Presenters: Ann Oakley – Chief Executive Officer, Kinship Connections WA. Professor Mike Clare – Honorary Researcher. Abstract: The presentation will report on the current pilot project with four Metropolitan Districts to proactively search for and find family placements for Aboriginal children in care. A central tool in this Kinship Connections practice model is the genogram to achieve an inter-generational assessment of a family’s social geography, history and culture. The Kinship Connections model and agency were introduced and developed by Ann Oakley. It is a new model of finding and re-connecting Aboriginal children in care with their families. There are two separate but inter-connected elements to this model: Finding a safe and stable family placement for each referred child. Mapping the family system and preparing a comprehensive Family History Book which provides information about the child’s family and cultural identity. There are seven stages to the Kinship Connections process from referral to recommended family placement. Key findings from the initial pilot project included the identification of on average an additional 151 family members for each referred child. The practice model requires skilled and sensitive practice to get beyond initial cautious politeness to establish sufficient trust to begin to explore and map a family’s story over a number of generations. There are child, family, community and agency benefits of this practice model. The presentation will conclude with recommendations for future policy and practice developments for family placements, for leaving care and for youth justice services – for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, young people and families.