The goal of the mother-child program is to facilitate, maintain, and develop the mother-child bond. As in all facilities, regular and private family visiting programs will be available. If the child is in local foster care, or an alternative placement, visits could occur more regularly, such as every day after school. Weekend and holiday residency could also be available. Finally, full-time, on-site residency will be available if both the mother and the child meet established criteria. The overriding factor and basis for all decisionmaking in the program will be the best interests of the child. This will be assessed by comparisons with program eligibility criteria and, when necessary, through partnerships with local child welfare authorities. The mother-child program is an enormous undertaking for the Correctional Service and there are certainly concerns to be addressed; however, the importance of such a program to federally sentenced women, their children, and their children's future is too great to ignore any longer. 5 footnotes