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This edition of CBX spotlights the importance of supporting family reunification. In honor of Pride Month, we also provide resources about youth in child welfare who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, or other gender or sexual identity (LGBTQIA2S+). Read a message from Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston about the need to appropriately serve and support LGBTQIA2S+ children in foster care. Additionally, this issue includes valuable resources for professionals and the families they serve.
On April 29 of this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule on the Designated Placement Requirements Under Titles IV-E and IV-B for LGBTQI+ Children. The final rule requires title IV-E and title IV-B agencies to have sufficient placements designated to meet the needs of children and youth in foster care who are LGBTQI+ and necessary services to support their well-being.
Recognizing the vital role of kin caregivers in the child welfare system, the final rule clarifies that title IV–E and title IV–B agencies should improve access to kinship care as they implement the requirements of this regulation. Children who enter foster care because of familial conflict regarding their LGBTQI+ status or identity may have a supportive relative who is willing to serve as a kin caregiver. And, under the rule, foster care providers, including kin, can receive training and services to designate them as supportive of LGBTQI+ children currently in their care.
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Remember when understanding something was as simple as ABC? As children, the way we learn about and understand the world starts with grasping the ABCs. What if we took those lessons out of the traditional classroom and applied them to child welfare? Reunification is one of the foundational goals of child welfare practice—to bring families back together. During National Reunification Month this June, let’s look at the importance of reunification through the lens of the ABCs by Acknowledging that all families deserve an opportunity for reunification, Believing that families can achieve this goal, and Committing to a culturally responsive approach to reunification.
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For many parents, the process of reuniting with their children who are in foster care can be overwhelming. A recently updated factsheet from Child Welfare Information Gateway provides parents with guidance for the reunification process. Reunification From Foster Care: A Guide for Parents walks parents through the essential steps they will take to navigate the reunification process. This guide is designed to educate and empower parents with the knowledge and support they need for successful family reunification.
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In January 2024, the National Quality Improvement Center on Family-Centered Reunification (QIC-R) presented a webinar, "Building a Culture of Father Engagement to Enrich Family-Centered Reunification," which focused on the importance of including fathers in the child welfare system. The webinar reviews the history of father involvement in child welfare, acknowledging how perspectives and approaches have shifted over time.
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The American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law hosted a webinar, "What Child Welfare Agencies Can Do to Support Reunification," on resource and foster caregivers' roles in the reunification process. The session focused on how child welfare agencies can facilitate and strengthen the connection between foster caregivers and parents—a relationship that is pivotal in supporting family reunification.
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