As June marks National Family Reunification Month, it’s important to celebrate the power of family reunification and recognize the importance of helping Florida families overcome obstacles to provide a safe and loving environment to bring their children home.

The foster care system was not created to be a permanent solution for a child. The separation of children from their biological parents and siblings can be traumatic for all parties involved.

National Reunification Month is an opportunity to highlight the efforts of organizations and individuals who are working to support children and families in reunification when it is safe and possible. Children and family service providers are on the front lines working to provide case management programs, therapeutic resources, and advocacy to engage parents and provide them with the education, tools and support they need to help in bringing children and parents back together.

Inspired by the journey three of my sisters experienced through the foster care system, I started 4 Sisters Solutions to improve outcomes in child welfare and reunify more children with their parents. Our child welfare experts aid parents in navigating the complexities of the foster care system by helping them create stronger relationships with key stakeholders, who are all working to improve the lives of children. We serve 14 north Florida counties to provide this trauma-informed coaching strategy giving parents critical education, support, and advocacy.

Through this innovative strategy, we were recently able to help a father find his voice and work towards reunification with his daughter. This child’s parents both struggled with addiction, resulting in the mother surrendering her parental rights. The father, however, successfully completed treatment and was trying desperately to convince the system he was ready to parent.

Our task became convincing other stakeholders that the father was ready, and if we put our collective support around him, he and his daughter would thrive. On his 25th birthday, he was approved to have an overnight visitation with his daughter. We helped them celebrate by sending pizza and cake so he could focus on just being with his daughter. We received a letter from this father expressing his gratitude and emphasizing the significance these services have had on his family’s life.

These are not easy life situations to navigate. To help strengthen and further our efforts, we have joined forces with a new partnership called Partners for Florida’s Children & Families, which is made up of child and family direct services providers from across the state who collectively provide the full continuum of care from prevention and intervention to ongoing treatment and support services. Through our collaboration, advocacy, and holistic approach to serving and empowering our communities, we are working to shape a better future for our children and our state.

Florida’s children deserve to grow up in strong families and supportive communities and have every opportunity to reach their full potential. This can happen if we all make that a priority.

It’s critical to recognize family reunification as an important part of this mission. As our state’s leaders continue to work to create a stronger, more resilient Florida, I encourage their support of efforts and initiatives that give families the necessary tools and services to safely reunite, heal and thrive.

Eva Horner is Founder/President/CEO of 4 Sisters, a New Port Richey, Florida-based organization that helps families in crisis statewide. For more information, visit 4sisters.us.  

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Celebrate efforts to help families safely reunite, heal and thrive