The Specialists and Supervisor there believe in the power of family, and understand the importance of connecting children with loved ones as quickly as possible when they enter the foster care system. Two recent families were served by this wonderful program and have had children placed with family within 30 days.

Olivia is a Specialist who has been working with the program for a few months. She has been able to build rapport with the families and partner with them as they navigate the child welfare system. Going above and beyond for her families is what she does and understands the extra support needed for families recently introduced to foster care. Recently, she served a young infant who had severe medical needs with a lengthy stay in the hospital. Through her engagement with family, she was able to assist the child in moving directly with kin from the hospital. The fewer moves a child has in the foster care system, the better for their overall stability.

The newest Specialist on the team is AudreyD who has experience connecting with family in her previous work. She brought those skills to her current role in the program. AudreyD recounted her very first 30 Days to Family® case, in which a father truly appreciated her support, reaching out to her often with questions, concerns, and updates. Being able to partner with parents is important to the program and AudreyD was able to connect with the father so both young girls could return to him in less than 48 hours.   

We recently asked Olivia and AudreyD to give us a little feedback about their experiences with 30 Days to Family®. Here's what they had to say!

Why is getting children back with families so important to you? 

• Olivia: Connecting children to their families is so important to me because I believe that it is the truest form of allowing children to find a sense of identity, stability, and lifelong relationships. Keeping children with their families allows them to be connected to people who know them best, know their traditions & culture, and maintain relationships that they had before and will have after their involvement with the Child Welfare system.
• AudreyD: Getting children back with their family is important to me because family is where they belong. Family is the first institution that was created; it begins with family and ends with family. There has always been a time where family isn’t the safest place for children to be especially when family has caused the hurt. However, as a specialist, it is my job and understanding to reach beyond the stretch of the immediate family and look for those family members that are sometimes forgotten in the search. Without family, we are a lost generation!

• Olivia: One thing I've learned is that the definition of "family" is very different for everyone. I have been given the opportunity to learn that some of the closest people in a family's life can be friends, teachers, classmates, or daycare providers. 
• AudreyD: The one thing that I have learned while doing this work is that at the end of the day, relationships and connections are formed and the lives of children are impacted by our work! The work that I and we do is valued, it is important and has a lasting impact on families for future generations to come!