Family Unification Day Celebration

As part of the annual nationwide American Bar Association Family Reunification effort, Legal Services of New Jersey recently celebrated prevention and reunification success stories at its annual Unification Day event in New Brunswick. The event honored families who have successfully reunified with their children after involvement with the NJ Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) and those who have been able to remain together without removal.

This year's event was held at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, NJ, on Monday June 24, 2019. More than 30 people were honored, including unified families and their DCPP heroes (resource parents, social workers, DCPP caseworkers, therapists and attorneys) from Middlesex, Camden, Hudson, Essex, Monmouth, Morris, Mercer and Passaic counties. View the program for more details about the event.

2019 Family Unification Day Videos

• The Honorable Sallyanne Floria
• The Honorable David Katz
• Dr. Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner for the Children's Bureau
• David Kelly, Special Assistant for the Children's Bureau

Previous Family Reunification Day Videos

• Cannitta’s Story: Surviving, Not Living (2018)
• Iesha’s Story: Reclaiming Her Voice (2018)
• Overcoming Barriers to Educational Success for Children in Out-of-Home Placement (2017)
• Nurturing and Rebuilding Family Ties (2016)
• Home - Housing's Critical Role in Child Welfare (2015)
• Poverty, Addiction, and Meeting Family Needs (2014)
• Visitation: An Indispensable Tool for Reunification (2013)

Keynote Speeches from Prior Years

• The Honorable Daniel Yablonsky, Passaic County (2018)
• The Honorable Madelin F. Einbinder (2017)
• The Honorable David B. Katz (2016)
• Lisa von Pier, Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (2015)
• The Honorable Julio L. Mendez (2014)
• The Honorable Hany A. Mawla (2013)
• The Honorable Thomas H. Dilts (2012)
• The Honorable Sallyanne Floria (2011)
• The Honorable Glen A. Grant (2010)

For information on National Family Reunification Month:

• National Council of Juvenile and Family Courts
• ABA Center on Children and the Law