Non-custodial placements are referred to us by the Department of Social Services and provide vital support for families in crisis before a child might otherwise enter the foster care system. When initiated by a birth parent, this process gives children temporary placement in a home with a licensed foster family until the child can safely return to their birth family. In these cases, the court has agreed it is in the best interests of foster youth to remain in custody of their birth parents or legal guardians during an out-of-home placement. This prevention and assistance tool offers the brightest outcomes for children whose parents are managing through a life crisis.