When a child is removed from their parent’s care, California law requires child welfare agencies to begin the Family Finding process right away. The goal is to identify and engage relatives and other important adults who may be able to support the child through placement, visitation, reunification, or lifelong connections.

Under California Welfare and Institutions Code section 309(e) and California Rule of Court 5.637, the social worker must exercise due diligence within 30 days of a child’s removal to identify, locate, and notify the child’s family network. This includes grandparents, adult siblings, aunts, uncles, other adult relatives, parents of siblings who have legal custody, and, when applicable, extended family members under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The agency must also identify nonrelative extended family members, such as godparents, teachers, coaches, clergy, neighbors, mentors, or close family friends who have meaningful relationships with the child.

Within those 30 days, the agency is required to:

• Identify and locate relatives and other important supportive adults.
• Notify eligible relatives that the child has entered foster care.
• Explain opportunities to participate in the child’s care, placement, and planning.
• Provide information about becoming a placement resource or otherwise supporting the child.
• Give relatives information about how they can share information with the court regarding the child’s needs and best interests.

You can support Family Finding by sharing information about:

• Grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, cousins, or other relatives.
• Godparents or close family friends.
• Tribal members or cultural supports.
• Teachers, coaches, mentors, clergy, neighbors, or other trusted adults.
• Family traditions, cultural practices, language, and important relationships that are meaningful to your child.

Even if someone cannot provide placement, they may still become an important lifelong connection for your child through visits, encouragement, mentoring, or emotional support.

The goal for most families is reunification. While your social worker works with you toward safely bringing your child home, they are also required to develop a backup permanency plan in case reunification cannot occur within the required timelines. This process is called concurrent planning.

Concurrent planning does not mean anyone has given up on reunification. It means everyone is working to ensure that children have safe, stable, and permanent families as quickly as possible while reunification services continue.

The more information you provide about your family and support network, the more opportunities there are to keep your child connected to familiar people, maintain family relationships, and reduce additional trauma.

Children do best when the important adults in their lives work together.

Whether you are a biological parent, Resource Parent, relative, or supportive adult, your partnership helps children:

•  Feel safe, loved, and connected.
•  Maintain important family and sibling relationships.
• Preserve their culture, identity, and sense of belonging.
• Experience fewer placement changes.
• Achieve safe permanency more quickly.
• Build lifelong relationships that continue well beyond foster care.

Every connection matters. Together, we can help every child grow up surrounded by caring adults who will support them for a lifetime.

When a child is removed from their parent’s care, California law requires child welfare agencies to begin the Family Finding process right away. The goal is to identify and engage relatives and other important adults who may be able to support the child through placement, visitation, reunification, or lifelong connections.

Under California Welfare and Institutions Code section 309(e) and California Rule of Court 5.637, the social worker must exercise due diligence within 30 days of a child’s removal to identify, locate, and notify the child’s family network. This includes grandparents, adult siblings, aunts, uncles, other adult relatives, parents of siblings who have legal custody, and, when applicable, extended family members under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The agency must also identify nonrelative extended family members, such as godparents, teachers, coaches, clergy, neighbors, mentors, or close family friends who have meaningful relationships with the child.

Within those 30 days, the agency is required to:

• Identify and locate relatives and other important supportive adults.
•  Notify eligible relatives that the child has entered foster care.
• Explain opportunities to participate in the child’s care, placement, and planning.
• Provide information about becoming a placement resource or otherwise supporting the child.
• Give relatives information about how they can share information with the court regarding the child’s needs and best interests.

• Encourage children to talk about family members, friends, teachers, coaches, neighbors, or other important adults in their lives.
• Share information with the child’s social worker when a child mentions someone who may be an important connection.
• Support contact with parents, siblings, relatives, and other approved supportive adults whenever it is safe and ordered by the court.
• Help children prepare for family visits by speaking positively about their family and reducing anxiety surrounding visits.
• Preserve family traditions, cultural practices, language, and important celebrations whenever possible.
• Celebrate new family connections rather than viewing them as a loss. Every supportive adult expands a child’s circle of care.

The primary goal for most children in foster care is safe reunification with their parents. At the same time, California law requires child welfare agencies to develop a concurrent plan so children have permanency without unnecessary delays if reunification cannot occur safely.

As a Resource Parent, you may be asked to:

•  Support reunification efforts.
• Care for a child while relatives are being assessed.
• Become a permanent caregiver if reunification is not possible.
• Help a child transition to a relative, guardian, or adoptive family.

Children benefit when the important adults in their lives work together with compassion and respect. Your willingness to support whichever permanent plan best meets the child’s needs is one of the greatest gifts you can provide.

Children do best when the important adults in their lives work together.

Whether you are a biological parent, Resource Parent, relative, or supportive adult, your partnership helps children:

• Feel safe, loved, and connected.
• Maintain important family and sibling relationships.
• Preserve their culture, identity, and sense of belonging.
• Experience fewer placement changes.
• Achieve safe permanency more quickly.
• Build lifelong relationships that continue well beyond foster care.

Every connection matters. Together, we can help every child grow up surrounded by caring adults who will support them for a lifetime.