Family reintegration is the return on a permanent basis to the family of origin of a child who has been provisionally separated (by a family placement or a stay in an institution) as a result of the initially unfavourable circumstances for his upbringing having taken a turn for the better. Except for keeping the child in his family of origin and preventing him from being institutionalized, family reintegration constitutes the most desirable permanent solution for the child. It should be sought as a priority, even if the family of origin does not seem “ideal” or their customs and ways of life are different from those of the majority of the population. The aim of child protection does not consist of stereotyping family ways of life but rather of permitting each child to develop in the best way depending upon his specificities which include his family.
©ISS/IRC
