Parent Reunification Enhancement Program (PREP)
Program Overview
Nearly 700 children ages birth to five were removed from their homes by Child Protective Services last year for allegations of abuse or neglect. Recognizing the urgency to respond to the behavioral health needs of these very young children, Intermountain Centers for Human Development has designed an innovative program to serve children and families with these complex issues.
The Parent Reunification Enhancement Program works with biological, adoptive and foster parents with the primary goal to provide permanency for children, while monitoring each infant/child to assure that they are reaching age appropriate developmental milestones and that infant mental health issues are addressed.
Best practice with regard to reunification indicates that families that reunify quickly with supports are most successful in the long term in achieving permanency for their children. The purpose of Intermountain’s Parent Reunification Enhancement Program is to engage biological parents in their CPS case plan, provide services to their children to ensure appropriate development, and to reunify them safely to their homes. Parents participate in parenting classes and supervised visits where crucial life skills are modeled and, therefore, can be generalized to the family homes when the children return.
Assessments
In keeping with recommendations outlined by the Infant Toddler Mental Health Coalition of Arizona, the early childhood specialist will meet with the child at least once a week for the first four weeks in order to observe the child, help assess needs and to gather information from the biological parents, foster placement and CPS worker on the child’s adjustment. If a delay is identified, an early childhood specialist will provide targeted interventions to mitigate the delay, and the child’s caretaker and parents will be taught these techniques for the specific area of development.
Our Early Childhood Specialists complete developmental assessments and provide interventions in the areas of:
- • Gross motor development
• Fine motor development
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Personal-social
• Self-regulation
• Compliance
• Adaptive functioning
• Autonomy
• Affect
• Interaction with people
Early Childhood Specialists also complete assessments of Behavioral Concerns and Protective/Resiliency Factors, which include:
- • Initiative
• Self Control
• Attachment
Intermountain has a long history of innovative community-based services that facilitate family reunification. The Parent Reunification Enhancement Program significantly impacts families’ abilities to facilitate permanency for their children. Services are available throughout the reunification process, and up to three months after reunification is achieved.
Referral Information
Referrals to the Parent Reunification Enhancement Program are made through the family’s Child and Family Team, and are available for any child aged birth to five years with CPS involvement who are enrolled in Pantano, Providence, or La Frontera.