Family Reunification Following Foster Care

All families need support. It is essential to promote child safety, development, and well-being. All parents can also benefit from helpful information, guidance, and resources as they meet the challenges of parenthood and family life. This is especially true after a family goes through a crisis that separates family members because of abuse or neglect and results in an intervention from child protective services to ensure safety.

Families preparing to reunify after a separation because of abuse or neglect face unique challenges in their attempts to come back together. Parents must ensure they provide and maintain a safe home environment for their children and resolve personal challenges that may impair their ability to parent effectively (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012).

Court-mandated parenting courses often provide the skills, resources, and education necessary to meet and manage the demands of parenting for families in crisis

Researchers and practitioners in child welfare have provided helpful information to develop workable plans to aid families in reunifying and rebuilding.

Our publication, “Family Reunification Following Foster Care” can help families understand what children need, how to help them feel safe and loved, and things families can do to promote and maintain family reunification. For a free download go to: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY136600.pdf