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Turn Social Distancing into Distant Socializing

Social distancing has become our new normal. Kids are out of school, parents are working from home, events have been canceled, and in some jurisdictions, folks have been ordered to stay home altogether.

And ASCI has had to make some adjustments, too. To cooperate with government mandates, Pennsylvania counties have had to suspend in-person birth parent visitation. However, as these visits are crucial, this is no reason to stop connecting!

So, how can youth and adults reach out to one another during the coronavirus pandemic? Luckily, there are over a dozen free video-chatting apps to stay in contact with family and friends. With programs from Zoom to WhatsApp, your loved ones can be at your fingertips! Check out the full list of apps from TechCrunch to see which one works best for you and your family!

While socializing is important to everyone’s emotional and mental well-being, visitation with birth parents is crucial for them and their children, so it is our hope that while families may not be able to be with one another face-to-face, they will arrange to spend quality time together through these digital options. If caregivers have questions about initiating virtual visits between kinship children and their birth parents, they should contact their caseworkers. Birth parents with questions should call their POC caseworkers.

If you are experiencing any other challenges regarding COVID-19, please call the Caregiver Crisis Hotline in your region:

Pittsburgh Caregiver Crisis Hotline: 412-852-6018 
Philadelphia Caregiver Crisis Hotline: 267-713-0197

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of A Second Chance, Inc.

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