The following research study aimed to discover the relationships and contributions that parent partners have in the reunification process of parents and children within the child welfare system. The study utilized a quantitative secondary data analysis design and the data were obtained from a Southern California Children and Family Services agency within the CWS/CMS database, as well as the parent partner database. Data were analyzed through SPSS software and descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were conducted to describe and assess the variables of interest. A total of 296 participants were used in the study and the majority of parents (73%) had an open case due to multiple allegations. The study found that there existed a statistically significant relationship between the utilization of the parent partner service and the likelihood of reunification. Furthermore, the study also revealed that as the number of contacts between a parent and a parent partner increased, the more likely the parent was to accomplish his/her goals. The study found that, specifically, during their open case, as 60% of parents reunified when they met 11 to 20 times with their parent partner. This study suggests that it would be a beneficial resource for child welfare agencies to incorporate the parent partner program as part of their practice. Furthermore, the agencies and counties that have already implemented the parent partner program may encourage their social workers to continuously recommend a parent partner for their clients. The research study would benefit from further research to assess the types of interactions parents and parent partners have during contacts.

In the study, the researchers explored parent partners’ perceptions on reunification celebration events and the impact the event has on fostering reunified parents’ use of positive parenting skills. A qualitative design was completed using convenience sampling. The researchers studied previous research that focused on the reunification process and the general importance of celebrations in child welfare as a precursor to their study. The researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with nine parent partners from one child welfare agency in Southern California. Our findings revealed four major themes of the study. First, we learned of the importance of recognizing reunified parents’ for their successful family reunification efforts. Second, we learned of the participants’ perceptions of reunified parents being nominated and or honored. Third, we found the participants selection criteria for nominating reunified parents’ for the event and their perceptions of the reunified parents’ parental growth. Finally, we learned of the participants suggestions for future reunification celebration events. The researchers discussed limitations found in this study such as a small sample size of nine participants. Another limitation included the study’s focus on the parent partners’ perception of the event; and lacked the perspective of reunified parents’ who were honored at the reunification celebration. Lastly, the researchers provided recommendations for social work practice and research including increased social worker involvement in the reunification celebration and adoption of this event in other child welfare agencies. The researchers recommend that further research be conducted to obtain insight from the perspective of reunified parents’ who were honored at this event.