In Depth

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 100-300 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.
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• 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.
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• 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
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• The “Snowball” Technique: As social workers locate family members, they ask for information about other relatives.

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:

• New York has issued Locating Absent Fathers and Extended Family Guidance Paper to educate social workers on the need for and methods of locating parents and relatives.
• Wisconsin has developed a practice guide for locating and involving noncustodial parents, alleged fathers, and relatives.

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.

Related Resources:

• Kevin Campbell interview in Voice magazine
• Family Connectedness FAQs
• Six Steps for Family Finding
• Family Finding References
• Martha Shirk, Hunting for Grandma
• EMQ: Family Search and Engagement Handout
• EMQ: Family Search and Engagement Presentation
• Finding Permanency for Youth Resource Handbook,
  Fresno Department of Children and Family Services, California Permanency for Youth Project Initiative
• Susan C. Mapps and Cache Steinberg. (2007). Birth families as resources for children in long-term foster care. Child Welfare, 86(1), 29-51. (Note: not available online; would need to be ordered from CWLA)