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Being in foster care can sever
relationships between youth and people important to them, including
family and caring adults. Rather than assume that youth who have
languished in foster care do not have "family," child welfare
systems across the country are using family search practices. The goal:
to identify family members and engage them in case planning with the
youth, as well as explore the possibility of establishing meaningful
and lasting relationships.
Families are larger and more
diverse than we often believe, according to the Finding Permanency for
Youth Resource Handbook. Experts estimate that children
have between 100 to 300 relatives at one time! Family tracing work can
help to locate people who care about the youth but have either lost
contact or were never aware that the young family member was in foster
care.
Family searches are being conducted
using a variety of approaches:
- Youth Interviews: As a starting point, social workers talk
with youth about the important people in their lives now and in
the past. Youth may be able to help locate family and others to
whom they feel connected.
- Case Mining: Social workers carefully review case files
to identify overlooked family members and other significant
adults. Texas, for example, has developed case review procedures
to gather information about possible birth family or kin
resources. Case mining allows social workers to collect names,
social security numbers, birthdates, and any other identifying
information to help locate the youth's family. Priority goes to
relatives who have tried to contact the youth's social worker in
the past and relatives with whom the youth desires contact.
- The "Snowball" Technique: As social workers locate family members,
they ask for information about other relatives.
- Internet Searches: Searches use computer and Internet
databases to locate family members identified by youth, by other
family members, or through case mining. Strategies include:
- Subscription search systems that draw on
driver's license data, criminal records, and credit histories
- Internet searches using telephone listings
- Other Internet search programs with
documented successes in locating individuals
Many child welfare agencies use a
combination of these approaches. Alameda County, California, for
example, uses Internet technology and case mining to locate relatives
and find permanent families for youth in group home care.
Successful Strategies
Training
To support the successful implementation of family searches, states,
tribes, and counties are providing staff training to develop and
strengthen family-search skills and work with youth who are
reestablishing family relationships. In a recent survey, the Casey
Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice at Casey Family Services
found that at least 10 states are training staff on family search and
strategies for tapping the natural networks of youth in care.
Practice Guidelines and Policies
There is a recognition that expanded family search strategies must go
hand in hand with good casework practice. As child welfare agencies
have embraced family search, strategies and guidelines are emerging to
ensure family searches are supported by good casework practice.
Efforts do not focus solely on
finding family members. Preparing youth for family search activities is
vital. Practice also addresses appropriately approaching youth with
family search information, contacting families to gauge interest in
reconnecting with youth, assessing the benefits of family
reconnections, and working with youth and family to reconnect in meaningful
ways.
Toward this end, systems are
revising practice guidelines and policies regarding family search
activities. States in which this work is taking place:
Program Development
Rhode Island's Real Connections focuses on youth in foster care who are
ages 14 to 24 and at risk of "aging out" of state care
without positive, consistent adults in their lives. Staff support youth
and their care providers in identifying adults from their existing
network who could become positive, lifelong supports. !
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