Posts by Cass Freeland
OhioKAN helps aunt secure legal custody
Success story OhioKAN received a call from an aunt who was caring for her baby nephew. She agreed to care for him for a short time, but it unexpectedly became a long-term situation. Like many kinship caregivers, she was not prepared for this unexpected addition to her household. She needed help accessing medical benefits, childcare,…
Read MoreWith support, Grandma is able to care for three siblings
Success story The situation William, James, and Brooklyn entered foster care because their parents were unable to care for them. They were among the 75% of children who enter foster care due to neglect, which is strongly correlated with a lack of financial resources. Their Kinnect to Family specialist began reaching out to the priority…
Read MoreTeen expands her family by reconnecting with mom
Success story The situation Bashia Price, the statewide facilitator for the Youth-Centered Permanency Roundtables (YCPRT) program, was working with Madison*, a youth who was uncertain about what she wanted in the future. The goal of YCPRTs is to support youth in building lifelong connections that lead to permanency. Over 1,000 youth in Ohio age…
Read MoreBaby Boy leaves NICU to live with uncle
Success story The situation Theodore, a baby boy served by Kinnect to Family, was born with a congenital heart defect and had languished in the hospital for months while the agency worked to identify a foster home that could provide for his medical needs. The facilitation Kinnect to Family specialist Mary Lee began an exhaustive…
Read MoreAffirming LGBTQI+ youth in foster care: Kinnect meets with federal officials
Kinnect was invited to participate in a July 7 meeting with federal officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about affirming LGBTQI+ youth in foster care. Along with partners from the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services and Frontline Services, Kinnect shared successes and lessons learned from the Affirm Me…
Read MoreKinnect to Family presents to California Center of Excellence.
The Kinnect to Family (KTF) team was invited to give an overview of the program on July 5 by the newly launched Center of Excellence (COE) in Family Finding, Engagement, and Support at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). The California Department of Social Services launched the COE at UC Davis last fall to…
Read MoreJune 2023 Pride Message
June is Pride Month, a celebration of the history, culture, and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. As Pride celebrations unfold around the state, we reaffirm Kinnect’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. In fact, “At Kinnect, we welcome and include all people as their authentic selves. We treat everyone with…
Read MoreTransgender Day of Visibility
March 31 marks Transgender Day of Visibility or TDOV. TDOV began in 2009 when Rachel Crandall of Transgender Michigan wanted to set aside a day to recognize and celebrate transgender people and their accomplishments rather than focusing on violence directed toward them. While celebrating transgender and gender-nonconforming people, it is critical that we raise awareness…
Read MoreDr. Nancy Rolock joins Kinnect Board of Directors
Executive Director Shannon Deinhart announced that Dr. Nancy Rolock, Henry L. Zucker Professor in Social Work Practice at the Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, joined the Kinnect Board of Directors. “Dr. Rolock brings a wealth of knowledge and research experience that will positively impact Kinnect.…
Read MoreYCPRT Advisory Council meets in person
The Youth Centered Permanency Roundtables (YCPRT) Advisory Council met in person on February 10 for the first time in three years. The council honored Geoffrey Garver, Warren County Children Services, for his years of dedication to YCPRTs as he approaches retirement and welcomed new members from Lorain and Wood Counties. Kinnect staff kicked off the…
Read MoreKin-first Culture in the Courtroom
Nearly 50 judicial stakeholders from across the state came together in Columbus on January 11 to build community and explore strategies for reducing judicial barriers to kin and relative caregiving. First, attendees began the day by reflecting on the requirement that agencies and courts prioritize family relationships. It is not an afterthought. Services and medications…
Read MoreKinnect to Family Statewide Joint Learning Community
Kinnect to Family (KTF) teams from around the state came together for the Statewide Learning Community on December 6. Participants engaged in a day of program updates, sharing experiences, and building meaningful connections. Program Updates During program updates, KTF staff asked teams to reflect on their agency’s relationship with the courts. KTF is embarking on…
Read MoreYCPRT Advisory Council meets
The YCPRT Advisory Council met August 26. Council members were introduced to new YCPRT Program Manager Katherine Mueller and Statewide Facilitator Bashia Price. The council was excited about the pilot project in which Bashia will facilitate YCPRT meetings in Hardin, Lorain, Williams, and Wood Counties. This allows counties who do not have the staff to implement…
Read MoreKinnect Receives KeyBank Foundation Grant
Executive Director Shannon Deinhart announced that Kinnect received a $50,000 grant from the KeyBank Foundation to support efforts to reduce the use of congregate care for youth. First, Kinnect will identify one county child welfare agency and one private provider with which to partner. Using Implementation Science methodologies, Kinnect will provide an assessment of the…
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