TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Amanda Gibbs, Chief Probation Officer
REPORT BY: Michelle Van Wie, Staff Services Analyst II
SUBJECT: Seneca Family of Agencies - Agreement No. 250304B
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Agreement No. 250304B with Seneca Family of Agencies in order to conduct Family Finding searches and provide information regarding clients for whom family members are being sought. (Fiscal Impact: $3,000 Expense; General Fund; Budgeted; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
Seneca Family of Agencies provides Family Finding Search Services. The firm has over 10 years' experience conducting thousands of relative/personal searches on behalf of youth. This agreement will assist in meeting the
Continuum of Care initiative of AB 403 effective January 1, 2017, designed to improve probation and child
welfare outcomes by reducing the use of group homes, increasing the use of home-based settings (including
foster care) and decreasing the amount of time it takes to return youth to a permanent home.
Pursuant to AB 938 (2009), it is the policy of Probation to notify relatives whenever a ward will be placed in
foster care or a residential treatment facility. If the Court orders foster care or residential treatment, Probation
has 30 days to identify, locate and notify, in writing, all grandparents, adult siblings and other adult relatives,
including those suggested by the parents and youth. The purpose of this bill is to engage relatives and
encourage their support for the youth placed out of home, and, in the event the youth cannot return home, the
relatives may be able to provide a home pursuant to AB 1695 (2001). Probation currently uses Lexis Nexis to
locate families however, services provided by Seneca will yield enhanced and more comprehensive family
finding results.
Seneca Family Finding Search services will be used to identify, locate and engage family and friends who can
be natural supports to youth and families who are at-risk of out of home pla...
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