Developing Families through the Family Profile Process

By Shari McConnell, Regional Technical Assistant

If achieving permanency is a journey, then the SWAN Family Profile Unit of Service equips Pennsylvania families with everything they need—prepared, packed, and ready—to navigate that path successfully. The family profile is a crucial process that supports a family’s growth and development, ultimately equipping them to provide permanency to a child.

Much like a “packing list,” the family profile documents key information about the family. It also paints a picture of the family, including their strengths and motivation to adopt. The family profile benchmarks outline the steps for completing the SWAN family profile process.  These steps include:

• SWAN family profile referral,
• initial contact with the family,
• family orientation and agency introduction,
• interviewing and information gathering,
• family profile preparation (training),
• writing the family profile,
• determination and notification of approval, and
• completion of the family profile.

The family profile benchmarks can be found on the SWAN Portal or in the SWAN Permanency Toolkit (section 8: SWAN Benchmarks & Templates). 

Like a “suitcase,” the Family Approval Document contains all the necessary items for a family’s journey, including connections, resources, and experiences. Using the Family Approval Document Guidelines, the permanency caseworker facilitates conversations with the family to complete each section of the Family Approval Document. The permanency worker focuses on building relationships and engaging the family through their growth and learning.

Behavioral interviewing helps formulate a “travel itinerary.” Collecting key information, behavioral interviewing helps reveal family members’ true character, determines potential for success, and identifies the family’s experiences. It goes deeper than traditional interviewing; it shows rather than tells, supports statements, and demonstrates qualities and strengths. 

The family profile process is designed to offer SWAN families the best preparation possible as they embark on a permanency journey. With the assistance of a knowledgeable and experienced permanency caseworker, families reach their destination enriched and supported to succeed.

The prime contract offers a selection of trainings on completing the family profile service. If you would like more information about these trainings, reach out to your SWAN regional technical assistant. Additional information and resources regarding the family profile can be found in the SWAN Permanency Toolkit.

Shari is a Regional Technical Assistant with SWAN and approaching her one-year anniversary at the prime contract.  She is a graduate of Saint Francis University.  Shari has 23 years of experience in child welfare, specifically in foster care and adoption.  Prior to her current position at SWAN, Shari was a Permanency Director at an affiliate agency for over 13 years and also has experience providing the SWAN units of service at two affiliate agencies.