Family Reunification Day

Michigan's First Family Reunificaiton Day is today, June 24, 2010. The even starts at 2:00 p.m. EST in the courtroom of Mary Beth Kelly, on the 15th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building, followed by a reception.

Michigan has also, as early word has it, "passed" its federal audit of its child welfare operations. Let's see if the State Auditor General concurs.

I personally would like to commend the American Bar Association for promoting this event and Justice Maura Corrigan for finally waking up.

As the state has allowed weight to be assigned to Foster Care Review Board reports for the court decision making in child welfare cases, this is the perfect opportunity to create more oversight in referring violations of law to the attorney general.

National Reunification Day

Statement of ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm: Celebrate Children’s Return Home from Foster Care!

This year, a number of national organizations are working together to organize the first National Reunification Day on June 19, 2010. The goal of National Reunification Day is to celebrate families and communities coming together and to raise awareness about the importance of family reunification to children in foster care. While June 19, 2010 is the official day, a number of jurisdictions are celebrating on different days and weeks. The important part of this initiative is to celebrate successful reunifications whenever it works for you. Please click here for more information.

Register Your National Reunification Day Celebration

Please register your National Reunification Day celebration so that we can keep track of what is going on across the country.

To register your event, please complete the form and email it to Elizabeth Thornton.

I encourage any organization interested in participating in national reform to set up your own event, and register it.

Now onto National Reinstatement of Parental Rights Day!