June is National Reunification Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of keeping families involved in the child welfare system together, and recognizing how the community can better support these families.
When a family becomes involved with the child welfare system, the first priority of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and CASA in the Heart of Texas is to help reunite children with their parents whenever safe and possible – and during this month and beyond, CASA volunteer Advocates strive to engage and connect with the families so that they have the support and resources needed to have their children safely come back home.
“Some people believe that once children are removed from home and placed into foster care, no further help for them is needed,” said Michelle Wells, Executive Director of CASA in the Heart of Texas. “The reality, though, is that foster care is not meant to be a permanent situation, and most kids in foster care experience a sense of grief and loss after being removed from their home, regardless of what their situation was like.”
CASA recruits and trains Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA volunteer Advocates, to stay by a child’s side throughout their time in foster care, advocating first for reunification when safe and possible. These volunteers get to know the children, parents and family as well as others involved in their lives—including foster parents, therapists, teachers and attorneys—collaborating with everyone to put family reunification as the first priority whenever it is safe and possible.
“We know that the vast majority of parents love their children and want what’s best for them, and the parents of the children we serve are no exception,” said Wells. “We want to support parents during this time so that they have the tools and resources needed so that their children can live with them safely, because going back home is the best possible outcome for these kids.”
Many times, parents involved with the foster care system struggle to access the resources, support and education they need to be able to complete services ordered by the judge.
“Our volunteer Advocates can make a monumental difference by helping bridge the access gap and connecting families to services and support,” Wells said.
CASA volunteer Advocates also make sure the children and parents they serve have a support system of family and other caring adults who can help in whatever ways needed and stay involved long after CASA and DFPS involvement ends.
“If parents and children have a good support system, it’s much more likely that a plan for reunification will be successful and sustainable,” Wells said. “That’s what we want for the children we serve – for them to be able to grow up safe, happy and supported, surrounded by people who love them.”
The following is a family reunification story. Two children, aged 18 months and newborn, were removed from the home due to their parents’ struggle with substance abuse use. At the first family meeting, mom and dad were very distraught and said they had no one who would come to the meetings. They said their relationships with their siblings were broken and the grandparents were angry with the situation so they wouldn’t come either. CASA and the caseworker helped the parents identify other siblings and other family members that may come to the meeting. By the fourth meeting, several siblings, a grandmother and foster mother were all in attendance to support the parents. Additionally, the parents had completed all the services, attended AA and had been clean for over 6 months. They never missed any visits with the children because siblings helped provide rides, family members helped to make improvements to the home and provided the boys with beds and clothing. The team agreed to start transitioning the children to go home.
By becoming a CASA volunteer Advocate, you can help more children and families in your community stay safely and happily connected. CASA in the Heart of Texas’ service area is Mills, Comanche and Brown counties. Learn more at www.casabrownwood.org. The next information session is June 23rd, 4-5pm at Over the Rainbow at 201 Fisk Avenue, Brownwood, or call 325-643-2557. CASA: Making a Difference One Child at a Time.