New from Rise magazine

New from Rise       Photo by Holly Beck June 2014 Story of the Month 'I Feel Good that I Never Gave Up!' At National Reunification Month events, parents reflect on the long road home. For June's National Reunification Month, organizations around the country celebrated the perseverance and resilience of parents reunifying with children from foster care and of the professionals who support them. On June 13, the parent attorney organization Bronx Defenders hosted a reunification celebration, with food, face painting, performances, and families coming together to celebrate the strength of their bonds. "What we thought would be a little party turned out to be an incredibly powerful moment for our clients to step back from their legal cases and reflect on how far they've traveled for their children," wrote Caitlin Becker, a Bronx Defenders social worker, in a reflection on the evening. Below are the reunification stories three clients shared with Rise on the night of the celebration. If you have pictures and stories from reunification celebrations you would like to share, send them to risemaginfo@gmail.com.   Photo by Holly Beck Dana's Story I have five children, but I always struggled with my middle son's behavior. After my husband and I separated, his behavior grew worse. When he was 10, I went to ACS for help. We dragged along for a year but the situation didn't improve. Then ACS removed him and my two younger children as well, claiming failure of supervision. >> Read more   Photo by Holly Beck Jannice's Story I grew up in foster care from 18 months until I was 21. When my daughter was born, I promised her she'd never be in care. but when I went to the hospital for a panic attack soon after I aged out of care, the hospital staff thought I was neglecting her. >> Read more   Photo by Holly Beck Anastasia's Story When my older children were born, I was struggling with addiction. My son was born premature, at 1 pound, 3 ounces. That's when they took my children. It was so horrible I felt like I couldn't breathe. >> Read more

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