Reunification: A Shared Responsibility

At a recent community meeting in Northeast Arkansas, foster parents, advocates, agency leaders, and caseworkers gathered for a deeply honest conversation about the realities of foster care—and the hopeful path of reunification.

The panel included Jessica and Joey Patten, Area 8 Foster Parents of the Year; Angela Tate, Executive Director of CASA of the 2nd Judicial District; Leelinda Love, Area 8 County Supervisor for Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS); and Lindsay Roberts, Executive Director of Together We Foster. Each brought a unique and vital perspective on what it means to care for children who have experienced trauma and how community support can help families heal and reunite.

Angela Tate offered an inside look at CASA’s mission: “Our mission is to recruit, train, and support community volunteers to advocate for a child in foster care until they have a safe, permanent home, whatever that looks like.” Tate emphasized how CASA volunteers provide stability in a system where faces frequently change, visiting children twice a month and writing court reports based on consistent, personal interaction.

Leelinda Love shared candidly about her entry into the child welfare field, admitting, “It definitely wasn't where I thought I was going to be. But nine and a half years later, here I am.” She described the mission of the DCFS as focusing on the “safety, permanency, and well-being of the kids and families,” and reiterated the importance of reunification: “Even if we can leave them in the house where maybe there are some issues but provide those services that help remedy that... that’s better for them because that’s people that they know.”

All panelists agreed: reunification, when safe and supported, is the best outcome for the child. The Pattons shared two emotional stories of long-term placements that ended in successful reunifications, where birth parents overcame addiction, secured housing and employment, and maintained positive relationships with the foster families. “It’s really beautiful to see,” Jessica reflected.

Together We Foster, founded by Lindsay and Quincy Roberts, has expanded since 2019 to support foster and biological families in multiple counties. From birthday baskets and freezer meals to supervised visitation rooms and emergency supplies, their organization steps in to meet daily needs that often go unmet.

The panel also didn’t shy away from the hard truths—about trauma-induced behaviors, system gaps, and the heartbreaking reality of teenagers sleeping in offices due to lack of placement. But what echoed most throughout the meeting was hope: for stronger collaboration, more community volunteers, and the belief that every child deserves to grow up in a safe, stable, and loving home.

“If you feel called to love them, please do it,” urged Jessica. “Teenagers will bless you just as much as babies.”

This gathering was a reminder that child welfare is a shared responsibility—and that lasting change begins when communities step forward together.