Transforming the lives of California’s youth and families
The Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support assists county child welfare agency efforts to keep youth who must be removed from a parent connected with their own family members. We provide statewide, culturally appropriate training and technical assistance to county child welfare and probation departments, behavioral health, and other child-serving stakeholders, including tribal partners and service providers, to enhance their practices, policies, and efforts for family finding, engagement and support.
The Center is powered by the California Department of Social Services and the Human Services team at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, and is guided by the Center for Excellence (CFE) Advisory Committee
Learn More and Explore
Classes and Webinars
Microlearnings
Storytelling Through Data
![Screenshot of a microlearning, with teaser text: Let's define Kin-First Culture](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7381/files/styles/sf_medium_width/public/media/images/CFE%20Microlearning1-Storytelling.jpg?itok=Kr9S6FYr)
Participants will deepen their awareness and understanding of Kin-First Culture through engaging scenario videos and data narrative illustrations. The goal is for you to understand the importance of the Kin-First Culture and how to apply it effectively in your work environment.
Additional microlearnings coming soon!
Toolkits
![gavel on desk in foreground with law book and man taking notes in background](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7381/files/media/images/bench-bar-header.jpg)
Bench and Bar Toolkit
Now Available Online
![A girl being appreciated by multiple generations of caregivers.](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7381/files/media/images/GettyImages-478202409_0.jpg)
Kin-First Policy Guide Toolkit
Now Available Online
Additional Toolkits Coming Soon!
Consultation and TA Hours
The Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support offers coaching and consultation services to county agencies and service providers who are part of the California Children and Youth System of Care.
Learn more about coaching and consultation services.
TA Hours
- Family Finding, Engagement and Support TA Hours
Join us to discuss your questions and interests in opting into the Center for Excellence Family Finding, Engagement and Support program and learn how the Center for Excellence can assist your counties with specialized training and support to enhance practices, policies, and efforts for family finding, support, and engagement.
2024
May 29, 11 AM - 12 PM - Register
June 20, 9-10 AM - Register
July 1, 10-11 AM - Register
- Tribal Funding Office Hours
In partnership with the Office of Tribal Affairs, CDSS is offering technical assistance hours to provide Tribes with assistance in developing and implementing the funding programs. We will be available for questions, idea sharing, and support around the following programs:
• Tribally Approved Homes Compensation Program (TAH) – TAH@dss.ca.gov
• Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement, and Support Program (EFFES) – CenterForExcellence@dss.ca.gov
• Flexible Family Supports and Home-Based Foster Care Program (FFS) – FFSFunding@dss.ca.gov
To request a date and time for office hours, please contact the program you'd like to reach at their respective addresses above.
Family Stories
How Kin-First Culture Helps Families Thrive: Harmony's Story
Download the accompanying study guide to review with your teams.
Kin-First Culture Preserves and Protects Families: Crystal's Story
Download the accompanying study guide to review within your teams.
More family stories coming soon!
CFE News and Announcements
How Kin-First Culture Helps Families Thrive: Harmony's Story
Watch the latest installment in our Family Stories series! You can also now access the full series on YouTube.
There is also a free accompanying study guide that we recommend you review within your teams.
![A screenshot of the second family stories video](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7381/files/styles/sf_medium_width/public/media/images/FamilyStories2_0.png?itok=4l5aNwAE)
Bench and Bar: Cultivating a Kin-First System in California
![Grandfather holding his grandson surrounded by family](/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7381/files/styles/sf_small_width/public/media/images/GettyImages-1176848346%20%281%29.jpg?itok=OSLt_048)
Kin-First Webinar Open for Registration
Funding Success Strategies: Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support Program Implementation
July 24, 2024, 9:00 am – 11:00 am (PST)
Additional Resources
Model Programs
The Center for Excellence recognizes the many efforts of programs to keep children, families and communities together. As part of the Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support funding program, counties are encouraged to implement model programs, or programs that have been vetted by the Center for Excellence. The following programs have expertise in family finding, engagement and support.
Alia Innovations
In 2016, Alia was formed with sights set on transforming all organizations across the country who are entrusted with the welfare and wellbeing of children. Alia believes that you must begin with gathering and sharing knowledge and creating a sense of urgency for systemic change. Alia partners with agencies across the U.S in short and long-term engagements, partnering with early adopters and innovators in the field of child welfare to dramatically improve outcomes for youth and families and to create meaningful, sustainable change. Alia builds deep, lasting relationships and customized services, supporting partners through all phases of work to create sustainable, meaningful change. In addition, Alia provides Intensive Permanence Services (IPS), an innovation award-winning service designed to reestablish permanent familial connections to those youth who have been disconnected from family through placement(s) in out-of-home care. IPS works by having a single, highly trained specialist guide the youth through a proven process to heal from trauma they have experienced. The 4 stages of IPS include, Trusting, Healing, Connecting and Supporting. It takes between 18-24 months to complete all four stages.
- For additional information, please visit the Alia Innovations website.
Catholic Community Services of Western Washington-Family Behavioral Health (CCSWW): Family Search and Engagement
CSWW provides consultation and support for private organizations, non-profits and State and County jurisdictions implementing Family Search & Engagement (FSE) which is a set of practices designed to locate, engage, develop, and support family resources for youth. A major goal of this practice is to move youth from a place where they don’t hear “I love you” to a place where they can hear it and feel it every day. This comes from family, relatives, and others who love them. Frequently youth are involved in the child welfare system, have experienced multiple placements with non-relatives and have lost contact with their extended family members. FSE partners with child welfare services (CWS) expanding beyond family finding efforts focusing on engagement, with the intent to increase identity, belonging and permanency.
- For additional information, please visit Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
Cultural Brokers, Inc.
Cultural Brokers work with families involved with or at risk of being involved with the child welfare system. Cultural Brokers’ goal is to increase the overall well-being for at risk children and families by providing culturally congruent services that will enable them to successfully navigate the various government agencies and programs as part of their efforts to address their needs. Cultural Brokers aims to reduce disproportionality and disparities within the Child Welfare system and empower families by
recognizing, supporting, and developing their strengths and capacities. Cultural Brokers are embedded in the communities served and have relevant lived experience serving families from their community. Cultural Brokers leverage their knowledge and experience as a point of connection to better engage and empower parents and families. A Cultural Broker accompanies the responding social worker on the initial response and assists with culturally informed family finding. Cultural Brokers play a critical role in ensuring that children who do need to be removed from a home can be placed with family members rather than into traditional foster care.
- For additional information, please visit Cultural Brokers Inc.
Family Finding™
Family Finding™ is a framework developed by Kevin Campbell to engage the support of relatives and others who care about children, youth, and parents involved with Child Welfare, Children’s Mental Health, and Juvenile Justice systems. Family Finding ™ is currently listed as a Level 3 (Promising Research Evidence) by CEBC. Family Finding ™ Is manualized for practitioners and includes a separate manual for Supervisors and Managers. With significant impact, Family Finding ™ and Upfront Family Finding have been implemented in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in California. Implementation of Family Finding is supported with online access to practice manuals, the development of internal staff and community partners who become licensed as Family Finding ™ Coaches, and Mentors authorized to provide local and internal training, support, and practice supervision within the organizations. Initial coaches, mentors, and staff training are provided in-person or virtually by Kevin Campbell and Elizabeth Wendel at Pale Blue. Family Finding ™ has been successfully implemented by governments, First Nations, and non-government agencies in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and Cambodia.
For more information on Family Finding:
- Visit the Family Finding website.
- Access the Family Finding: Data & Practice Review of the Literature.
Kinnect to Family
Kinnect is a nonprofit dedicated to timely kinship connections and inclusive support networks for children, young people, and families. Kinnect to Family, a program of Kinnect, involves intense, specialized family search and engagement strategies and kinship supports. The program believes all children have caring and capable extended families that are willing to support their kin. Specialists work alongside traditional caseworkers to identify and engage kinship caregivers and connections for children and youth. With a goal of identifying at least 80 extended family members for each child, Kinnect to Family finds 150 people on average! Specialists develop family support plans with families to ensure stability, eliminate barriers, and create networks of support. The program’s enhanced model provides families with multiple access points to Kinnect to Family programming to prevent entry and reduce the time that children and youth spend in the child welfare system. The program specialist role is one part of a broader Kinnect to Family coaching and technical assistance model that increases success, ensures accountability, and provides better outcomes.
- For additional information, please visit the Kinnect to Family website.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity that is committed to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America’s foster care system. Through its signature program, Wendy's Wonderful Kids, the Foundation supports the hiring of adoption professionals, also known as recruiters, to find permanent families for children and youth. Recruiters use an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model and begin their search within a child’s familiar circles of family, friends and neighbors and then reach out to the communities in which they live. If family reunification is a safe option, a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter will explore it … always.
The child-focused recruitment model is focused on:
- Finding the right family for the child,
- Respecting a child’s voice, privacy and dignity, and
- Rooted in the belief that every child is adoptable.
For additional information, please visit Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.
ACL and CFL for Family Finding and Engagement
Implementation Resources (Getting Started)
These resources are designed to help your county plan to implement Family Finding, Engagement and support
- Family Finding Data & Practice Review of the Literature (View | Download)
- Family Finding & Engagement Promising Practice, Systems Change (View | Download)
Overview Webinars
- Watch these webinars to learn more
• Watch the Center's Stakeholder Engagement Webinar
• Watch the Fiscal Essentials of Family Finding and Engagement | Presentation slides
- Building a Kin-First System: Tools for the Journey Series
- Access webinar recordings
Our California kin partners, Think of Us, in collaboration with the Government Performance Lab, developed a kin-first webinar series highlighting six actionable strategies that child welfare agencies can use to move the needle on increasing placements with kin and strengthening caregiver supports within their jurisdictions — no matter where they are on their journey to build a kin-first system.
Thanks for visiting!
This page is presented by the Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support. The Center is powered by the California Department of Social Services and the Human Services team at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education.
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