Strategies and Analysis

Timely permanence for children in DCFS care is often hindered by the difficulty in locating parents and relatives who may serve as resources for these children. Diligent searches conducted early in cases when children enter the system are critical to identifying an absent parent or relative who may provide a home for the child(ren) and possibly avoid unnecessary placement with foster families. By locating family members early and engaging them in the process of safety care planning and family involvement, children are more likely to be placed with relatives and they experience shorter stays in foster care. Diligent search facilitates these outcomes by providing the following benefits:

• Saves caseworkers/investigators time and paperwork.
• Conserves time in permanency/concurrent planning, which promotes healthy placements.
• Allows parents to withdraw, which expedites permanency.
• Aides in locating parents and extended family who may become involved in the life of a child.
• Meets requirements for state and federal laws, court and DCFS requirements.
• Allows the court to transition children for adoption if parents or relatives are not available.
• Aids in locating siblings for visitation or placement purposes.

It is necessary to have an experienced person performing searches, collating that research and cross-matching the data. Too often, people think that technology will allow anyone to be a good investigator or researcher. This will never be true. Any tool, any resource is only as good as the person who uses it. And research and investigation are more art than science. At first glance it may appear that one search resource product can provide the needed search results. An important thing about any search resource is that not any single source can produce the desired results. While it can help to identify possible connections and leads, it does not eliminate the need to exercise good judgment or to evaluate the material analytically. Nor does it eliminate the need to verify and properly document the information returned. It merely helps focus the search more quickly.
The Operator Search Siteis a component of the DSS and is built to facilitate multiple cross matching efforts to follow aliases, multiple names associated with a particular SSN# and to identify relatives and neighbors. The Search Operator may use one purchased data resource that combines information drawn from a variety of sources using sophisticated computer programs to identify relationships. Some of the relationships the machine finds are not real and are undependable. Nevertheless, many of the relationships are genuine. The goal in evaluating a data resource is to understand where the original material comes from and how the program decides to show a connection to evaluate better, the reliability and validity of the information.