Specifications include, but are not limited to: y. Current research shows that consistent and frequent visitation between parents and their children in out-of-home care can reduce trauma for children and is crucial to strengthening and maintaining family relationships. It is also important for parent-child attachments and can decrease the sense of abandonment that children often experience when they are removed from their home and placed in out -ofhome care. Family visitation is linked to positive outcomes, including improved child well -being, less time in out-of-home care, and faster reunification (when safety is established and in the best interest of the child). The primary purpose of visitation is to maintain the parent-child attachment, reduce a child’s sense of abandonment, preserve their sense of belonging as part of a family and community, and maintain cultural connections. Visitation facilitates permanency planning, promotes more timely reunification, and helps in the decision making process to establish an alternative permanency plan for a child in out of home care. There are currently twelve (12) Quality Parenting Center programs that are contracted by the Department to provide these services. These programs currently serve the Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, Manchester, Milford, New Haven, New Britain, Norwalk, Norwich, Torrington, Waterbury and Willimantic Area Offices. Through this procurement the Department is hoping to expand QPC service access for the Meriden Area Office.
