationship child adjustment |
|
|
