Family Findings: Making Successful Kin Placements and

Connections for Children in Care

Presenter:Elisa Esh, Diakon Adoption

and Foster Care

Introduction and Purpose

• Family Findings Pilot Discussion• Units of SWAN Service to meet

Fostering Connections Act• Can be utilized to greatly

enhance C&Y staff’s ability to meet timelines and goals of returning youth home or to relative placement

Family Findings Pilot Project

Cumberland C&Y• Children and youth to be referred

for CSR for the specific purpose of Family Findings

• Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act

• Front Door Children• Older Youth

Family Findings Pilot Project

Cumberland C&Y• Collaborative team effort at

Mechanicsburg and York Diakon Adoption and Foster Care Offices with C&Y agency and those important in the life of the child

• SWAN dollar utilization• Accurint and U.S. Search • Peripheral SWAN Referrals• Family Engagement and FGDM with in

house county teams or facilitated by trained Diakon staff

What does this mean in terms of actual cost to the SWAN NBB for my county?

• SWAN NBB Cost for “Front Door” children:• Child Specific Recruitment – at point of referral to the

program - $3000.00• Child Profile (As Needed)– at point of referral to the

program - $2,000.00• Child Preparation (As Needed) – at point of identification

of permanent kin family and/or prior to return home - $2,000.00

• Total Cost SWAN NBB: $7,000.00 per child• Family Profile (As Needed) $2,500• With Additional Costs: $9,500.00 per child• Follow Up Extended Engagement Services (As

Needed): Child Prep referral prior to leaving county custody - $2,000.00

• Total Cost for one “front door” child - $11,500.00

Family Findings Works for Older Youth Too!

• Resolution of Birth Family Issues is Key to Successful Adoptive Placements

• Allows the Child to Move Forward • Child Prep – Another Way to Look

at it!• Families Need Prep too!• Family Findings will NOT always

result in relative placement

What does this mean in terms of actual cost to the SWAN NBB for my county?• SWAN NBB Cost for “Older Youth” children:• Child Specific Recruitment – at point of referral to the

program - $3000.00• Child Preparation (As Needed) – at point of identification

of permanent kin family and relatives and/or prior to relative placement - $2,000.00

• Family Profile (As Needed) – at point of location of permanent possible relative resource - $2,500.00

• Total Cost SWAN NBB: $7,500.00 per child• Child Profile (As needed and if profile is more than three

years old) – at point of referral to the program - $2,000.00

• Finalization (As Needed) - $3,500.00• With Additional Optional Costs: $13,000.00 per child• Follow Up Extended Engagement Services (As

Needed): Child Prep referral prior to leaving county custody - $2,000.00

• Total Cost for “Older Youth” -$15,000.00

What are County C&Y Needs?

• What are your goals and needs?• How do you currently engage

families?• Connection with Family Group

Decision Making – internal, additional providers?

• Capacity – what C&Y would like Diakon to possibly provide?

Discussion and Questions

• Contact Information:• Lauren Conzaman, 610-682-1528

conzamanl@diakon.org• Elisa Esh, 717-724-7979

eshe@diakon.org• Craig Gehosky, 717-795-0328

gehoskyc@diakon.org