Reconnecting Families in 2017
Many children and youth placed in foster care long for permanent connections and a sense of belonging; these connections support a young person’s self-esteem and contribute to placement stability – two factors which positively impact many other areas of a young person’s life.
The County Department of Social Services has developed an enhanced Family Finding and Engagement program to locate relatives and create or re-establish family connections for foster children. Relatives may choose to be involved in a variety of ways, including contact through phone calls, letters and visits, or being considered to provide a home for their relative in foster care.
As of early December 2017, 111 Family Finding searches have been initiated since formalization of the Family Finding implementation process. An astounding 1,293 relatives have been confirmed as of this writing, with additional confirmations occurring daily. A total of 98 relatives offering to provide homes have been identified, with 174 relatives requesting other involvement such as sharing ongoing phone calls, letters, birthday or holiday gifts and visits.
The County formalized and implemented an expanded Family Finding and Engagement (FFE) Program on June 1, 2016. The State of California requires that the County actively seek, identify, and locate all adult relatives within 30 days of a child’s removal from their home due to abuse or neglect.
The County of SLO’s Family Finding and Engagement Program connects foster care youth with family they had not previously known or met, or had lost touch with, including extended family members.
One local junior high school student experienced this firsthand. We’ll call her Sara (her name has been changed to protect her privacy). After Sara had been placed in foster care, she moved several times. Frustrated, she told her social worker, “I’m not moving again unless you place me with a relative!”
The County confirmed that Sara had close to 25 relatives and four were interested in providing Sara with a home. Another eight were interested in contacting her. Additionally, Sara discovered she had younger siblings she had never met!
In another case, local high school student Amy (her name has been changed to protect her privacy) was placed in foster care after that the County learned she was living alone and had no parents or family providing any support. Amy had been working weekends and late nights after school to survive. The County’s Family Finding and Engagement program searched for and located an extensive list of relatives.
In just two months, the County found almost 30 relatives. Six were interested in providing a home for Amy and seven relatives requested contact. After asking about Amy’s well-being, several relatives requested to send her letters, cards and photos; most explained that they had lost contact with her back when she was a little girl.
Through this process, the County also found Amy’s great-grandmother. The two had never met and Amy’s grandmother was happy and grateful for the County’s efforts to find family members of youth in foster care.
These relatives have stated they are ready and willing to support Amy. Lifelong connections, previously severed, have been re-established; this young lady is no longer alone. Furthermore, she is currently deciding where to attend college, as she was accepted to several universities. She will have her choice of relatives to spend the school breaks with.
For more information about the County’s Foster Care program and its Family Finding and Engagement Program, visit www.slocounty.ca.gov.
The County Department of Social Services has developed an enhanced Family Finding and Engagement program to locate relatives and create or re-establish family connections for foster children. Relatives may choose to be involved in a variety of ways, including contact through phone calls, letters and visits, or being considered to provide a home for their relative in foster care.
As of early December 2017, 111 Family Finding searches have been initiated since formalization of the Family Finding implementation process. An astounding 1,293 relatives have been confirmed as of this writing, with additional confirmations occurring daily. A total of 98 relatives offering to provide homes have been identified, with 174 relatives requesting other involvement such as sharing ongoing phone calls, letters, birthday or holiday gifts and visits.
The County formalized and implemented an expanded Family Finding and Engagement (FFE) Program on June 1, 2016. The State of California requires that the County actively seek, identify, and locate all adult relatives within 30 days of a child’s removal from their home due to abuse or neglect.
The County of SLO’s Family Finding and Engagement Program connects foster care youth with family they had not previously known or met, or had lost touch with, including extended family members.
One local junior high school student experienced this firsthand. We’ll call her Sara (her name has been changed to protect her privacy). After Sara had been placed in foster care, she moved several times. Frustrated, she told her social worker, “I’m not moving again unless you place me with a relative!”
The County confirmed that Sara had close to 25 relatives and four were interested in providing Sara with a home. Another eight were interested in contacting her. Additionally, Sara discovered she had younger siblings she had never met!
In another case, local high school student Amy (her name has been changed to protect her privacy) was placed in foster care after that the County learned she was living alone and had no parents or family providing any support. Amy had been working weekends and late nights after school to survive. The County’s Family Finding and Engagement program searched for and located an extensive list of relatives.
In just two months, the County found almost 30 relatives. Six were interested in providing a home for Amy and seven relatives requested contact. After asking about Amy’s well-being, several relatives requested to send her letters, cards and photos; most explained that they had lost contact with her back when she was a little girl.
Through this process, the County also found Amy’s great-grandmother. The two had never met and Amy’s grandmother was happy and grateful for the County’s efforts to find family members of youth in foster care.
These relatives have stated they are ready and willing to support Amy. Lifelong connections, previously severed, have been re-established; this young lady is no longer alone. Furthermore, she is currently deciding where to attend college, as she was accepted to several universities. She will have her choice of relatives to spend the school breaks with.
For more information about the County’s Foster Care program and its Family Finding and Engagement Program, visit www.slocounty.ca.gov.