Getting past the "I don't know"

A man an woman talking. The woman is saying

You may get some push back from parents when talking about involving other family members. Understandably, some may not want to involve other family members, especially to the 4th degree. It is your responsibility to explain the importance of involving family in the process.

Please note that we do not need to have the parents' approval. Notification is required by federal and state law, so not even DFPS has the choice either. However, it should prove to be helpful when building a partnership with parents to keep them informed of who you are required to notify.

Some questions to ask that could help this process are:

• How did your family come to live here?

• Are there other family members in the area?

• Did anyone who wasn't related to you live with you when you were a child?

• Are there members of your family who are not blood-relatives, but who are considered family?