FamilyFindingWebinar 1Family Finding Overview & Connection to Ontario’s Provincial Framework

Presented by: Kevin A. Campbell, Founder Center for Family Finding and Youth ConnectednessPermanency and Family Finding Expert, Seneca Center

© Kevin Campbell 2014

Beliefs and strategies that connect children, youth and parents to family and community supports

Legally mandated in Untied States

Helps keep children in foster care connected to relatives and safe community supports

Prevents or shortens child’s placement

Quick notice to family that child is in care

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What is Family Finding?

Why Family Finding?

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Six step process to find, engage and organize supports

Traditionally used for youth waiting the longest in care in Canada and United States

Typically a fairly quick undertaking but can take longer and require more time and effort if a cold case or international family.

Permanent, safe, consistent, and affectionaterelationships

Based on Three Framework Ideas, Four Core Beliefs and Six Steps.

Three Framework Ideas

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1. International Tracing

2. How big are families?

3. Families are the most normative setting for raising children (even those with the most complex needs)

International Tracing

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Family Tracing was developed in 1943 to address the experienced when a loved one went missing during the War.

1949 - Article 26 of the Geneva Convention

The Red Cross implemented a worldwide network to reconnect victims of war, civil un-rest and natural disasters with loved ones

How Big Are Families?

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Overcoming idea that parents and children have no family, or none that can help

The average family has between 100-300 members

Ontario has a high percentage of immigration, unique dynamic of global families

Families Are The Most Normative Setting For Raising Children

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(even those with the most complex needs)

Fight the idea that children and adolescents in the foster care system are too sick or damaged to be raised in a family.

Children in Canada’s foster care system make up less than½ of 1 percent of all of the children in the country

15% of 1.2 million of all children in Canada are affected by mental illness at any given point in time (MDSC, 2009). Bands, challenged neighborhoods and schools to face a broad range of adversity and raise children and adolescents with needs every bit as complex as those we see in foster care systems.

Four Core Beliefs of

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Family Finding1. Every child has a family, and they can

be found if we try

2. Loneliness can be devastative, even dangerous, and is experienced by most children in out-of home care

3. A meaningful connection to family helps a child develop a sense of belonging

4. The single factor most closely associated with positive outcomes for children is meaningful, lifelong connection to family

Six Steps to Family Finding

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1. Discovery

2. Engagement

3. Preparation and Planning

4. Decision Making

5. Evaluation

6. Follow on support

Discovery

Find at least 40 or more relatives

Interview parents and youtho Focus on the goal of finding

relatives and supports

o Find a family leader

Use technology as a way to connect

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Step One

Ask family members these questions:o how big is your extended family?

o If you really wanted to know, who would you ask first?

Build initial team of support

Stress urgency

Be transparent in your approach

Authentic family engagement

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Step TwoEngagement

Involve 12 or more family members in Blended Perspective or Preparation Meeting.

Professional supports should be present

Natural supports should be greater than professional supports in these meetings

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Step ThreePreparation and Planning

Those committed to create a plan meet

to explore resources

Consider making a commitment to becoming a forever relationship (or Lifetime Network of support)to the children, youth and parent(s) involved

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Step FourDecision Making

Participants consider a list of five questions

o Tests their commitment to decision and strategies

o Tests the durability and strength of theirdecisions and strategies

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Step Five

Evaluation

Members meet to begin the process ofintegration

Begin to offer support to children, youth and parents.

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Step SixFollow on Support

Canadian Challenges for Family Finding

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Different privacy laws in Canada that limit internet based search

Social networking sites, and yellow pages are searches typically used

Fastest way to 40 or more relatives is through effective interviews with parents, youth and relatives

Need clarity in Canada of “Right to Know”

Authentic engagement is key

Family Meeting Practice &

Provincial Framework

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Rapid approach to locate, engage and organize

Focus on the approach that best suites the situation

o Early Help

o Family Based Care

o Youth in Care Transitioning to Adulthood

o Citizen Engagement

o A Culturally Specific Approach to Aboriginal Children and Families.

Family Finding supports and provides family resources to expand

participation:

o Signs of Safety;

o Anti-Oppressive Practice;

o Trauma Informed and Attachment Work.

Best Practice Values & Family/Community Meeting

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Approach vs. Traditional Approach

Limitations of traditional case work may isolate children and parents.

o May exclude aboriginal people, extended kinship groups and siblings.

Child in the Context of Family, Anchored in Relationship, Grounded in Community, Accessible, Inclusive and Diverse; Collaborative and Responsive, Sharing Responsibility, Focused on Action and Outcomes, that is Sustainable with Subsidiarity.

Resources Research Briefs from Child Trends

Client Voices

http://www.childtrends.org/?publications=client-voices-youth-parent- and-relative-perspectives-on-family-finding

Voices the Field

http://www.childtrends.org/?publications=voices-from-the-field- stakeholder-perspectives-on-family-finding

Tips and Techniques for Effective Discovery

http://www.familyfinding.org/uploaded_files/fck/files/Child_Trends- 2011_12_01_RB_FamilyFindingTips.pdf

Tips and Techniques for Effective Family Engagement

http://www.familyfinding.org/uploaded_files/fck/files/Child_Trends- 2011_12_2011_RB_FamilytoTable.pdf

Does Implementation Differ When Serving Different Populations

http://www.familyfinding.org/uploaded_files/fck/files/Child%20Trends%2 0Oct%202011.pdf

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Upcoming Webinars

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Family Finding 2 -Authentic Family Engagement: Integration of a Family and Community Team Meeting Practice in Case Work

Monday April 7, 2014 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Family Finding 3 - Impacts of Family Finding from the Family/Youth Perspective

Monday April 28, 2014 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Family Finding 4 - Considerations for Systemic/Organizational Approach with Family Finding

Monday May 5, 2014, 1:00pm to 3:00 pm

Thank You! More Family Finding resources available at:

http://www.familyfinding.org/

Kevin’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Finding-Making-family-connections-for-children-in-Foster-Care/359002318967 Waterloo’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Finders-FACS-Waterloo/153726018079737

Thank you to OACAS and Waterloo F&CS in partnering to bring this four part webinar series on Family Finding to all of you.

© Kevin Campbell 2014