Child welfare isn't just foster care, adoption. It also means helping parents | Guestview

Mark Jones

Guest columnist

When you think of child welfare, many people think of foster care and adoption. At FamiliesFirst Network, these are important parts of our work, but about one third of our cases involve working with families whose children remain in their homes with their biological parents. This is because our work involves helping the parents as well. Unless we can work from the root of a problem, we will never bring children and families whole again.

FamiliesFirst Network provides child welfare services in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. I work with a team who’s passionate about helping abused and neglected children and their families, striving to ensure the safety and well-being of children across Northwest Florida. In cases where we can identify that a parent needs help with something like anger management, financial skills, food, housing, a job or transportation, we work with them, in their homes, to create a case plan that helps the family achieve the basic needs required to stay together and thrive in our communities.

More columns:

Sometimes we do have to place a child in foster care or with a close family member or friend while the parent works through a case plan. Even then, our goal is never to run in and judge. Our goal is to protect the child, assess the situation, and link the parents to the resources they need to be successful parents. In instances where the parents don’t engage in that process, we turn to adoption. But removing a child from his or her home is the last resort, and reunifying a family is always the primary goal.

We all need help at times. For instance, years ago my agency worked with a local business man, who was involved in a car accident and ended up in the hospital for a month. He was prescribed opioids when discharged. A month later, he was addicted. He couldn’t function at work. Then, his wife also became addicted and the couple added alcohol to the mix. He lost his job at six-figures a year, followed by his beautiful home. Then his three children were taken, and eventually the couple’s parental rights were permanently terminated. Before he knew it, he had lost everything, but this could have been different. Had he gotten help for the addiction, his life would have remained intact.

My point is that life catches us all by surprise, and this can happen to any one of us. I’ve been doing this work for 32 years, and I’ve seen it all. I’ve also seen families receive help, heal and avoid unnecessary trauma caused by temporary or permanent separation. Studies show that removing a child from a biological home is traumatic, and unless we tackle the root problem, the cycle of abuse and trauma will repeat. Often, all that’s needed is a case plan led by a child welfare expert to help them learn how to manage the life stressors that led a parent to poor behaviors in the first place. Remove the barrier. Remove the negative impact. Save the parent. Save the child. Save the family. In my experience, removing one barrier, or chink in the chain, prevents a series of events from spiraling out of control.

Our foremost goal is to keep children safe in all situations, but we know that families experience poverty, illness, job loss – ingredients for anxiety and stress that can lead to dire circumstances and poor decisions. When someone sees abuse or neglect and reports it, our team takes seriously the fact that a family is in danger. We look at the whole family and work to make them whole again if possible.

We want the same opportunities for these families as for our own families. We want our community to be No. 1 in terms of quality of life and healthy, happy families.

We invite you to reach out and help a family you know who is struggling with a challenge. Often it takes a village to keep families healthy and together. My team sees every day the power of supportive communities. Even one small gesture can help.

Mark Jones is president of FamiliesFirst Network.