All families go through tough times. When parents face adversity and toxic stress due to traumatic experiences, poverty, untreated mental health needs and lack of a support network, they may be unable to care for their children. In some cases, a court decision is made to remove the children from the home and place them with a relative, familiar caregiver or foster family while they receive support from caring professionals.

What is National Family Reunification Month?

June is National Family Reunification Month, a time for us to celebrate those families that have worked hard to overcome obstacles, resolve conflicts, and learn healthy skills in order for their children to safely return home from foster care. We also recognize the child welfare and mental health professionals, including hundreds of people who are part of the KVC team in five states, who support families in the process to safely reunify.

The Child Welfare Information Gateway shared that this year’s theme is exploring foster care as a support to families, rather than a substitute for parents. While foster care and adoption are often needed, the first goal of child welfare is safely preventing foster care or reunifying families — in other words, keeping kids in their own families whenever safely possible.

How You Can Help Families Working Toward Reunification

If you care about families in your community who face serious challenges, we invite you to show your support during June and all year long. Relatives, neighbors, friends and community members can help families tremendously in these ways:

• Offer transportation to visitations, court hearings, mental health appointments, etc.
• Provide snacks and activities for birth parents to take to visits
• Offer to prepare a meal for the family
• Provide mentoring and simply serve as a friend
• Offer words of encouragement or lend a listening ear
• Allow the parent(s) to feel connected through community gatherings to let them know they are not alone
• Become a foster parent to provide direct support to children and families who are experiencing foster care
• When a family is able to bring their children safely home from foster care, celebrate the family with a “welcome home” basket, meal or gathering

KVC Focuses on Keeping Kids in Families

Last year, KVC Nebraska strengthened hundreds of families involved in the child welfare system with in-home therapy and skill-building, care coordination and other critical support. We were also able to help 129 children in foster care safely reunify with their families.

Nationally, about half of children (49%) who leave foster care each year are safely reunited with their birth families. It is our goal to help children achieve a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible when reunification can occur. If reintegration with the child’s birth family is not possible, we then seek a loving adoptive family.

Parents and Children Together

If your family or a family you know is experiencing hardships, learn more about how we can help through our Parents and Children Together program. Our licensed therapists work with families in their homes, at no cost to the families, to improve family functioning, teach parenting skills, and enhance child behavior.

If you want to directly support families facing serious challenges, consider joining the KVC team! We’re hiring for critical roles serving children and families in Nebraska.