About 1,160 children in King County spent last month in the custody of the Division of Child and Family Services. Most were separated from their parents because of unsafe conditions at home, such as drugs, violence or neglect.
But it may come as a surprise to learn that most eventually will be safely returned to their parents.
Whether they get clean, get mental health treatment or get a dangerous person out of the home, many parents are able to put their families back together.
Last week judges, elected officials and others celebrated the 200 or so families that reunited in King County over the last year. One of them was the Edgars -- Connstance, Jamie, and their two tow-heahed toddlers, Kayla Marie and Jamie Joe. Two-and-a-half years ago Connstance was mired in a meth addiction, the home was in chaos, and it all boiled over into domestic violence. Jamie went to jail, and Kayla, then two months old, was removed from the home.
Now, after years of hard work, treatment and growth, their family is whole again. The Edgars were honored at a ceremony at the Pacific Science Center, one of the success stories of King County’s foster care system.
