Mockingbird Family Constellations emulate an extended family network designed to support, recruit, develop and retain quality foster families. As a part of this community, foster families feel empowered and prepared to meet the challenging and complex needs of children and youth experiencing foster care. Meanwhile, the constellation extends stability, consistency and connections for the children and youth in its care, as well as their families.
MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY ™
This program is a way of providing foster care that offers support and mentorship to Oklahoma Human Services Child Welfare Services traditional and kinship homes to create safe and caring environments for children and youth. Child Welfare Services is partnering with The Mockingbird Society, Citizens for Children and Family, Inc, and Arnall Family Foundation to implement MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ in Oklahoma.
The evidence-based approach, which was first developed in 2004 in Washington State, is designed to improve connections and social and emotional well-being of children and their foster families. The success of Mockingbird Family™ in Washington State has led to implementation across the United States as well as in the UK, Canada, Japan, Netherlands and Australia.
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ unites 6 to 10 Oklahoma Human Services traditional and / or kinship homes called Satellite Families in a local community called a Constellation, supported by an experienced Foster Family known as the Hub Home.
The Hub Home supports Satellite Families by providing information, training and a range of other resources. The Hub Home is an approved foster home who provides a form of respite, called Constellation Care, for children and young people in the Constellation. The Hub Home is responsible for planned and emergency Constellation Care, the coordination of monthly Constellation meetings, quarterly social activities and a range of practical supports to the Constellation families.
The Constellation is like a large, extended family and the Hub Home is like a grandparent’s or auntie/uncle’s house that is familiar and comfortable.
Each child in the Constellation is welcomed by the Hub Home for Constellation Care (a form of respite) and social events, or if there is difficulty at home and the child/foster parents could benefit from a break.
The MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ Liaison is an Oklahoma Human Services Child Welfare employee and provides the link between the Constellation and the Agency by providing ongoing communication and oversight. The Liaison engages directly with the Hub Home provider and sometimes attends Constellation events.
Child Welfare Specialists from Foster Care and Adoptions and Permanency Planning who have families or youth participating in the Constellation will continue to serve in their current role with support from the Mockingbird Liaison and Hub Home.
Biological families of children placed in the Constellation are welcomed by the Hub Home for family time, When eunification, they will be invited to attend Constellation events and may stay connected to Constellation post-reunification for mentoring and support.
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Mockingbird Dashboard
From Mockingbird Society 2019 Annual Report for Washington Statecohorts
92%
of foster parents retained compared to the state average of 63%
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25,079
hours of family support provided by Hub Homes giving foster parents and youth opportunities to recharge.
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96%
of youth in Mockingbird Family remain stable in their placements allowing kids to stay in one community.
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Implementation Timeline
Implementation and launch of Mockingbird Family™ is an intensive process as the Implementation Team works intentionally to tailor the “bones” of Mockingbird Family to the needs, statutes, policies and protocol of Oklahoma. The Team is currently in the midst of the implementation process which is recommended by Mockingbird Society to be a two-year process.
Implementation requires many tasks including getting contracts and funding in place, writing and approval of protocols with stakeholder participation, recruiting and training Hub and Satellite homes, preparation for constellation launch and developing a framework to ensure sustainability.
The first two constellations will launch in Oklahoma County, with a target launch in the Spring of 2024. These constellations will operate to the end of the two- year implementation period) with the support and technical assistance of Mockingbird Society to ensure success and fidelity. Following the implementation period, the constellations will continue under the management of Child Welfare Services and will serve as “models” for future constellations. Fidelity and evaluation reviews from the implementation period will inform the expansion of Mockingbird Family to other parts of the state.