Both Hannah, in New York City, and Patrick, in Seattle, have lost custody of their children. After Hannah was reported for neglect, her two kids were removed from her home by the Administration for Children’s Services and placed with their paternal grandmother. Patrick lost his daughter to a foster family after a struggle with substance abuse. Both parents love their children deeply and are desperate to get them back. Tough Love takes us through the challenges and victories of Patrick and Hannah’s attempts to be reunited with their kids by proving to the child welfare system that they have learned from their mistakes and deserve a second chance. Through vérité footage, intimate access to sessions at family treatment court, and interviews with foster parents and case workers, we come to understand the tangle of bureaucracy and economic realities that make it so difficult for parents—however reformed and determined—to get their kids back home.  EM