LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Saint Francis Ministries held a family reunification ceremony Monday, bringing together parents and children who had been separated, as part of National Reunification Month in June.
The ceremony
The event recognized families who completed the requirements necessary to bring their children home. Rachel Williams-Ehue, vice president of permanency at Saint Francis Ministries, said the ceremony marks the work families put in to get there.
“The ceremony is so important to be able to recognize the hard work being done and that families have come back together,” Williams-Ehue said.
She said reunification remains the goal even when a child enters foster care.
“Unfortunately, I think sometimes people feel like once the child comes into foster care, that’s it. And it’s not. And as we engage with families, the goal is what can we do so that the families can come back together,” Williams-Ehue said.
The reunification process
The path to reunification can include parenting classes, support groups, and demonstrating consistency over time. Emily Sumpter, a permanency specialist with Saint Francis Ministries, said the process is built around working with parents.
“Everybody messes up. Everybody makes mistakes. We’re only human. And I want to work with those parents to help them get to a point where they can be with their kids and that it’s safe for their kids to be home with them,” Sumpter said.
Perspectives from foster parents and reunited families
Foster parents Courtney and Phillip Hall said they witnessed the impact of reunification firsthand.
“I’ve already seen such an automatic connection with her birth mom, even though they weren’t together for the first 18 months of her life. As soon as reunification happened, you can see the bond that’s there that is more automatic for them,” Courtney Hall said.
For reunited parent Mary Ferrer, completing the process required maintaining sobriety, holding down a job, and continuing participation in support programs.
“Whenever I was told that it was family reunification, I felt like all of the hard work had paid off because it has been a long time. And the road to healing has been hard. But it’s definitely worth it,” Ferrer said.
Saint Francis Ministries said every case is different, but the goal remains the same: safe homes and bringing families together.
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