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• Proactive family-finding efforts within 24–48 hours of case referral
• Trauma-informed and culturally competent engagement of kinship caregivers
• Kinship family meetings (CFTs), to aid in bringing together family members who will provide care and support for youth 
• Cross-agency collaboration and participation in community-based initiatives to ensure the importance of Kinship care for youth is recognized and embraced.

• Early Identification: Proactively identify and engage relative and non-relative caregivers from the earliest point of system involvement, including during the CPS Assessment phase.
• Prevention of Entry into Foster Care: Collaborate with families and professionals to safely divert children from entering foster care by exploring kinship placement options whenever possible.
• Permanency Through Kinship: Prioritize kinship placement options for children and youth in foster care to reduce trauma, preserve continuity of care, and increase permanency outcomes.
• Comprehensive Support for Kinship Caregivers: Provide kinship caregivers with education, resources, and trauma-informed support to promote stability, readiness, and long-term caregiving success.    
• Youth Voice and Family-Centered Practice: Center the voices of youth and families in all decision-making and engagement efforts, promoting dignity, respect, and inclusion.
• Culturally Responsive and Equitable Services: Ensure that engagement efforts are culturally appropriate and equitable, recognizing the unique strengths and needs of each family.

• Children and Youth involved with Child Welfare Services
• Relative and non-relative kin who are willing to serve as caregivers or support for youth in care.

• Children should be placed with kin when safely possible.
• Engagement should be trauma-informed and culturally responsive.
• Caregivers are partners in the child’s permanency planning.

“Every CHILD. Every CHANCE. Every CONNECTION. 
Because every child deserves their village.”

• Timely assessment for placement readiness
• Identification of needs and services for successful placement
• Kinship Support Group
• Information & referrals to support placement

*Services are provided in collaboration with WC Family Support Services, Permanency Services, CPS and Licensing units.

• Kinship caregivers may include relatives (by blood, marriage, or adoption) and non-relative kin (close family friends or trusted adults with a significant relationship with the child).
• Caregivers must meet North Carolina Child Welfare guidelines for placement, including background checks, home assessment, and willingness to provide care.

• A referral is made to the Kinship Engagement Unit by agency CPS/PP social workers for youth awaiting placement or who enters care and placed in a foster home.

Note: If a youth is already in a relative or non-relative kinship placement, the youth would not be a candidate for referral to the kinship engagement.