Celebrate the reunion of families in Bay County

Yahoo

07-06-2025

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – While dependency courtrooms have seen a fair share of highs and lows, on Friday, June 6, Bay County courtroom 'S-2' only saw highs.
Parents, once deemed unfit by the court, were granted reunification with their children.
'It means the world. It's very rare. We celebrate reunification. Usually, we celebrate adoptions, which is fantastic in itself. But see, in this full circle moment for families, from the time the families were sheltered to the time they were unified, it's really powerful,' Florida Assistant Regional Counsel Megan McKeeby said.
Each of the required case plans parents must complete is complex, unique, and difficult in their own way.
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'Each case plan is designed to remedy the reasons why the children came into care. It can be anything from substance misuse, mental health, domestic violence, or it can be a combination of those things. They put in a lot of work. As I tell most people, I couldn't complete a case plan if I had to do one,' McKeeby said.
Some parents who were previously granted reunification in November and have been doing well were granted termination of supervision.
Unfortunately, the stigma remains for many parents who struggle with substance abuse, trauma, or other extenuating factors that led them to be in dependency court. However, Friday's celebration was a display of compassion, understanding, and ultimately triumph.
'The perspective matters because the obstacles these families face with the wrong perspective, that pulls them in the wrong direction. But with the right perspective, it can be a positive change, and it can be a force for good, and it can turn an otherwise difficult, challenging moment into an opportunity to be better, to do better, and to be the parent that they've been called to be. And so these types of events, these types of celebrations for reunification are worth our time,' 14th Judicial Circuit Judge Dustin Stephenson said.
Judge Stephenson said he runs his courtroom looking to the positive, and encourages families that celebrations like Friday's are in their future.
Panama City Commissioner Janice Lucas presented those in attendance with a proclamation solidifying June as National Family Reunification Month.
The event was the first of its kind for Bay County. And it was possibly overdue for all of the caseworkers, judges, community partners, and families who play a pivotal role in the process.
Judge Stephenson said Bay County is in dire need of foster parents who can step up, even temporarily, while a parent is going through the reunification process.
He says many Bay County children have had to be relocated to Central or South Florida due to the lack of foster parents in our area.
To learn more about becoming a foster parent, click here.
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