FOSTER PLACEMENT

For children who require placement, individual assessment can reveal w hether return to the parents, termination of parental rights and adopt ion, relative placement, transfer of guardianship, or innovative place ment and open adoption arrangements, such as the neighborhood program of The Center for Family Life, represents the least harmful option for the child. Nevertheless, certain guiding principles should prevail: p sychological continuity of at least one significant nurturing protecti ve adult and decisions based on the least detrimental alternative, acc ording to the child's sense of time.