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Family Reunification Program
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Mission
The Family Reunification Program is a child welfare program that serves children affected by parental incarceration and the families who support them. We are committed to addressing the trauma and loss children experience when they are separated from a parent.
Family Reunification Program
The Family Reunification Program (FRP) was created in August 2000 to address children's experiences of separation and abandonment due to parental incarceration and other traumatic life experiences, while providing support and information which can help ease their long term
adjustment to family circumstances. The program received national recognition with the 2002 Child Welfare League of America's Community Collaboration with Children, Youth and Families Award.
The Family Reunification Program is a unique collaborative effort. Its partnerships include St. Rose Youth & Family Center, Inc., a nonsectarian, nonprofit organization, the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare (BMCW), and six Wisconsin correctional institutions as well as almost
two-dozen state and local agencies participating in the aftercare demonstration project.
Program services include:
- Orientation sessions for incarcerated parent, caregivers, and children.
- Parent-child prison visits: Regular contact between family members is provided by initial and ongoing support to the children, caregivers, and incarcerated parents involved. Children are provided transportation to and from prison facilities where parents reside.
- Children's support groups: After each parent-child prison visit, age-specific support groups are facilitated with children.
- Individual and family therapy: To address the issues related to trauma, separation, loss, and later assist families preparing for reunification or assisting with closure as guided by the BMCW permanency plan.
- Mother's Offering Mutual Support groups (MOMS): These groups are facilitated by FRP staff fostering a supportive environment for incarcerated parents to discuss issues raised through visitation such as nurturing skills, stages of child development, age appropriate
communication , health, discipline and positive orientation to the future.
- Aftercare: The Ellsworth Aftercare Demonstration Project (Aftercare) is a collaborative effort spearheaded by St. Rose and involving the BMCW, Wisconsin Department of Corrections, City of Milwaukee Housing Authority, Department of Work Force Development, Wraparound
Milwaukee and others. The primary objective of the Aftercare Project is to enhance the potential for successful community reintegration and family reunification by embracing the wraparound philosophy of single coordinated care teams developed by the consumer, in this
context, the incarcerated parent.
- Bonds Beyond Bars: The Family Reunification Program, Wisconsin Department of Corrections and the Racine and Milwaukee chapters of the Girl Scouts developed and implemented this program which “bonds” together girls, ages 5-17, and their incarcerated mother through
scouting activities that take place at Ellsworth Correctional Center (Union Grove).
The Family Reunification Program is funded through fee-for-service agreements with the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare and by grants from several local foundations. Collaboration with the local child welfare system allows for a systemic and coordinated response to the needs
of children affected by parental incarceration.
To provide opportunities for successful family reunification, FRP
promotes the development of healthy coping skills, self-protective
behaviors, long-term family stability, and the safe reintegration
of formerly incarcerated parents into the community.
The Family Reunification Program receives referrals initiated by the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare (BMCW) Case Managers and by incarcerated parents. A service plan is developed for each family, to include regularly scheduled parent-child prison visits. An initial orientation
session with each child, caregiver and mother helps to prepare everyone for the visits and functions as an assessment of current family functioning. Support groups are held for the children after every visit to help them process their experiences. This is an important time
for children to be able to talk about their feelings and experiences.
Children of incarcerated parents suffer disproportionately from the issues of abandonment, separation anxiety, and trauma. These problems are exacerbated by children’s limited access to parents who are incarcerated.
Support group sessions for children and mothers focus on educational and therapeutic issues. For mothers, nurturing and child welfare issues are focus areas. With children, skills are taught to help them deal with their isolation, anger and safety during their parents' incarceration.
Self-protective skills are taught to parents and children and are prioritized during facilitated visits.
Since the start of the Family Reunification Program, over 2000 visits have been facilitated between children and their mothers. Through mid-2004, the program has served more than 350 children and over 150 families. For the vast majority of these families, visits had not been
taking place prior to their involvement with the Family Reunification Program.
As Susan Dreyfus, former Administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, stated in her nomination letter of the Family Reunification Program for the CWLA award, "It is quite clear to me that St. Rose's Program is not only successful, but it is on track
to demonstrate nationally how we successfully reintegrate and reunify children and mothers once they are released."
For more information contact:
Bridgett Brown
Program Coordinator
PH: 414-466-9450, Ext. 111
FX: 414-466-0730
Email: bbrown@strosecenter.org
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