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An investment in the future...

     An investment in the future that pays dividends NOW!

      In January 2007, Willamette Family initiated the innovative Family Reunion Program. Since then, over 95 families have received these comprehensive services, and 81%  of the children safely, and successfully, remain with their parents-with no incidents of child abuse or neglect. Eighty percent of the parents also remain in recovery.

      These are remarkable results. Fewer than 50% of foster children in Lane County typically are reunited with their parents, so this project clearly demonstrates that with these intensive, specific services, this rate can be increased by over 30%.

 

     For parents in recovery, it is also clear that when they complete treatment and have supportive recovery services, having their children live with them is a significant reinforcement for remaining clean and sober.  While in the program, parents receive 1:1  intensive parent education and mentoring as well as individualized help in building a strong parent-child attachment which is the single most important protective factor in preventing child abuse/neglect. It really works!

     For the children and their parents, the impact of the Family Reunion Program has lifelong effects: children are safe, families are preserved, and the destructive cycles of child abuse/neglect and substance abuse are broken and healed.

     For our community, the results of the Family Reunion Program have both  immediate dividends and long-term positive impacts.

The Immediate  Dividend:

We see an immediate cost-savings in foster care expenditures. Of the total number of children who remain successfully with their parents, $68,862 is saved each month on foster care payments alone. In this economy, this  should be headline-news because it represents an  immediate savings for the DHS foster care budget.

Long Term Impacts and Savings:

Savings across the board:  For each $1 spent on substance abuse treatment, an additional $5.60 is saved on other related costs, such as criminal justice, unemployment, and food stamps. Eighty percent of the parents in the Family Reunion Program successfully complete treatment and remain in recovery.

Medical Savings:

At least five infants came to Willamette Family with their mothers with extraordinary medical needs, which included needing titration from drugs, heart monitoring, and other medical conditions. Many of these  babies would  have required hospitalization in the NICU of Sacred Heart or McKenzie Willamette Hospitals. The cost of one day in the NICU is over $2,000. And these little ones required weeks of specialized care at Willamette Family. Most of the children are on the Oregon Health Plan.

Twenty-seven infants were born to women who were in treatment during their pregnancy, and their moms were alcohol and drug free when they were born.

Education Savings: Every child who attends our on-site Child Development Center receives comprehensive developmental assessments, and when needs are identified, specific interventions are implemented and the moms learn how to provide the care their child needs with 1:1 mentoring by staff and supervised practice. Children are prepared to enter school ready to learn, because of early intervention.

Mental Health Savings: Virtually by definition, the trauma experienced by both children and their parents when families are disrupted creates the potential for life-long emotional and social difficulties. Fifty percent of children in foster care qualify for a mental health diagnosis, according to recent Federal studies. The Family Reunion Program  provides a  comprehensive  array of services that address this trauma and help the healing begin.

     In spite of these extraordinary statistics, State funding for the Family Reunion Program remains elusive. Since it began in 2007, the State has awarded a total of only $80,000. With upcoming budget changes, even this funding is doubtful. Funding from foundations and community gifts  provide the majority of funding for the program, yet they have limitations on the length of time they can provide funding.

     Sustainable funding is urgently needed, and that translates into State resources being committed to continue this successful work. The current budget wending its way through the Legislature  continues and expands funding for the "old way" of working with these families: removing children, placing them into foster care, and reuniting fewer than 50% of them with their parents. These children grow up and repeat the cycles as parents.

     If we continue to apply old methods that do not work, how can we ever expect a different outcome? It's time to invest in a program that works and treats child abuse and parental addiction as a family issue.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact:

Development Director, Susie Dey at (541) 343-0510 or email: susied@wfts.org