Enid, Oklahoma – June is National Reunification Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of keeping families involved in the child welfare system together and recognizing how the community can better support these families.
When a family becomes involved with the child welfare system, the mission of the Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is to help reunite children with their parents whenever safe and possible. The Fourth Judicial District CASA Program assists in this process by making sure the child’s best interests are at the forefront of making this decision. During this month and beyond, CASA volunteers strive to engage and connect with the families, so they have the support and resources needed to have their children safely come back home.
“Some people believe that once children are removed from home and placed into foster care, no further help for them is needed,” said Shelia McHenry, CASA Program Manager of Fourth Judicial District CASA “The reality, though, is that foster care is not meant to be a permanent situation, and most kids in foster care experience a sense of grief and loss after being removed from their home, regardless of what their situation was like.”
The Fourth Judicial District CASA Program recruits and trains Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA volunteers, to stay by a child’s side throughout their time in foster care, advocating first for reunification when safe and possible. Reunifying broken families, helping them to become healthy and whole, is a large part of an Advocate’s job. These volunteers get to know the children, parents, and family as well as others involved in their lives—including foster parents, therapists, teachers and attorneys—collaborating with everyone to put family reunification as the first priority whenever it is safe and possible.
“We know that the vast majority of parents love their children and want what’s best for them, and the parents of the children we serve are no exception,” said McHenry. “We want to support parents during this time so that they have the tools and resources needed so that their children can live with them safely, because going back home is the best possible outcome for these kids.”
Many times, parents involved with the foster care system struggle to access the resources, support and education they need to be able to complete services ordered by the judge.
“Our CASA volunteers can make a monumental difference by helping bridge the access gap and connecting families to services and support,” said Alyson Burrow, CASA Volunteer Coordinator of the Fourth Judicial District CASA Program.
CASA volunteers also make sure the children and parents they serve have a support system of family and other caring adults who are able to help in whatever ways needed and stay involved long after CASA and OKDHS involvement ends.
“If parents and children have a good support system, it’s much more likely that a plan for reunification will be successful and sustainable,” Burrow said. “That’s what we want for the children we serve – for them to be able to grow up safe, happy and supported, surrounded by people who love them.”
Reunification takes hard work, commitment and the investment of time and resources. The Fourth Judicial District CASA Program had 29 cases that closed in the FY2021. Of those 29 cases, 15 cases ended in reunification with their families and 5 cases ended with a relative adoption. The Fourth Judicial District CASA Program is grateful to our 40+ volunteers who encourage collaboration and supporting policies and standards that promote reunification.
By becoming a CASA volunteer, you can help more children and families in your community stay safe and happily connected. Every child has a chance—it’s you. ® The Fourth Judicial District CASA Program needs volunteers to serve in the counties of Blaine, Kingfisher, Garfield, Grant, Major and Woodward. Learn more at www.thecarecampus.com. You can also contact Alyson Burrow at 580-242-1153 or email 4jdcasa@thecarecampus.com. The next pre-training session for NEW CASA volunteers starts the week of July 5th.
