Policy Analysis Reunification

The foster care system will be the Social Welfare issue that will be addressed, more specifically the policy of reunification. Reunification of children with their families is best done with the involvement of the children's parents and other family members. Working closely with the children and parents can aid the return home more quickly than if parents are not involved. Returning children to their original homes often requires intensive, family-centered services to support a safe and stable family. The preferred course of action for most children in foster care is a quick reunification with the child's biological family, for several reasons. For instance, a continuous caretaking relationship is important for the child's well-being and that this relationship most often involves the biological parents. Therefore, it is possible that the separation and lack of stability inherent in a temporary placement may psychologically harm the child. In addition, an incentive may exist to reunify the child because foster care is relatively expensive the range in maintenance claims according to Federal Foster Care Financing was $2,829 to $20,539 per title IV-E child, with a median of $6,546, and adoptive placements can be difficult to find.

Although the vast majority of foster care children are eventually reunified, there is much room for improvement. The Family Reunification problems include the following: there are few reunification services provided to families that are brought back together, the child welfare system is overloaded so reunification may be delayed, and some children remain in foster care drift with little accomplishment taken to ensure their permanent placement. Foster Care drift means a lengthy placement away from the child’s natural family, without a clear objective to return them to their original home or find some other permanent placement (Hartley, 1984).

The first failure involves the largest group of children, those who exit foster care quickly...