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Vol. 18, No. 3
June 2013

Family Reunification in North Carolina

When we place children in foster care, almost always our goal is for that child to return home. This is our goal because it is a key part of federal and state law and child welfare policy. It’s also our goal because it’s the right thing to do.

North Carolina’s child welfare system is family-centered, and one of the key principles of this approach is that children have a right to their families.

We do a lot to back up our commitment to this principle. We work hard to engage families and help connect to resources and make the changes they need to be able to safely parent their children again.

In this issue of Practice Notes we’ll share with you information and ideas we hope will be helpful to you in your efforts to bring about family reunifications that are timely, successful, and lasting.

In North Carolina We Believe . . .

. . . the family is the fundamental resource for the nurturing of children, that children have a right to their own families, and that parents should be supported in their efforts to care for their children in ways that assure the safety and well-being of the child. . . . A crisis can be an opportunity for change. . . . It is our job to instill hope because even families who feel hopeless can grow and change.

Excerpt from policy (NCDSS, 2008a)

 

Contents of this Issue

Click here to read or print the entire issue as a pdf file

Reunification in North Carolina: How Are We Doing?

North Carolina Is Changing Its Family Reunification Program
New approach gives county DSS agencies more control over reunification services

Reunification: Focusing on the Process
It's about a family coming back together and rebuilding over time

Reunifiction and Collaboration with the Courts

Working with Families Who Are "Stuck"

Addressing Shared Parenting Difficulties as Reunification Approaches

Child Welfare Training Related to Reunification

Continued Contact with Resource Parents After Reunification

References for this Issue

~ Family and Children's Resource Program ~