Identify natural supports for caregivers

About this recommendation

Caregivers, whether kinship caregivers or general resource families, need support too, and they won't be able to get 100 percent of that support from your agency. Identifying natural supports early on can help activate those supports when they're needed.

How to do this

• Update your home study process to include identifying natural supports. Home study specialists should talk through different hypothetical scenarios with the caregiver to prompt brainstorming of what supports they would need and who they would reach out to. Families can write these plans down.

Anticipated costs and benefits

Who's doing this

1 of 54 states and territories have implemented this recommendation.

• Washington asks caregivers about their natural support network as part of its home study form.