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The Blade: KinFirst culture focuses on family, not foster care
The Toledo Blade spotlights how Kinnect’s KinFirst approach is transforming child welfare in Ohio by prioritizing family connections over traditional foster care. The article highlights Kinnect’s commitment to supporting kin caregivers and helping children remain connected to their families and communities.
Casey Family Programs Announces 2025 Excellence for Children Awardees
Casey Family Programs names its 2025 Leadership Award winners, including Shannon Deinhart, co-founder and executive director of Kinnect, an Ohio-based nonprofit dedicated to pioneering KinFirst strategies and implementing programs that strengthen kinship connections and build inclusive support networks for families, youth and children.
Kinnect featured in Casey Family Program 2024 Signature Report
Keeton shares his inspiring story as part of the Casey Family Programs 2024 Signature Report: A Season of Hope - Growing the role of families. The full online report can be found here: https://www.casey.org/hope.
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National Spotlight on Kinnect’s Impact
We are honored to share that Kinnect has been featured in Casey Family Programs’ 2024 Impact Report and companion video, highlighting our commitment to building and strengthening kinship connections for children and families. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our team, the dedication of our partners, and the transformative power of a…
Kinnect Welcomes Two New Members to the Board of Directors
Executive Director Shannon Deinhart is thrilled to announce the addition of two exceptional leaders to the Kinnect Board of Directors: Jo A. Tatarko, Partner at Perez Morris Law Firm, and Catherine Baker, Senior Corporate Legal Counsel at Progressive Insurance. “Jo and Catherine bring diverse expertise, deep commitment, and a shared passion for improving outcomes for…
Kinnect Featured in Casey Family Programs 2024 Signature Report
We are thrilled to announce that Kinnect has been highlighted in the prestigious Casey Family Programs 2024 Signature Report! This recognition underscores the impactful work our team is doing to redefine kinship and support children and families within the child welfare system. The report highlights Kinnect’s core values of belonging, connection, bonds, identity, and love—principles…
Kinnect Releases 2024-2027 Strategic Plan
We are very excited to share our strategic plan for the next three years. Click on the link below to view the slides for more information and expect more details to come as the year progresses. 24-27 Strategic Plan Slides
Child Welfare League of America – Innovating to Build a KinFirst Ohio
Kinnect Article Recently Published in Children’s Voice Magazine The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) Children’s Voice magazine recently put the spotlight on an article, “Innovating to Build a KinFirst Ohio”, that was written by Kinnect team members, Shannon Deinhart, Stephanie Beleal, and Cass Freeland. The article shines a light on the program values that…
Kinnect Team Members Published in Children and Youth Services Review
Members of our own Kinnect team, Stephanie Beleal, Alyse Almadani, and Cait Proctor-Frazier, along with our partners at Kaye Implementation & Evaluation, Emily Smith Goering, Sarah Kaye, Lucia Reyes, and Elisa Rosman, recently collaborated to write an article titled, “Increasing the likelihood of kinship placements: Testing the effectiveness of an intensive family search and engagement…
Kinnect to Family presents to California Center of Excellence.
The Kinnect to Family (KTF) team was invited to give an overview of the program on July 5 by the newly launched Center of Excellence (COE) in Family Finding, Engagement, and Support at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). The California Department of Social Services launched the COE at UC Davis last fall to…
Dr. Nancy Rolock joins Kinnect Board of Directors
Executive Director Shannon Deinhart announced that Dr. Nancy Rolock, Henry L. Zucker Professor in Social Work Practice at the Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, joined the Kinnect Board of Directors. “Dr. Rolock brings a wealth of knowledge and research experience that will positively impact Kinnect.…