It’s a delicate balance, post-reunification. 

We want to give the biological family the time and space that they need to bond with baby full time. We also want to give baby the space to acclimate to a new normal, including a house he hasn’t seen in over a year. Respecting this distance and their boundaries feels essential for long term success.

At the same time, we’ve cared for this baby every day for the past 13 months. In that way, we are grieving the loss of a child in our home. And we’re celebrating a successful reunification. 

There is no rule stating that the biological family must keep in touch with us post-reunification, but we’re sooo thankful that K’s bio mom does just that.

The relationship that we’ve built over the past year was one of trust and transparency. With that said, mama sends pictures and videos here and there. She even came to visit… twice! Both times to pick up some remaining items (& to check in).

We want the bio family to know that we’ll always be here for them in whatever capacity. We’re a stable support system, a babysitter, a backup plan, a listening ear… etc. But we don’t want to overwhelm them with expectations.

We’re thankful mama’s willingness to keep us in the loop, and we’re thankful that K is safe!