Third Branch eNews

Waukesha County courts finalized 778 adoptions between 2013 and 2025. That same year marked the county’s first Adoption Celebration, an event that has since become an annual tradition in November, coinciding with National Adoption Awareness Month.

During the same timeframe, 383 court orders were entered, returning children from out-of-home care to their parents in Child and Juvenile in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS and JIPS) and Juvenile Delinquency cases. While Waukesha County has long recognized adoption through formal events, court partners have spent years discussing how best to acknowledge reunifications.

In early 2025, Health and Human Services Supervisor Jamie Proctor proposed a new approach -- not a celebration, but a space where individuals with lived experience could share their perspectives directly with those working in the child welfare system.

That proposal led to Waukesha County’s first Reunification Recognition event, held on June 12 as part of National Reunification Month. The event was a collaboration among Health and Human Services, Juvenile Court, the State Public Defender’s Office, the Department of Children and Families, and the Children’s Court Improvement Program.

Four lived experts shared their stories with an audience of approximately 50 judicial officials, attorneys, caseworkers, and other court partners. Their insights offered meaningful context and helped deepen understanding of the challenges and impact of family reunification.