Family reunification: the long road home

Family tracing starts with a first name, sometimes a nickname, and the name of a hill. Our social workers begin there.

Three stages, never linear

• Identification — cross-checking accounts, travelling, verifying.
• Mediation — understanding why the child left, and whether the cause has changed.
• Supported return — at least six months of follow-up afterwards.

One return in five fails at the first attempt. That is not a failure of the work: it means a stage was reached too early, and must be taken again.