Never stop looking for kin

About this recommendation

The beginning of foster care is a difficult and emotional time for children and their families. Both children and adults may be too stressed or afraid to share a complete list of connections during an initial meeting.

Reduce the risk that children will permanently lose important connections by checking in regularly about their networks. Different timing and questions often uncover more connections. And when children are in foster care for a while, they may also develop new relationships with people who can provide vital support.

Invite youth and the known adults in their lives — like parents, family, other kin, and even foster parents — multiple times to share a list of supportive connections.

How to do this

• Review the list of known connections at recurring planning meetings. Ask all participants if they can think of anyone who is missing.
• Set and require specific milestones for repeating kin-finding activities, such as court hearings, planning meetings, or at specific calendar intervals. Specify exactly who is responsible for leading this work at each milestone.
• Try different approaches for learning about connections, like: Who picks you up from school? Who would you call if you got locked out of your home? Who did you see at your last family gathering? Who do you miss?

Anticipated costs and benefits

Who's doing this

What they're doing

• Michigan’s policy: “The relative search must begin prior to the child’s removal from the home and continues until legal permanency for the child has been achieved or case closure… Caseworkers must pursue the identification and notification of relatives and document the initial and ongoing efforts in the investigation report and each case service plan.” See their meeting template for reviewing placements of children currently not placed with kin.
• Ohio is developing a new quality hearing court guide that includes prompting for the identification of missing supportive adults. It will guide the judge or magistrate to ask participants about whether relatives have been explored, pursued, and where they are in the process. It will also prompt courts to ask about kinship placement and whether the caregiver is linked with training, services and financial support.
• Rhode Island connects with foster youth in group homes over Zoom meetings to ask about supportive connections.
• Virginia’s policy is to ask about supportive adults annually and at every placement change.
• In Washington State, every Family Team Decision Meeting includes asking participants to identify supportive connections.