DILIGENT SEARCH

Revisited:a Caseworker Toolkit

Agenda, continued…

• Where to Find Information

• What to Gather

• Family History- Trees and Genograms

• Where to Search

• How to Contact/ Engaging Families

National Projects

• QIC Non Residential fathers Programs:“What about the Dads?”“Bringing Back the Dads”

• Kevin Campbell: Center of Family Finding and Youth Connectedness

• Mandated by law • must be started with 72 hours of out of home placement• limited time frame in which the search must be completed• results documented• filed with the court for review and approval

• By doing diligent search on “front-end”, likelihood of making sound placement decisions is increased for the child to remain with relatives

• Expedites permanency

• Delays in locating missing parents is a barrier that lengthens time children stay in foster care

Why do Diligent Searches?

Where to Start

What Information to Gather: Military Service: Parents and Grandparents,

branch, stationed at which post, base. Schools attended: Children, and parents,

graduation dates How and where did parents meet? Siblings of parents: How many? Older or

younger? Contact information. Grandparents names: Occupation, address,

contact information.

Where to get this Information?

• Ask children over the age of six during interview or home visits

• Ask current boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse of involved parent

• Ask family friends and coworkers of parents

• Ask school teachers, guidance counselors, lunch ladies

• Ask grandparents and siblings of parents

What to Ask?

• Sample interview questions for children

• Sample interview questions for parents

• Ask if the person being sought has a Colorado Drivers License?

• Ask for school attendance for children and parents.

What to Ask?

• Ask where did parents grow up? How did they meet?

• Ask about religious practices, spiritual values of grandparents.

• What interests did the person have; sports, music, recreation?

• What did he/she tell the other parent about

themselves?

Family History

• Family Tree

• Genogram Ask the parent/grandparent for family

bible, scrap books and family photos, journals or diaries.

Use a pencil!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Family Tree

Genogram

How to Contact?

• Letter Template

• Internet/Social Networking Site

• Telephone Script Do’s and Don’ts of phone calls (Review

phone script)

How to Search?

•Search Engines

•Social Networking Sites

Thank you for using this brief tutorial on Diligent Search to supplement the Caseworker Toolkit provided by the

Colorado project site – Center on Fathering.

Fathering is for Life.