what does it mean to be a legally free kids in foster care in washington state

Introduction

I twenty-four hour period, you're sitting down to dinner when there's a knock at the door. It'due south a CPS investigator, inquiring about reports that you lot've been abusing or neglecting your child. As they enter your habitation, you lot feel confused, violated, maybe even aroused. You'd never hurt your kid. Then why is CPS taking them away from you?

This is exactly what happened to Jason Bragg when his son was taken away from him.

Like many parents, Bragg had never hurt his son, though his struggles with habit did make it hard to give him the care and attending that he deserved. Bragg knew he had problems, simply he wanted help. Unfortunately, the system didn't accept the resources to provide it.

Parents of foster children aren't bad people. They're mothers and fathers who love their children. Only because of an affliction, addiction, lack of support, or the loss of a task, they're unable to treat those they beloved the near.

When their children are taken away from them, they rely on the incredible generosity, understanding, and back up of foster parents to aid them go reunited. That's where you come in.

Here's what you'll find on this page:

• What is Reunification
• "Foster-to-Prefer" vs. Reunification
• Preparing Yourself for Reunification
• The Stop Result: What Reunification Provides for Children
• Foster A Child's Second Hazard At Family

What Is
Reunification?

Reunification: (substantive)

When a child returns to live with the family they were removed from, full time.

Put simply, reunification is the most mutual goal of foster care. Why? Because when children and their parents are able to reunify, families thrive.

Here's how reunification helps families thrive:

1. Improved Outcomes — The safety, security, and stability of returning to dwelling house life paves the way for futures in which children and their parents can thrive.
2. Positive Bear upon On Parents — Reunification ways parents take had the opportunity to get the help they need in order to care for their kid and pb productive lives.
3. Better Evolution — Children who tin return to permanent, stable routines in loving homes are more likely to succeed in school and social settings considering they aren't occupied with thoughts of when they'll move or switch homes again.
4. Less Stress For Children — Moving is stressful on anyone, but especially for children. Reunification promotes better mental wellness, reduced anxiety, and happier lives for children.
5. Ties To Extended Family — Children in foster intendance don't only lose touch on with parents, but with extended family members too. Through reunification, they maintain those connections, traditions, and cultural identities.

Despite these benefits, in Washington State, not almost plenty children are reunited. Because of a lack of resources, only 57% of children placed in out-of-dwelling house intendance were reunited with their parents inside three years.

Foster parents play a critical office in raising that number by creating healthy environments where children feel safe and birth parents are supported.

Busting Reunification Myths

Reunification, and foster intendance in full general, is a very emotional process. There's a lot at stake and, because of that, there are a lot of myths flight around. Hither'south what nosotros have to say to some of the most common ones:

Myth 1: Birth parents are bad.

Truth: They're moms and dads in need of assist. Supporting reunification provides them the opportunity to get that aid.

Myth ii: Children don't want to go abode.

Truth: The bond between a kid and their parents is like no other. Reunification respects and empowers that bond.

Myth 3: Birth parents are unsafe.

Truth: The majority of children enter out-of-home care because of fail, non abuse. Through reunification, parents larn how to create healthy environments for their children.

"Foster-to-Adopt" vs. Reunification

Foster-to-adopt: Pathway in which families enter foster care seeking to adopt a kid.

Foster-to-adopt is a phrase you may have heard before. The idea has good intentions. Families desire to provide permanent, safe, and loving homes for children who need them. Merely adoption through foster intendance is relatively uncommon and frequently problematic. Hither's why:

• No Support — Foster care agencies are non adoption agencies. They are committed to reunification.
• Reunification Offset — Reunification is the goal in nigh foster care cases.
• Low Probability — In Washington State, but sixteen% of children leave foster care through adoption.

Over 50% of children in Washington State are ultimately reunited with their families.

Families inbound foster intendance hoping to adopt will find themselves working against a system designed to reunite families, not divide them. Adoption may feel like a quicker, more reliable solution, but the long-term benefits of reunification are far too valuable to ignore.

When Foster-To-Prefer Makes Sense

While uncommon, adoption through foster intendance does happen. Older youth (ages 11-17) are the most in need of permanent homes, as well as adoptive parents experienced in trauma and therapeutic parenting.

Preparing Yourself For Reunification

"Because y'all know that they have a culture. They have a family unit. They're meant to be together. There is a truthful bond when it comes to having an actual family member be there for that child and understand the story that they came from." — Sara Cunningham, Washington Land foster mom

Subsequently finding out they couldn't have children of their own, Sara Cunningham and her married man, Mike, decided to await into foster care. It wasn't long earlier a 6-month-one-time boy was placed with them. A few months subsequently, they took in his sister.

The Cunningham family unit eventually adopted the siblings, but that was just the beginning of their foster intendance experience. They realized that supporting children and birth parents through reunification was a mode to teach their adopted children near where they came from. Simply that'south never made it piece of cake to allow go of a kid they've loved.

3 Ways To Get Ready For Reunification

As we see in the Cunningham's story, reunification is never easy for foster parents. Information technology'due south an incredibly emotional experience that can include grief, depression, anger, and sadness, but it is critically beneficial for children and nascence parents. The best mode for foster parents to cope with that transition is to prepare as early on every bit possible.

1. Mentally Prepare

   Understand the benefits of reunification before you get a foster parent and accept that it is the most probable outcome of your feel with a child.

2. Communicate Early on And Often

   Establish connections with birth parents equally soon every bit possible. Positive relationships make the process easier and let nascency parents to share things with you lot that brand you a meliorate foster parent, similar a kid'south favorite foods or their bedtime routine.

3. Find Back up

   Support groups, other foster families, private agencies, and non-profit organizations are there to make the procedure as easy as possible for everyone involved.

Support Services For Reunification

Reunification is hard, but yous don't have to do it alone. In Washington Country, there are lots of resources for foster parents going through the reunification procedure. Hither'due south a pocket-size sample.

Treehouse — Offers academic services and schoolhouse supplies to aid close the achievement gap between foster youth and their peers.

Visit their website

Wishing Well — Provides clothing, supplies, and extracurricular experiences unavailable to most foster kids in Pierce Canton.

Visit their website

Fostering Family — Connects non-profit organizations and businesses, similar Woodland Park Zoo, to causes that support foster families in Washington.

Visit their website

Agency Support Groups — Almost all Washington State foster care agencies have a special support group dedicated to their families.

The Finish Result: What Reunification Provides For Children

Whether your foster care experience with a child lasts just a few days or a few months, there'due south nix that can change the bond you may take with them.

Supporting reunification ensures that you don't lose the opportunity to create other powerful bonds. Often, foster parents stay connected to families afterwards reunification, celebrating holidays, birthdays, and babysitting.

Reunification allows you to create those lasting bonds, just it also ensures a foster child doesn't lose more than than merely their parents. Later all, there's a lot at stake when a home is lost.

They Could Lose Their Culture

Daryle Conquering Bear was never reunified with his family unit or with his tribe. For years, he wasn't able to attend tribal gatherings or learn about the traditions of his family unit.

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They Could Lose Their Siblings

Many foster families are unable to take intendance of more than 1 kid, which ways siblings are ofttimes divide. When Raven'south mother was unable to reunify with her and her brother, the siblings were divide upward and raised separately.

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They Could Lose Their Identity

Cortez lost his name when he was adopted. It was a loss that connected to exit a void in his life for his entire adolescence, especially through changes of schools, homes, and families in foster care.

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Foster A Child'south Second Chance At Family

Reunification isn't easy. When you've opened your heart and your domicile to a child, it's an emotional experience to let them get. But information technology's the best affair you can practise for their futurity well-being.

Now that yous've learned well-nigh the disquisitional benefits of foster care, the next step is to understand the procedure of becoming a foster parent. Get started today by downloading our free resources: The Essential Guide To Becoming A Foster Parent In Washington State.

If you're ready to start the process now, accomplish out and go matched with up to three agencies today: Go a Foster Parent

Yous Can Practice This.
We Tin Help.

The decision to become a foster parent in Washington State is 1 simply you can make. It takes difficult work, dedication, and patience to work through and with a arrangement that isn't perfect. But, for those that commit, a treasure is waiting.

Are you fix to showtime your journey? Make a asking to be contacted by a Washington State agency at present.

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Source: https://foster.wachildrenandfamilies.org/reunification

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