Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS

800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov

FACTSHEET 

FOR FAMILIES

May 2016

Reunification: Bringing 

Your Children Home From 

Foster Care

WHAT’S INSIDE

Introduction

What can I expect while 

my children are in foster 

care?

What can I do to help 

my children come 

home? 

What will happen as 

reunification gets 

closer?

What can I expect 

after my children come 

home? 

What other resources 

can help me and my 

family? 

Introduction

When can my children come home?

This is the first question many parents ask when their children 

or youth are in foster care. (In this factsheet, we use the term 

“foster care” broadly. It refers to any situation in which children 

are in the State’s custody, whether they stay with relatives, in a 

licensed foster home, or in a residential facility.) 

When children are placed in foster care, it can be very stressful 

for everyone in the family. You may feel angry, overwhelmed, 

or worried about your children’s safety and well-being. Your 

children may be confused and scared. 

But foster care is not forever. Children and youth can and do 

return home to their families. In fact, this is the most common 

outcome.1

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). The AFCARS report: 

Preliminary FY 2014 estimates as of July 2015 (22). Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.

gov/sites/default/files/cb/afcarsreport22.pdf; Center for Law and Social Policy. (2007). 

Is Kinship Care Good for Kids? Retrieved from http://www.clasp.org/resources-andpublications/files/0347.pdf

 Reunification—which means getting the family safely 

back together—is almost always the first goal and in your child’s 

best interest.

Being involved with the foster care system can give your family 

support and a chance to be stronger than before. By fully 

participating in your case plan and the services it includes, you 

can strengthen your skills to become the best parent that you 

can be for your children.
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About 3 in 5 children in foster care return home to their parents or 

other family members.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). The AFCARS report: Preliminary FY 

2014 estimates as of July 2015 (22). Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/

afcarsreport22.pdf, Center for Law and Social Policy. (2007). Is Kinship Care Good for Kids? Retrieved 

from http://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/files/0347.pdf.

NOTE: This factsheet provides a general overview 

of the reunification process. Laws and policies 

governing foster care and reunification are different 

in each State. You may be able to find more 

information about your State’s foster care system 

by using Child Welfare Information Gateway’s 

State Guides and Manuals Search at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/sgm/. Select 

your State and an audience of “Parents.” 

For specific information about laws or policies that 

could affect your case, talk to your lawyer or a local 

legal services or parent advocacy organization. 

(Additional resources are provided at the end of this 

factsheet.)

What Can I Expect While My Children 

Are in Foster Care?

The goal of the foster care system is to ensure children’s 

safety and well-being. To do so, the agency will provide a 

safe, temporary place for your children to live and will work 

with you and your family to develop a case plan.

No one can tell you exactly how long your children will 

be in foster care; this will depend on your case plan and 

the circumstances that brought you to the foster care 

system. Reunification does not happen overnight, but 

everyone agrees that the first goal is to reunite children 

and youth with their families as soon as possible. 

Federal law requires States to establish a “permanency 

plan” for each child in foster care (meaning, a plan for 

where the child will live when they leave foster care—

whether they go home to their family [reunification], live 

permanently with a relative [kinship care], or are placed 

for adoption). Permanency plans also include services 

that families must complete in order for children to 

return home. If the child remains in foster care for 15 out 

of 22 months, in most cases, the law requires the child 

welfare agency to ask the court to terminate parental 

rights (end the legal parent/child relationship). During 

this 15-month period, however, States are required to 

work to bring parents and children back together. 
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“I really appreciated the support and trust that I 

received from my child welfare caseworker and 

probation officer. They both believed that I could 

change and become the strong, resilient, and 

healthy parent that I am today. I really benefitted 

from being part of a child welfare system that 

helped me build protective factors in my family.” 

—Toni Miner, Birth Parent National Network, 

Colorado

Your Child’s Foster Care Placement

While they are not living with you, your children might 

live with a family member or close friend (sometimes 

called kinship care); an unrelated foster family; or in an 

emergency shelter, group home, or other treatment 

facility.

Research suggests that, if children must be placed out 

of your home, living with relatives or close friends (kin or 

fictive kin) can help them thrive.21

2 Conway, T., and Hutson, R. Q. (2007). Is kinship care good for kids? Center 

for Law and Social Policy. Retrieved from http://www.clasp.org/resources-andpublications/files/0347.pdf

The agency will likely ask 

you whether there are family members who can provide a 

safe place for your child to stay. You may ask the agency 

to consider placing your child with relatives, even if your 

relatives live in another State. Give the agency as much 

contact information for your relatives as you can. If you are 

worried that your family cannot afford to take care of your 

children, the agency may be able to help with financial 

and other supports. Relatives will be screened (have a 

background check or home study) to be sure that they can 

provide a safe temporary home. 

Your Family’s Rights While Involved With the 

Foster Care System

Federal law provides some rights for families of children in 

the foster care system. For example:

 People suspected of child abuse or neglect have the 

right to be notified of the specific allegations against 

them and the outcome of the agency’s investigation.

 To ensure children are placed with relatives whenever 

possible, States are required to locate and notify 

relatives (on both sides of the family) of children who 

are removed from their homes within 30 days.

 States must try to keep siblings in foster care together.

Additional rights vary by State. You may find more 

information about the laws governing foster care in your 

State (including parents’ rights) by using Information 

Gateway’s State Guides and Manuals Search at https://

www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/sgm/. Select 

your State and an audience of “Parents.” In some cases, 

certain rights of parents may be limited or suspended by 

a court order. 

Many States recognize that parents whose children are in 

foster care have the right to:

 Be informed about the process, any court hearings, 

and what is expected of them

 Speak for themselves and be listened to at each step 

of the process

 Have legal representation (by a lawyer or attorney)

 Participate in the development of their family’s case 

plan and be informed of any changes

 Be offered services that will help them bring their 

children home again

 Have regular visits and contact with their children while 

they are in foster care

 Stay informed about their children’s health, 

development, and progress in school

 Receive fair treatment regardless of race, culture, 

gender, or religion—including having culturally 

sensitive services provided in the language they prefer

Fathers who are not married to their children’s mother 

may need to establish paternity before their rights are 

recognized. See the Information Gateway publication 

The Rights of Unmarried Fathers for more information 

at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/

laws-policies/statutes/putative/.
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Your children also have rights while they are in foster care. 

These include:

 Appropriate food, clothing, and shelter

 Freedom from harm, danger, or neglect 

 Access to education 

 Medical, mental health, and dental care 

 Someone to represent their interests at hearings (such 

as a guardian ad litem or court appointed special 

advocate)

 Placement with siblings when possible; if siblings must 

be separated, they should have frequent visits

 Placement in a setting where their native language 

is spoken and where their religious customs can be 

maintained

If you feel your rights or those of your children are not 

being respected, or if you have other concerns about 

how your case is being handled, you may find helpful 

information in the Information Gateway factsheet From 

Complaint to Resolution: Understanding the Child Welfare 

Grievance Process at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/

factsheets/cw-grievance/.

Your Case Plan

Before your children come home, the child welfare agency 

and court must be certain that:

 You can keep your children safe. While your children 

are in foster care, the agency will regularly assess your 

family’s strengths, needs, and progress toward resolving 

the issues that caused your children to be placed into 

care. These might include drug or alcohol use, family 

violence, neglect, or other unsafe conditions.

 You can meet your children’s needs. The agency will 

work with you to ensure that you can provide a safe 

place for your children to live, enough food to eat, 

medical care, and emotional support, among other 

things.

 You are prepared to be a parent. By learning how to 

strengthen your parenting skills and being willing to get 

help and support when you need it, you can keep your 

family strong. This may include continuing to participate 

in services offered to you while your children are in 

foster care and even after they come home.

Your case plan is a road map for 

bringing your children home.

Your caseworker will work with you to develop a case 

plan to help your family meet these goals. (The agency 

might call this something different, like a service plan, 

a treatment plan, a reunification plan, or a permanency 

plan.) This plan is the road map for reunification with your 

children or youth—it will spell out exactly what you need 

to do and learn in order to bring and keep them home. 

Here are some things you can expect from your case plan:

 You have the right to help develop the plan. Your 

caseworker will meet with you to learn all she or he can 

about your family. Tell him or her about:

○ Your family’s needs (those that brought your 

children or youth into care, as well as others that 

might affect your ability to bring them home safely)

○ Your strengths (what you do well)

○ Your support system (people who help out you and 

our children, such as neighbors, close friends, or 

family members)

○ Your child’s special needs (including medical needs, 

school issues, fears, etc.)

○ Your goals and dreams for your family, and what 

help you might need to get there

Be sure to speak up about anything that concerns you or 

that you don’t understand. You will be expected to sign 

and follow this plan. 

 Other people also may help to develop this plan. 

The purpose of this is to involve as many people who 

love and support your child as possible. These might 

include:

○ Other members of your family and your child’s 

family, including your child’s other parent and his or 

her relatives

○ Representatives from your child’s school or your 

church

○ A guardian ad litem (GAL) or court appointed 

special advocate (CASA)
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○ Close family friends 

○ An advocate to support you during this process. 

Some agencies have “parent partners” available. 

These are people who have been in a similar 

situation and are now trained to help other parents.

○ Your teenager, if he or she is old enough

Sometimes planning happens in a group meeting called 

a family team meeting, family group conference, or family 

group decision-making meeting. 

 Your plan will include supports and services. These 

services are intended to help your family get stronger. 

They might include (among other things):

○ Counseling (for you and/or your family)

○ Drug or alcohol treatment

○ Help with housing, transportation, food, and other 

needs

○ Help building job skills and finding employment

○ Anger management classes

○ Parenting classes

You have a right to ask for services you believe you or your 

child need to address the situation that caused concern 

for your child’s safety.

 Your needs should be considered. Services and visits 

with your children or youth will be arranged around 

your work schedule whenever possible. If you can’t 

afford the services in your case plan, the agency may 

refer you to community agencies that can help or ask 

that services be paid for through a community services 

agency. 

 Your case plan will likely include a second goal 

for your child, in addition to reunification. Other 

possible goals include:

○ Living permanently with a relative (kinship care or 

guardianship)

○ Adoption

○ Another planned permanent living arrangement 

(APPLA) or independent living for some older teens

Your caseworker will pursue this goal while he or she is 

working with you to bring your children home. This is 

called concurrent planning. It does not mean that the 

agency does not want your family to get back together. It 

simply recognizes that your family’s situation is complex 

and requires additional planning to ensure your child has 

a safe, permanent home. 

 You have the right to be kept informed. You will 

receive a copy of your case plan. If your first language 

is not English, you have the right to an interpreter 

and to receive a copy of the case plan in your native 

language. You should be informed of any changes to 

the plan, and the plan should be reviewed regularly.

Strengthening Your Family

Your case plan is not just about “checking boxes” to get 

your children home. The goal is to create a stronger family 

for your children and yourself. One way you can do this is 

by building what are called protective factors—strengths 

that help all families get through tough times. They 

include:

 Ways your family members show that they love and 

care about each other 

 Information about raising children and what they need 

at different ages 

 The ability to “bounce back” after challenges

 Support from family and friends

 Resources for meeting day-to-day needs (like housing, 

food, clothing, etc.)

 Ways to help your children to get along well with you 

and with others

Ask your support team to help you build protective 

factors now, so your family is even stronger when your 

children come home. You can also find tips for building 

strong families from Strengthening Families (http://www.

cssp.org/reform/strengtheningfamilies/2015/SF-ParentBrochure-web.pdf) and on the Child Welfare Information 

Gateway website at https://www.childwelfare.gov/

pubPDFs/guide.pdf#page=48.
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What Can I Do to Help My Children 

Come Home?

While your children are in foster care, it is important to 

fully understand why they are there and to participate in 

your case plan to make your home safe for their return. If 

something changes that makes the plan more difficult for 

you to follow, talk to your caseworker or your lawyer right 

away. Let your attorney know if the services described in 

your plan do not meet your needs, are not available when 

you need them, are too expensive, or are too difficult to 

access.

Other things you can do are outlined in more detail 

below. They include visiting your children regularly and 

working with your team. It is important to document 

your progress, including keeping track of visits with your 

children and participation in services.

“I graduated from a year-long inpatient treatment 

program, started working full-time and doing all of 

the services that the court had ordered. Working a 

job, going to services and working on self is extremely 

difficult... One by one, I was able to work down the 

list of required services. I went from non-compliant to 

partially compliant to compliant... Today I can attest 

to the power of faith, support, and love. My daughter 

and I are together. And she is a light brighter than 

anything that has touched my life.” 

—Shrounda Selivanoff, Birth Parent National 

Network, Washington

Visit Regularly

Visiting your children while they are in foster care has 

many benefits. Most importantly, it helps to preserve and 

strengthen your bond while you are separated. It can 

soothe children’s fears and worries by showing them that 

you care about them and can be counted on to be there 

for them when you say you will. It also shows the agency 

that you are committed to your child. Try not to miss any 

visits. If something is getting in the way of scheduled 

visits (e.g., transportation, work schedule), talk with your 

caseworker to develop a new plan.

Visits can be awkward, especially if they are supervised or 

take place somewhere that is not comfortable or familiar. 

The following tips may help make visits more comfortable 

and rewarding for both of you:31

3 Adapted from Rise. (2009). “One step at a time.” Retrieved from http://

www.risemagazine.org/item/one-step-at-a-time/.

 Bring things to do. Toys, games, books, and other 

activities give you all something to focus on. Also, 

bring something that makes the environment feel 

more like “home” (such as a blanket and pillows 

for snuggling or, if it is allowed, a special snack). 

Bring a camera or phone to take pictures, or ask the 

caseworker to take pictures of the family together. If 

you want to bring your child a gift, check with your 

caseworker and the foster parent first.

 Use the time to bond. It is important for you to 

continue to play an active role in your children’s lives. 

You can rock, sing to, or snuggle an infant. Toddlers 

might enjoy showing off new skills like walking, 

jumping, or playing with blocks. With older children, 

you can talk about their favorite activities and topics. 

Encourage them to tell you about things that have 

happened at school, and avoid topics that create 

tension.

 Try to stay positive. When children ask when they can 

come home, avoid giving a specific time, like “next 

week” or “before your birthday.” Instead, reassure 

your child that you are working on being together as a 

family. 

 Allow your children to express their feelings. It’s 

normal for children to feel angry or scared. Use your 

visits to reassure them that you love them and are 

working to bring them home. Younger children may 

seem to have “forgotten” their parents or seem more 

comfortable interacting with foster parents. Give your 

children the time they need to get comfortable with 

the situation and interact with you. It’s okay to ask for 

help and guidance if, for example, a fussy baby is hard 

to soothe or a toddler is having a tantrum. Visits are a 

good time for you to strengthen your parenting skills 

and learn valuable tips.
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 Get to know the foster parents. Having a good 

relationship with your child’s foster parents can make 

the time apart easier on you and your children. Ask 

your caseworker if you can meet your children’s foster 

parents and how best to tell them about your children. 

You can ask how your children are doing at their house, 

or ask if you can meet them for any upcoming doctor’s 

appointments or parent-teacher conferences. You also 

may want to ask what new skills your children have 

learned; what new foods they like; or how they like their 

schools, activities, and friends. 

 Help children say goodbye or “see you soon.” When 

it’s time for the visit to end, tell your children that you’ll 

see them again as soon as you can. 

 Keep in touch between visits. Ask your caseworker 

and the foster parents about the best ways to let your 

children know you’re thinking of them while you are 

apart. These might include scheduled phone calls, 

letters, or email, especially on special occasions.

 Keep visiting. It will get easier. 

Other concerns you may have about visits include the 

following:

 Siblings. If you have more than one child in foster 

care, your children should be placed together unless 

it is not best for their safety or health. If your children 

are separated in foster care, you may want to ask your 

caseworker:

○ Why were my children not placed together? 

○ Are you working to find a placement where they can 

be together?

○ Can our visits can be coordinated so that we can all 

○ Are my children visiting with each other, in addition 

to visits with me? 

 Long-distance visits. If you are unable to visit your 

children in person because of distance or other 

reasons (e.g., incarceration), ask your caseworker:

○ How can you help us stay in touch? Can we have 

telephone and/or video calls? 

○ Can I send my child letters?

 Progress in visits. Your visits with your children may 

be supervised, especially at first. Eventually, as you 

make progress on your case plan, you can ask for 

unsupervised and longer visits. Ask your caseworker 

○ How are you evaluating my family’s progress? 

○ What would you like to see happen before we can 

have longer visits?

“My visits with my daughter are the most important 

90 minutes of my whole week. I do everything I can 

to be prepared and stay positive because I know 

that time is important to her too. Those visits with 

my daughter help me stay focused on what’s really 

important in my life and what my priorities are. For me 

that’s being the best father I can be for her.” 

—Jacob, Parent from Oregon

Work With Your Team

Your experience with the foster care system will 

include many different people. Some of these are your 

caseworker, your child’s foster parents, your lawyer/

attorney, and your child’s advocate. You also might work 

with a peer mentor, peer advocate, or parent partner. 

Working well with each of these members of your team 

will improve the chances of bringing your children home.

Your caseworker (or social worker): 

 Works with your family to develop and monitor your 

case plan 

 Arranges services for you and visits with your child

 Reports to the court on your family’s progress 

Building a relationship with your caseworker will help you 

understand your case better and make progress toward 

reunification. 

Tips for working with your caseworker:

 Ask any questions you may have about your case plan, 

your caseworker’s expectations, and the services or 

resources that he or she can provide. 

 Stay in touch and tell your caseworker about any 

changes in your life (new home, new job, etc.). 
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 Keep your appointments and complete services in your 

plan. 

 If you have questions or concerns, always start with your 

caseworker. If you feel the caseworker is not listening to 

you, talk to his or her supervisor or your lawyer. 

Your children’s foster parents/caregivers:

 Take care of your children while they are in care

 Can make visiting easier and help your children stay in 

touch with you between visits 

Tips for working with your children’s foster parents:

 Communicate in a way that is safe and respectful for 

everyone. (Some parents use a journal to ask questions 

or exchange short notes with the foster family during the

children’s visits. In some cases, the foster parents also 

will use a journal for updates about the children’s school 

progress or other milestones. Other families 

share important information such as nap schedules, 

food preferences, and doctor’s appointments through 

their caseworker.) 

 Tell them as much as you can about your children, 

including their likes and dislikes, fears, and how they like 

to be comforted. You know your children best, and this 

will help the foster parents take the best possible care of 

your children and help them feel safe and secure.

 Let your children know that their foster parents care 

about them very much. It may help your children feel 

more comfortable if they see you and their foster parent 

getting along.

Your lawyer/attorney:

 May be appointed by the court if you qualify for financial 

assistance. Alternatively, you may hire your own or 

work with a local legal services agency (for more about 

legal services or to find help in your area at http://

apps.americanbar.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/faq_

freehelp.cfm) 

 Represents your interests and speaks up for you in court, 

including asking for the services you want or need 

 Should talk to you about your case between court dates 

and let you know what to expect 

Being completely honest with your lawyer helps him or 

her do the best job possible.

Your child’s GAL or CASA: 

 Is a trained volunteer who may be assigned to your 

children during the court process

 Monitors your children’s case while they are in foster 

care 

 Makes recommendations to the court about what is 

best for your children 

You can work with your children’s CASA or GAL by 

providing any information he or she needs to make good 

decisions for your children. For more about CASA, visit 

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/

b.5301303/k.6FB1/About_Us__CASA_for_Children.htm.

Peer mentors (sometimes called peer advocates, 

parent partners, or parent allies):

 Are available to help families in some States 

 Are parents who have had children in foster care and 

successfully brought them back home 

 Were once in a similar situation and can answer 

questions, offer advice, and support you during the 

process 

If you have not been offered a peer mentor, ask 

whether one is available to you. You also can 

find organizations that provide parent advocacy 

services at https://www.childwelfare.gov/

organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.

dspROL&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=138.

“As a parent partner, we are trained to work with parents 

to help them build protective factors, provide them with 

emotional support, guide them in building relationships 

with their caseworkers and help them understand and 

effectively navigate the child welfare system. I have 

similar life experiences so parents feel comfortable 

talking with me.” 

—Brejea Colthirst, Birth Parent National Network, 

California
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What Will Happen as Reunification 

Gets Closer?

One of the best indicators that you are getting closer to 

bringing your children or youth home will be your visits 

with them. Moving from supervised to unsupervised 

visits and receiving longer visits (as long as an overnight, 

weekend, or more) are good signs that your case is 

progressing. If you see progress and want to make a 

change in visits, talk with your caseworker.

During this period, you will want to be actively preparing 

for your children to come home. Continue to use the 

services in your case plan, and other community resources 

as needed, to help you do the following:

 Better understand your children’s needs (including any 

special behavioral, emotional, or medical needs they 

might have)

 Feel confident as a parent (including attending 

parenting classes and/or individual or family counseling 

sessions)

 Find resources to help your family stay strong: Work 

with your caseworker (or in a family group conference 

or family team meeting) to identify the services you will 

need when your children come home. Line up informal 

supports for your family (such as neighborhood 

and community centers, child care, 12-step or other 

support groups, and healthy family members and 

friends who are willing to help during the transition).

At some point, your children or youth may come home for 

a “trial home visit.” This means that they live at home with 

you on a trial basis, but the agency still maintains legal 

custody for a period of time.

Why Isn’t My Case Progressing?

If you are working hard to complete your case plan, 

you may request increased visits with your children. 

Increases usually happen gradually. However, if 

there has not been any change for several months, 

you may want to ask your caseworker about it. 

Sometimes progress is slow because your case 

plan is not clear. Make sure you understand the 

reason each service has been included in your 

plan. Is the program helping you get closer 

to reuniting with your children? If you do not 

understand the information you receive from your 

caseworker, your lawyer may be able to help. 

If your progress is slower than you would like, 

speak up! Ask what needs to happen to show your 

home is the best place for your child. Work with 

the agency and your lawyer to come up with a plan 

that works better for everyone.

You might want to check in regularly (every 2 to 

4 weeks) with every member on your team. You 

can update your team members on any services 

or programs that you have completed, tell them 

about any problems you are having, and ask them 

what you can do to make further progress toward 

your case plan.

What Can I Expect After My Children 

Come Home?

When you have completed your case plan goals and your 

family is reunited, everyone will need time to readjust 

to living together. You can help your family during this 

period by being willing to ask for help if you need it.

Adjusting

After being apart, you will likely feel excited and happy 

to have your children home. You also may feel stressed, 

uncertain about how to handle some things, rejected (if 

your children or youth talk positively about their foster 

home), sad about the time you lost or milestones you 

missed, and afraid of losing them again. 
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Your children may have difficulty with the transition, too. 

They may miss friends or family they spent time with while 

in foster care. Depending on how long they were away, 

they may struggle with differences between your home 

and their foster home, including rules, schedules, and 

even food. It’s important to let them know that it’s okay to 

have their feelings, including missing their foster family, 

and to be as patient as you can with yourself and your 

children during this transition time.

“My daughter and I were blessed with an opportunity 

to connect with her foster parents almost a year after 

our case closed. I saw how bonded they all were 

and embraced the notion of them being extended 

family. As a result, they have shown us nothing but 

positive support and assistance, such as child care. I 

would love to see a system where these opportunities 

to partner between birth parent and foster parent 

become the norm since we are all coming together 

on behalf of the child.” 

—Alise Hegle, Birth Parent National Network, 

Washington 

Asking for and Getting Help

After you and your children are reunited, the child welfare 

agency may keep your family’s case open for a while. 

They will want to be sure that your children are safe 

and your family has what you need to continue to move 

forward on a positive path.

During this time, the agency may continue to provide 

services, sometimes referred to as in-home or 

postreunification services, to help your family. This might 

include someone coming to your home to help you 

with parenting or other support services. It might also 

include community-based services such as child care or 

counseling. These services are intended to support your 

family and help you maintain the progress you have made.

It’s okay to ask for additional help. You may worry that 

if you share everything is not going perfectly, your 

caseworker will think your children can’t stay at home. 

But “bumps in the road” are to be expected, and asking 

for help is a sign of strength. If you’re not sure how the 

agency will react to something, talk to your lawyer first. 

They may be able to help you ask for what you need.

Giving Back

Once you have successfully completed the reunification 

process with your children or youth, consider using your 

experience to help others. Are there parts of the system 

you’d like to see changed? Your voice is powerful. 

Would you like to help other families who are going 

through what your family went through? Your support 

could make a world of difference. See if there is an 

opportunity for you to work as a parent mentor in your 

State. In that role, you can encourage others and show 

them, “If I can do it, you can too!” (See the list of National 

Parent and Family Organizations at the end of this 

factsheet.)

“After successfully reuniting with my daughter, I know 

the importance of keeping families together and 

helping us build protective factors. As parents, we 

need to be engaged early, helped to obtain needed 

services and supported in overcoming challenges 

such as waiting lists, transportation, child care, 

financial obstacles, language, and cultural barriers.” 

—Timothy Phipps, Birth Parent National Network, 

Oregon 

What Other Resources Can Help Me?

For more information, see the resources listed below.

National Parent and Family Organizations

 Birth Parent National Network works to champion 

birth parents as leaders and partners in child welfare 

systems reform. http://www.bpnn.ctfalliance.org/

 Circle of Parents provides a friendly, supportive 

environment led by parents and other caregivers, 

where anyone in a parenting role can openly discuss 

the successes and challenges of raising children. http://

circleofparents.org/
Reunification: Bringing Your Children Home From Foster Care https://www.childwelfare.gov

11

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. 

This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reunification/.

 National Coalition for Parent Advocacy in Child 

Protective Services is a group of parent leaders and 

advocates who have come together to create positive 

public policy and program changes that prevent 

removal of children from their families, strengthen and 

ensure the rights of families whose children have been 

removed, and return children to their families. https://

strengthening-families.org/parentadvocacy/index.html

 Parents Anonymous uses mutual support and 

shared leadership to empower, inspire, and create 

long-term positive changes in families. http://www.

parentsanonymous.org

Publications

 Understanding Child Welfare and the Courts is 

a guide to the general types of court hearings your 

family might experience while involved with the foster 

care system. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/

factsheets/cwandcourts/

 The Parents’ Get Real Guide to Getting Your Kids 

Back is written by parents who have successfully 

reunified with their children in the foster care system 

to support other parents who are currently in that 

situation. http://www.strengtheningfamiliesillinois.org/

mirror/downloads/Parents_Get_Real_Guide_lores.pdf

 Finding Your Way: Guides for Fathers in Child 

Protection Cases provide tips for noncustodial fathers 

who want to be active participants in their children’s 

child protection cases. They focus on topics such as 

fathers’ legal rights, child support, and courtroom 

expectations. http://site.americanhumane.org/

fatherhooddocs/father_guide.pdf

 A Family’s Guide to the Child Welfare System helps 

parents better understand the child welfare system 

and answers questions many parents will have. http://

gucchd.georgetown.edu/products/AFamilysGuide_

English.pdf

 Rise magazine is written by parents who have faced 

the child welfare system in their own lives. http://www.

risemagazine.org/

Help With Specific Issues

Families become involved with the foster care system 

for many different reasons, from substance use to 

domestic violence, to immigration concerns. Below are 

some resources that may help with your family’s specific 

circumstances.

Substance Use

 Addiction in the Family (Rise magazine) http://www.

risemagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Rise_

issue_20-addiction-in-family.pdf 

 You Don’t Have to Stop Being a Parent While You Are 

in a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility 

(New York State Office of Children & Family Services) 

http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/policies/external/OCFS_2011/

ADMs/Attachment%202B%20for%20res_sub%20

abuse.pdf

 Substance Abuse Resources for Families (Child Welfare 

Information Gateway) https://www.childwelfare.gov/

topics/systemwide/substance/resources/

 Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator 

(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration) https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/

Mental Health

 Family Resources (American Academy of Child and 

Adolescent Psychiatry) https://www.aacap.org/aacap/

families_and_youth/Family_Resources/Home.aspx 

 Tips for Parenting With a Mental Illness (Psych 

Central website) http://psychcentral.com/lib/

tips-for-parenting-with-a-mental-illness/

Child Abuse 

 Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Abuse or 

Neglect (Child Welfare Information Gateway) https://

www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/parenting-CAN/

 Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma 

(Child Welfare Information Gateway) https://www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/child-trauma/
Reunification: Bringing Your Children Home From Foster Care https://www.childwelfare.gov

Domestic Violence

 Parenting After Domestic Violence (Child Welfare 

Information Gateway) https://www.childwelfare.gov/

pubPDFs/guide.pdf#page=54 

 Children and Domestic Violence Fact Sheet Series 

(National Child Traumatic Stress Network) http://www.

nctsn.org/content/resources

Immigration

 Parental Rights: Toolkit & Educational 

Resources (Women’s Refugee Commission) 

https://womensrefugeecommission.org/

programs/migrant-rights/parental-rights/

toolkit-and-educational-resources

Incarceration

 A Guide for Incarcerated Parents Who Have Children in 

the Child Welfare System (U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary 

for Planning and Evaluation, Administration for Children 

and Families, U.S. Department of Justice, & Federal 

Bureau of Prisons) http://youth.gov/sites/default/files/

COIP-Parent-Guide-508.pdf

 Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration 

(Tips for Parents and Caregivers) (Sesame 

Street Workshop) http://www.sesamestreet.

org/cms_services/services?action=download&

uid=24467219-1a98-4240-9fc3-cc738714e819

Suggested citation:

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2016). Reunification: 

Bringing your children home from foster care. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 

Children’s Bureau.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Administration for Children and Families 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Children’s Bureau