Each June, members of the child welfare community come together to celebrate National Reunification Month. Throughout the month, organizations promote reunification as the most desirable permanency goal for families involved in the child welfare system and recognize those who help bring families back together. Not only does New Jersey celebrate reunification of families during this time, but the state also raises awareness about what can be done to keep families from being separated in the first place.
To mark their commitment to securing intact families and avoiding separation, Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ) has celebrated Family Unification Day since 2017. Before then, LSNJ’s annual event was called Family Reunification Day, and this slight change in name is indicative of the state’s shift in focus to prevention. At this moving event LSNJ honors parents who have worked hard to prevent removal or reunite with their children.
Celebrating reunited families allows LSNJ to recognize successful approaches to family reunification. LSNJ can then use these same approaches to prevent separations before they happen, and encourage other organizations to do the same. For example, assisting families with access to stable housing, and substance abuse and mental health treatments can create stability. These in-home supports, in addition to the promotion of pre-petition attorney representation, protect children involved in the child welfare system from removal.
“Our families endure the fear, isolation and loss while also enduring the everyday struggles of parenting and survival,” said Sylvia Thomas, Chief Counsel of the Family Stability and Preservation Project at LSNJ, in her address at the 2022 Unification Day Event. “Burdened with layers of deprivation and loss, our parents showed the strength of love and family in the face of adversity. It is their ability to rise above that that gives strength for us to continue our work.”
With the inspiration from the honored families sharing their stories, LSNJ works tirelessly to promote policies and resources that keep families intact. This work and New Jersey’s commitment to securing families truly embody the goals of National Reunification Month, and this year’s theme: We Believe in the Resiliency and Strength of Families!