Parents seeking reunification with their children should recognize the importance of safety, permanency, and well-being for children and know that reunification is a process not an event. It is a time of change, adjustment, discovery, and challenge. The following resources can help birth parents prepare for, understand, and better promote and support permanency with their children.
Family Time/Visitation: Road to Safe Reunification
Laver (2017)
Child Law Practice Today, March/April
American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law
Describes the link between family time or visitation and safe reunification of families. The article provides tips on how to improve visitation for families, leading to better outcomes.
Getting to Reunification
Rise Magazine (2020)
Presents articles and information for parents working toward reunification with their children. The page covers visitation, service planning, bonding with children, and more.
How Can Birth and Foster Parents Partner to Achieve Reunification?
Casey Family Programs (2020)
Explores how building relationships between birth and foster parents can help work toward reunification. The website presents audio from birth parents and foster parents describing how they made their relationship work and supported reunification.
How Do Parent Partner Programs Instill Hope and Support Prevention and Reunification?
Casey Family Programs (2019)
Examines the benefits of pairing parents who are new to the child welfare system with parent mentors who have already experienced the system and can help guide them. Those who use parent partner programs show higher rates of reunification, lower rates of reentry, and increased participation in services and court hearings.