This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
Type of Maltreatment: Emotional abuse, Exposure to domestic violence, Physical abuse, Physical neglect, and Sexual abuse
Target Population: Families separated by court order and involved in the state’s child welfare system.
Brief Description:
Families Together has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Child Welfare Visitation. Families Together, a program of Providence Children’s Museum (PCM), was created in 1992 in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). The program provides therapeutic visits for children aged 1 to 11 throughout Rhode Island with their parents. These families must have been separated by court order due to abuse or neglect and referred to the program by their DCYF caseworker. These participant families consist of children and their parent or parents, and in some cases extended family members. The family makes a series of visits to the museum, where, under the guidance of the program’s family therapists, they play and learn together. The families visit PCM weekly or bi-weekly for 3 to 6 months; some continue for as long as a year. Families Together program assistants provide transportation. Guided by one of the family therapists, families engage in healthy play activities and communication necessary for successful reunification. Visiting in this environment gives parents hands-on experience and immediate feedback as they master parenting skills.
Contact name: Heidi Brinig, MA
Affiliation/Agency: Families Together at Providence Children’s Museum
Email: brinig@childrenmuseum.org
Phone: 401-273-5437, ext. 131
Fax: 401-273-1004
Website: http://www.childrenmuseum.org/htdocs/familiestogether.html
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