National Reunification Month

2019 Reunification Heroes

Each year, we highlight parents, professionals, and youth "reunification heroes" who demonstrate the compassion and perseverance to keep families together. Special thanks to ABA Center on Children and the Law summer interns, Jeremiah & Helen Donier (veteran parents), John Marlow, J.D., Nora McCarthy, Rise Magazine, Martha-Elin Bloomquist, NCJFCJ, Commissioner Mark Hillman from King County who provided valuable input into the Reunification Heroes project, Chauncey Strong, Strong Training and Consulting, LLC, and Tracy Serdjenian, AdoptUSKids.

Adam Ballout

Linda Becker

Island County, WA

Moshammet Rhodd

Jessica Salinas-Thomas

Nina Shaw-Woody

Victor Sims

Gina Wassemiller

Aida Vindell

New Resources

Icebreakers: Tapping into the Power of Families Supporting Families

An article describing a practice that is successfully being used to open communication channels between birth parents and foster parents - known as Icebreakers meetings.

Permanence Can Mean Going Home

An article from the National American Council on Adoptable Children focusing on reunification with parents after termination of parental rights as a permanency option for older youth in foster care.

Georgia's New Reunification Manager Position

Georgia is making family reunification a statewide priority with a new reunification manager position.

Partnering With Birth Parents to Promote Reunification

A publication by the Child Welfare Information Gateway focusing on strengthening partnerships between birth parents, foster parents and relative caregivers.

Rise Magazine National Reunification Events

Newsletter highlighting 2019 national reunification month events.

Equipping Foster Parents to Actively Support Reunification

An article about preparing and supporting foster parents to help work toward reunification—whenever reunification is the goal—and to feel supported after children return home.

Parent Partners: Resources for Families, Teams, and Systems

An article highlighting how parent partners support reunification and strategies for practitioners seeking to design and implement parent partner programs in their communities.

Resource Family Tip Sheet for Supporting Reunification

Tips and themes drawn from interviews with foster families who are outstanding supporters of reunification.

More Resources

Webinars & Videos

Foster Care: A Path to Reunification, part 1

This podcast shares the work of the Center for Family Life, an organization that aims to stabilize families by providing an array of neighborhood-based family and social services in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Legal Services NJ Family Unification Day Videos

4 videos from LSNJ's 2018 reunification day event honoring parents who have been reunified with their children after involvement with the child welfare system.

Birth Parent National Network Webinar

A webinar held on Thursday June 28, 2018. Center staff attorney Mimi Laver presented highlights from national reunification month efforts.

Foster Care: A Path to Reunification, part 2

This podcast explores the partnerships, trainings, and coordination within San Diego County’s Children’s Services. Learn about trauma-informed assessment tools, collaboration with a county-based community college to support training, and experiences from birth families and older youth.

Equipping Foster Parents to Actively Support Reunification

AdoptUsKids' webinar held May 23, 2019 with strategies to develop and support foster parents to actively support reunification as a permanency goal for children in their care.