Family reunification: Rhetoric and risks

This paper explores the recent emphasis on family reunification as an intervention strategy with ‘high-risk’ families whose children have been placed in the care of the State for reasons of significant abuse and/or neglect. It considers some of the dominant ideas and ideologies around reunification as an intervention strategy and reflects on the many layers of complexity involved in seeking to reconnect children and families under circumstances of risk Finally, it considers the ‘systemic factors’ that compound the inherent difficulties involved in returning children to the care of their parents and offers some practice strategies aimed at recognising and minimising those risks and maximising the likelihood of a successful and safe outcome.