Can I Visit My Children While They Are in Foster Care?
Contact between children and their parents during foster care is a right — but one that MCFD can shape and restrict. Here is what you are entitled to, how to request more contact, and what to do if visits are being denied without justification.
You have the right to contact with your children during foster care. MCFD can supervise visits and set conditions, but cannot deny contact without a court order or a documented safety reason. If visits are being cancelled, delayed, or made unnecessarily difficult, document every instance and raise it with your lawyer.
Visits with your children during foster care are not a privilege — they are a recognized part of your rights and your children’s wellbeing. Here is how to protect them.
Your right to contact
BC law recognizes that maintaining connection between children and their parents is important to children’s wellbeing. MCFD must actively facilitate contact unless:
- A court has specifically ordered restricted or no contact
- There is a documented immediate safety concern that justifies restriction
“MCFD thinks less contact is better” is not a legal basis for denial. Push back on restrictions that are not grounded in a specific documented concern.
Types of contact
Contact during foster care can take several forms:
- In-person supervised visits (with an MCFD worker or approved supervisor present)
- In-person unsupervised visits (as trust develops and risk decreases)
- Phone and video contact
- Letters and notes
Early in a case, supervised visits are common. As the case progresses and you demonstrate that visits are positive for your children, you can advocate for less restrictive contact.
How to request more contact
Put your request in writing to your MCFD worker. State what you are asking for specifically — more frequent visits, longer visits, phone contact between visits, or unsupervised contact — and ask for a written response.
If MCFD denies your request, ask for the reason in writing. If the case is before a court, your lawyer can ask the court to set contact conditions that MCFD must follow.
If visits are being cancelled
Document every cancellation: date, time, who called, what reason was given. If visits are being cancelled repeatedly, this pattern is evidence of MCFD’s failure to support your family connection — something courts take seriously.
Your children are also affected by cancelled visits. Their distress at inconsistent contact can be raised as a concern, alongside your own right to see them.
Cultural contact matters too
Contact is not only physical visits. Your children’s connection to their cultural community — Elders, ceremonies, language — is also protected. Ask specifically about cultural contact opportunities and document whether they are being facilitated.
If you are an Indigenous family navigating child welfare in BC and need peer support, contact KFT-Families Society at [email protected], call Lori at 604-512-3266, or visit keeping-families-together.com. IFISC operates weekly peer support circles, connects families with culturally grounded resources, and provides guidance to parents at every stage of the child welfare process — at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have a legal right to visit my children in foster care?
- Yes. BC law recognizes the importance of contact between children and their parents. MCFD must facilitate meaningful contact unless a court has specifically restricted it or there is a documented safety reason. Contact being inconvenient or uncomfortable for the placement does not justify denial.
- What is a supervised visit and why might one be required?
- A supervised visit is a visit that takes place with an MCFD worker or approved supervisor present. Supervised visits are often required early in a child welfare case while MCFD is still assessing the situation. Supervision is not permanent — it can be reduced or removed as you demonstrate the visits are safe and positive for your children.
- What if MCFD keeps cancelling or rescheduling my visits?
- Document every cancellation — date, time, who cancelled, and the reason given. If visits are being cancelled repeatedly without legitimate reason, raise this with your lawyer. Consistent visit cancellation can be raised with the court as a failure by MCFD to support family connection, which is a legal requirement.
KFT-Families Society
You do not have to navigate this alone.
IFISC is operated by KFT-Families Society, an Indigenous-led nonprofit founded by people who have navigated the child welfare system firsthand. We run weekly peer support circles and connect families with culturally grounded resources across BC. Reach out — no paperwork, no waitlist.
[email protected] · keeping-families-together.com