NCJ Number
205121
Journal
Future of Children Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: Winter 2004 Pages: 95-113
Date Published
2004
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This document discusses new data on trends in family reunification.
Abstract
Reunifying children placed in foster care with their birth parents is a major goal of the child welfare system, but little is known about this process. Although most children still exit foster care through family reunification, exit patterns have changed over the last 8 years. Currently, reunification takes longer to happen, whereas adoptions happen earlier. A child’s age and race are associated with the likelihood that he/she will be reunified. Infants and adolescents are less likely to be reunified than children in other age groups. African-American children are less likely to be reunified than children of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. Although many children that are reunified exit the system within a relatively short period of time, reunifications often do not succeed. Nearly 30 percent of children that were reunified in 1990 re-entered foster care within 10 years. The principle of family reunification is deeply rooted in this country’s law and tradition and it is likely to continue as the most common way children exit foster care. More effort should be made to ensure that reunifications are safe and lasting. The two areas of Federal policy that are important to improve the reunification decisionmaking processes in State and local child welfare agencies are the Federal Child and Family Service Reviews, and fiscal incentives and Federal funding for child welfare agencies generally and foster care specifically. Some promising practices for reunification services include building family strengths into the service plan; intensive family visitation; cultural sensitivity; awareness of age-specific needs of children; use of comprehensive and theory-based interventions; and ongoing aftercare. 7 figures, 54 endnotes