Losing custody of a child for any reason can be heartbreaking, no matter the state in which the parents find themselves. The fight against the state to regain child custody can be an uphill battle where the parents sometimes feel they will never reach the top. Ohio parents fighting for child custody may be able to take heart with the celebration stories coming from another state.
An annual “Family Reunification Day” was recently held to celebrate the families who have overcome the problems that split them apart so that they can be together once again. In the program’s sixth year, the governor’s wife, who stays involved with a number of organizations that deal with child welfare, was on hand to congratulate the parents on overcoming the sometimes overwhelming complications as they worked to become the parents their children need. A spokesperson for the event stated in a report on the celebration that there is always an attempt to return the children to their biological parents if it is what is best for them.
While most of the parents at the celebration were separated from their children because of drugs, some of them still feel DCS workers believe the parents have not completely put their addictive pasts behind them even though they were required to receive counseling and attend rehabilitation classes. Other parents feel the way DCS handled their family cases were on point. The spokesperson for the event also expressed her desire that more money would be put toward programs that help the parents, not only with their drug abuse problems but also in the area of job training, as steady employment is essential in parents regaining custody of their children.
No matter the reason the state removed the child from the parents, it will take hard work and determination on the part of the parents to get their family together again. It is also helpful to have legal representation to work on their behalf. Attorneys who know the child custody regulations of Ohio are available to give the assistance needed as parents seek to reunite a family.
