Family Reunification is the planned process of reconnecting children in out-of-home care with their families by providing intensive services. Family reunification services are provided after children have been declared dependents of the Juvenile Court due to abuse and/or neglect, and placed out of the home of the parent(s). Typically, children are placed with a foster family or safe, appropriate relative.

In accordance with the Welfare and Institutions Code, services may be provided for a period that ranges from 6 - 18 months, depending on the age of the child and case circumstances.

Services include, but are not limited to, the following: Treatment for drug and alcohol abuse; anger management classes; parenting classes; family and individual counseling; referrals for housing, employment, emergency medical services, emergency food and shelter services and other community resources; and treatment/counseling for domestic violence.

California law requires that Family Reunification social workers provide concurrent planning services. Concurrent planning means working towards reunification while also finding a safe, permanent home for children if reunification is not possible. This involves identifying alternative forms of permanency, such as extended members of a family who will commit to adoption or guardianship if a child cannot be returned home safely.

In some cases, the child may live at home under dependent supervision. Dependent supervision services are provided to families in which the children have been declared dependents of the Juvenile Court and are placed in the home of the parent(s) under a court-ordered plan of services and supervision developed to ensure the safety of the child.

Below are links to the publication "A Parent's Guide to CPS" which explains more about this process.