8th of June 2022

For over a decade, the child welfare community has celebrated June as National Reunification Month. The American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law and other national partners created the National Reunification Month in 2010, as the most desirable and positive legal permanency option for children. According to recent data, reunifications is the permanency option achieved by most children in the child welfare system.

Reunification month is an incredible opportunity for the child welfare system to commit to resource families and children’s parents working together to provide children and youth with the critical love and support they need. It is an opportunity to use the compassion and skills of resource families across the country to encourage and promote safe reunification, where possible, and to remain engaged with children and parents after reunification to provide ongoing support.

On average, Trinity Youth Services successfully reunifies over 30 families each year. We join with thousands of professionals, foster parents and organizations to promote, celebrate and raise awareness about the importance of family reunification to children in foster care. We recognize the people and efforts around the country that help families to stay together and support the child welfare community:

• To celebrate the accomplishments of families who have overcome an array of challenges to reunify safely and successfully.
• To recognize the vital role that community partners – including mental health and substance abuse providers, courts and judges, foster parents and others – play in helping to reunify, strengthen and support families.
• To inspire other parents – particularly those going through the recovery process – that it is possible to confront and resolve the issues that led to their separation, and to reunify with their children.

All children need the care, love, security and stability of family unity, including parents, siblings, grandparents and other extended family members to provide them with a solid foundation for personal growth, development, maturity and happiness.

---

John Neiuber, President of the Board
John is the former CEO of Trinity Youth Services and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CSUSB. He is a veteran and received the Army Commendation Medal. John was a teacher, union president, assistant principal, principal, and district office administrator in the public schools, and a management and leadership consultant to public agencies and private industry. He is the former CEO of Advanced Education Services, establishing and operating nonpublic and charter schools. John was recognized by the Center for Entrepreneurship as the winner of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016. He is an active volunteer in his community, having served on city and county commissions. He is currently the Chairman of the Children’s Foundation of America and writes a monthly history column for the local newspaper.