Why This Project Exists
Parents and caregivers working through the child welfare (DCFS) reunification process — the steps toward safely bringing their children home — may be managing hearings, meetings, services, paperwork, deadlines, and their children's emotional needs all at once.
Navigating Reunification was created to make parts of that process easier to understand and organize through practical preparation, clear communication, and family-centered support.
How the Project Was Shaped
The project was shaped by:
Caregiver and family-support experience from Building Forever Families Initiative, a Los Angeles County organization focused on family preservation and reunification
Input from contributors with experience in dependency law, peer advocacy, family support, and relational practice
Clear language, structured information, and practical tools designed to be easier to understand and use
Partnership and Project Support
Building Forever Families Initiative
COMMUNITY PARTNER
Building Forever Families Initiative contributed caregiver-informed guidance, community context, and outreach support during development of the workshop series.
BFFI also provides therapeutic family and parent-coaching services in Los Angeles County. Those services are separate from the Navigating Reunification workshops.
Foundation for the Advancement of Human Systems
PROJECT FUNDER
Navigating Reunification is supported by the Foundation for the Advancement of Human Systems Minority Fellowship Program.
Grant support funds workshop development, contributor participation, caregiver materials, language access, accessibility, outreach, and the project website.
Project Scope
What the project provides
Navigating Reunification offers general educational information and practical caregiver resources.
What the project does not provide
The project does not provide legal advice or representation, therapy, clinical assessment, case management, crisis services, or guidance about an individual family’s case.
Participation does not create an attorney-client or therapist-client relationship. The project cannot communicate with the court or DCFS on a participant’s behalf, influence case decisions, or guarantee any outcome.
For case-specific guidance, contact your attorney, social worker, therapist, healthcare provider, or another appropriate professional.
Explore the Workshop Series
Review the three workshop topics and learn more about the speakers.