For a decade, the child welfare community has celebrated June as National Reunification Month. The American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law and other national partners created the National Reunification Month in 2010, as the most desirable and positive legal permanency option for children. According to AFCARS data, reunifications is the permanency option achieved by most children in the child welfare system.
The Children’s Bureau highlighted National Reunification Month and Milner stated that is “an incredible opportunity for the child welfare system to commit to resource families and children’s parents working together to provide children and youth with the critical love and support they need. It is an opportunity to use the compassion and skills of resource families across the country to encourage and promote safe reunification, where possible, and to remain engaged with children and parents post-reunification as ongoing supports for reunified families.”
For this year’s celebration, Reunification Heroes were highlighted that included parents, professionals, and youth for their work in reunifying parents and children. And for the first time, the voices of youth will be included with written articles by young people who were reunified called We Were the Lucky Ones.
For information about state events, and tools like sample proclamations, visit the National Reunification website.
