Kin connections are powerful—and it’s never too late to prioritize them. Join us for this special two-hour Complex Care Webinar focused on building and sustaining a kin-first culture across child welfare, probation and the broader system of care.
In this session, presenters from the Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support (CFE) will spotlight statewide efforts to center family and kin in policy and practice. Participants will:
- Explore the work of the CFE and its role in transforming county-level systems
- Review key statewide data indicators that reflect kin-first alignment
- Learn actionable strategies to strengthen kin-first practices within their own organizations
Whether you're leading countywide initiatives or supporting youth and families directly, this session offers insight and inspiration to deepen your kin-first approach—and remind us all that meaningful family connections are worth pursuing.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the core components of a kin-first culture and how they apply across child welfare, probation, and systems of care
- Interpret statewide data indicators that reflect progress toward or barriers to kin-first alignment in county practice
- Identify specific strategies and practices that can be implemented locally to strengthen family connections and improve permanency outcomes
Presenters
Lizzy Dembosz (she/her) is a child welfare specialist with UC Davis Human Services. With over a decade in human services, she brings expertise in family-centered practice, safety organized practice and culturally responsive engagement. Her background spans mental health, child welfare and supervision, with a focus on prevention, teaming and active efforts. Dembosz is known for her conversational, energetic style and dedication to improving child welfare case management services. She inspires professionals to engage families with humility and compassion, helping build systems that reflect the unique needs and visions of children and families.
Tea Frazel (they/them) is a program specialist at UC Davis Human Services, where they lead the Kin-First Accelerator Program with the Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support. Frazel has worked in public child welfare as a social worker, supervisor, trainer, coach, curriculum developer and consultant for nearly 20 years. Specializing in leadership behaviors that advance racial equity and inclusion, Frazel is relentlessly committed to using their years of practice-based research to meaningfully address racial disproportionality and disparities in child welfare and related fields. Frazel is committed to bringing their whole self to work in the belief that joy, community and play are necessary and vital components in systems change work.
Lauren Mendez (she/her) is a lead ambassador for the Youth Engagement Project. She currently also works in Stanislaus County to support youth ages 13-24 who are in crisis and experiencing homelessness. Mendez's lived expertise has included projects surrounding prevention planning, kinship care, complex needs/STRTP's, recruitment/retention of resource families and Independent Living Programs. Lauren is also a member of the CSEC Action Team Advisory Board with the National Center for Youth Law.
Mandy Thiara (she/her) is an analyst with the Family Permanency & Support Services Branch, Kin Centric Compass Unit. She has worked for the California Department of Social Services for 1 year, supporting the Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support, assisting counties with efforts to keep youth connected to their biological families and extended family members.