Family Programs Hawaii, like the State of Hawaii, supports reunification with families WHEN the environment is right – a healthy, supportive, loving, compassionate, and nurturing experience for the keiki. Without all of these instances, parents need to adopt better habits and really look within themselves to find out who matters most… the keiki, And once this type of homelife is achieved, the children and youth can be returned and grow to be healthy and thriving adults,
National Reunification Month is celebrated in June to recognize the people and efforts around the country that help families stay together. It is also a time to celebrate the families who have overcome obstacles to providing a safe and loving home for their children and are able to reunify after their child was placed in the child welfare system.
As a system, foster care was not created to be the permanent solution for a child. We want parents to improve. We want them to be with their children. The quicker we can get children home safely to their families, the better off they will be.”
Contrary to popular belief, the primary reason children enter the foster care system is not due to an egregious case of abuse. Often, the child’s parents are struggling with substance abuse or in a situation involving domestic violence, but in most cases, the cause is neglect,
It’s not that they don’t have a loving parent, but there are issues in the home that need to be dealt with. It’s never anyone’s intent to neglect their children or leave the child in an unsafe situation.
What we have seen over and over again is that, given the right circumstances and support, parents can make the necessary changes in their lives to become a positive influence on their children. While it can be easy to condemn parents for making choices that result in the removal of their children, it is much more important to be empathetic and offer encouragement to make the necessary changes. At Embrace Families, our goal is to be more than a child welfare system; we must be a support system for those who need skills, resources, and a hand-up to help them become the parent they want to be and their children need.
Throughout the month of June, Embrace Families. Embrace the familial experience. Embrace a strong familial bond.
