Understanding Barriers to Kin-Finding
September 23, 1-2:30 P.M. ET
Webinar Overview
Kin-finding is a vital first step to ensure children in foster care have the opportunity to grow up in permanent, loving families who understand their background and identity. Yet across the country, many child welfare professionals face systemic barriers that limit their ability to identify, locate and engage relatives and kin.
During this webinar, Generations United will explore these barriers and offer concrete strategies for overcoming them. Presenters will share promising practices, tools and lessons learned from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center to support child welfare professionals and advocates in strengthening kin-finding efforts and building systems that truly prioritize family connections.
Tune in to:
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Discover systems built to prioritize and sustain family connections for children in foster care.
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Explore actionable strategies to overcome common barriers to kin-finding within child welfare.
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Access tools and best practices to enhance kin-engagement efforts with your team.
Jaia Peterson Lent
Jaia Peterson Lent is the Deputy Executive Director at Generations United, a national organization with a mission to improve the lives of children, youth and older people through intergenerational collaboration, public policies and programs. Lent oversees Generations United’s public policy efforts, intergenerational program initiatives and the National Center on Grandfamilies, a leading voice for families where grandparents and other relatives are raising children.
She is a trusted voice on Capitol Hill on issues related to grandfamilies and intergenerational cohesion. She has testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and served as co-chair of the federal Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Lent has been named one of the Top 50 Influencers in Aging by Next Avenue. She is a nationally recognized speaker and columnist and respected media resource. Under her leadership, legislation has passed to promote intergenerational programming and support for grandfamilies in areas ranging from housing to child welfare. Lent holds an MSW from Syracuse University.
Adina Wambua
As the Project Assistant, Adina is responsible for assisting staff and projects of the Intergenerational Program, Policy and National Center on Grandfamilies teams. Adina assists the staff in these departments through research, outreach, communication and technical support. Prior to joining Generations United, Adina worked in the customer service and non-governmental sectors.
She is a graduate of Shenandoah University with a BA in Media and Communications and a minor in Spanish. Her interest in intergenerational work stems from her close relationship with her grandparents and passion for diversity, equity and inclusion.
