In order to thrive, children need permanent, stable family relationships. Each year hundreds of children in Lancaster County are removed from their homes because of concerns for their welfare. Reasons for removal include child abuse or neglect, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, mental health issues, and incarceration of a parent. COBYS Family Services provides Christlike care for these at risk children.

The COBYS Family Services Permanency Unit is a specialized program, whose goal is to reunify children in foster care with their biological family or find an alternative permanent placement if reunification cannot be achieved, according to the guidelines of the Adoption and Safe Families Act. Staffed by COBYS, the program is funded by and serves children and families referred by the Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency. The two organizations work in partnership to achieve common goals of ensuring the safety of children, strengthening families, and securing permanency for children.

COBYS staff help children and members of their biological families to resolve the issues that led to their separation, so that children can be safely reunited with their families. Commonly addressed issues include drug and alcohol abuse, anger, mental illness, substandard housing or homelessness, insufficient parenting skills, unemployment, and domestic violence.

Children are nurtured through placement with supportive foster families, frequent case worker visits, therapy, and educational assistance, as needed. In cases where reunification would jeopardize a child's safety, steps are taken to find adoptive homes or other appropriate permanent placements.

By working intensively with individual family members, the program promotes a stronger and more stable family unit; shortens the duration of foster care placement; and helps families understand their needs and how to draw on community resources to meet those needs.