Ellen, a 14-year-old Liberian youth, was reunited with her mother whom she had not seen since the age of three. She moved in with her mother and joined her new step-father and two younger step-sisters. Not long after her arrival, tension within the family increased. Her mother and step-father became frustrated- soon they began talking about sending her back to Liberia. BRYCS social workers often receive calls like this for assistance with addressing severe conflict between parents or guardians and their children. The most common problems arise due to distant or renewed family relationships, or due to resettlement stresses which compromise parenting skills. To help caseworkers assisting such families, this Spotlight article provides information on preventing and responding to these types of situations. Promising practices and highlighted resources are included.
