News
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…