June 2023 Issue: Letter from the President Program Spotlight: Family Reunification Program I Make a Difference Moment Upcoming Events

When a Child Protective Services hotline is called to report suspected child abuse or neglect, an investigation is conducted. The results of that investigation is shared with a court and sometimes that court concludes the children need foster care. Most foster care cases start out with the goal of reunifying parents and their children when it appears safe to do so. Parents of children in foster care are offered a variety of services such as parent education programs like those offered by our agency. Another service we offer is called Parents and Children Together (PACT) where we transport children in foster care to visit their parents, observe that visit and report to the court what we observed. Additionally, our foster care case managers offer multiple types of other services to help children in foster care and their parents. Following the completion of the services offered, if the court concludes it is safe to return children to their parent’s custody, we refer to that as family reunification. Each year, the U. S. Health and Human Services Department, state governments and other organizations celebrate family reunification month in June in honor of those adults who made the life choices that enabled a court to safely return their children back into their care and custody. I hope you enjoy reading the I Make A Difference Moment below written by one of our PACT staff and the video that describes how one of our foster care case managers persisted to help a father reunite with his children.   Thank you so very much for your help!

REUNIFICATION: SHIFTING POWER and RECONNECTING FAMILIES ALL YEAR LONG - Celebrated in June each year, National Reunification Month recognizes the people and efforts around the country that help families to stay together. Reunification is the most common outcome for youth in out-of-home care and foster parents can be one of the most important resources to help children reunify with their families. Social workers support families going through reunification by: Respecting birth parents and be compassionate by expressing genuine concern, being honest and letting them know your goal is to help them get their children back Encouraging visitation and regular contact advocating for increased visitation whenever safe, encouraging children to have phone calls with family, especially during the week and multiple times per week & helping children video chat with their birth parents and family members Communicating with the family regularly by involving parents or other family members in school functions and meetings, stay in constant contact, send pictures, copies of art projects, grades info, and show a genuine interest in the family as a whole, not just the child. Remembering that safe reunification is best for the children! At Adoption Option, there are several programs focused on supporting family: Parent and Child Together (PACT), Parents Using Life Skills Education (PULSE) and Advance in Home services. Stay tuned for the July newsletter for more info on these programs. 

Sometimes you just have to be there.

One of my clients, a mom of three children, two of which are in foster care, has reminded me that just 'being there' can make a lot of difference.  The children in foster care have had multiple issues with the foster parent that resulted in a lot of tension. One instance, the foster mom had requested the older child to give up her cell phone and she called her mom to complain. The child was extremely upset which made her mom feel powerless in this situation. While things like this happen, it often resolves peacefully. The mom could not reach her assigned case worker from another agency and I happened to be in the office when she called us at Adoption Option. She was very concerned and wanted action taken right away. I spent time with her listening and acknowledging her feelings. I reminded her that she was so close to reunification and that she should keep her eye on the prize, so to speak. Read more.

In this 3-minute video, Brian Hamilton, an Adoption Option, Inc. client, shares his journey of losing custody of his children and receiving a wake-up call that ended with his family reunification. Brian's honest and brave story exemplifies why we, at Adoption Option, Inc., do what we do. To improve the lives of the children and families that we serve.

Reunification is more than just a goal. There are specific interventions that when prioritized and coordinated increase the likelihood of successful reunification outcomes. Earlier this year, the American Bar Association organized a panel of parents, foster parents and permanency workers and hosted a webinar to share their experiences with the reunification process. The panel shared strategies to empower families and resolve barriers to reunification. They have also shared how the Plummer Youth Promise national training and consulting team supports organizations to learn the skills and practices that lead to reunification and permanency.

Click the image above to view the recording.

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