Safe and Secure Baby Calendar
The Safe and Secure Baby Calendar (SSBC) seeks to serve parents of new babies (zero (0) to eighteen (18) months) who may have been in the system themselves as juveniles, have mental health issues, housing insecurity, domestic violence exposure, a substance use history without present active use, and/or lack of parenting skills and natural supports.
The baby need not be a first child, i.e. a previous guardianship or voluntary termination does not preclude admission. Generally, a parent may not have other open cases but still may qualify for the SSBC on a case-by-case basis.
Anyone (judicial officer, attorney, hospital personnel, social worker, service provider, etc.) can refer a parent for a SSBC intake as long as the DCYF petition has been open for less than six (6) months and the case plan goal is reunification. However, transfer of your case from the DCYF calendar to the SSBC calendar is ultimately the decision of the original presiding justice.
RESTRICTIONS
The following issues generally preclude participation:
- A parent who is facing criminal child abuse or neglect charges related to their DCYF petition;
- A parent who is a convicted sex offender or a parent who is being charged with sexual abuse allegations and/or adjudicated status; and/or
- A parent who has severe cognitive limitations or significant mental health concerns.
EXPECTATIONS
- Participants must admit to DEPENDENCY as a condition of joining the program.
- Participants may be required to complete an infant-parent assessment conducted by the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk.
- Participants must cooperate with their assigned SSBC care coordinator and sign all necessary releases.
- Participants are expected to complete their case plan and achieve reunification within twelve (12) months of joining the SSBC.
