Introducing Diona Connect:
Empowering Child Welfare Stakeholders with Seamless Communication and Collaboration
Diona has always been dedicated to creating solutions that make a real difference in the lives of those involved in child welfare. With the launch of Diona Connect, we’re taking a major step forward in bridging the gap between foster parents, biological parents, guardian ad litem, caseworkers, and other important stakeholders. Diona Connect is designed to facilitate communication and streamline access to essential information, ensuring that all stakeholders can work together efficiently to support the children in their care.
A Solution Built with Care
Diona Connect wasn’t created in isolation. Diona recognized the importance of understanding the unique needs and challenges faced by those directly involved in the child welfare system, particularly foster parents. To inform the design of Diona Connect, we conducted an extensive research study that brought together foster parents from across the United States. This study allowed stakeholders to share their experiences, insights, and feedback, helping shape a solution that truly addresses the complexities of the child welfare journey.
One foster parent who participated in the study highlighted a common challenge, saying, “as a new foster parent, gaining a clear understanding of expectations can be difficult, and quality communication is not always consistent. This [Diona Connect] would make things much simpler and help keep the focus on the kids.” This sentiment is one that resonates with many caregivers navigating the child welfare system. Diona Connect was built with this feedback in mind, aiming to simplify processes and improve the quality of communication between stakeholders, all while keeping the best interests of the children front and center.
Key Features
Diona Connect offers a range of features that are specifically designed to address the communication and coordination needs of child welfare stakeholders. Let’s take a closer look.
Discussions
Effective communication is at the heart of child welfare, and the Discussions feature allows team members to easily communicate with one another. A “team” can include a foster parent, biological parent, guardian ad litem, and agency caseworkers—essentially, anyone involved in the care or advocacy of a child or group of siblings.
With Discussions, users can initiate a conversation with one team member or include multiple members in a group discussion. This flexibility ensures that everyone who needs to be part of a conversation can be included, allowing for transparent and timely communication. Push notifications alert stakeholders when new discussions are started or when updates are made, ensuring that important information is communicated in real time.
Forms
The Forms feature simplifies administrative tasks by allowing users to complete and submit common forms directly to the agency. Whether it’s a reimbursement request or an update on a child’s medical care, users can submit forms and upload any supporting documents, such as receipts or reports, all within the app. While seemingly simple, the Forms feature streamlines an often tedious process, saving stakeholders time and reducing paperwork, while ensuring that necessary forms are submitted promptly.
Appointments
Managing appointments and hearings is a critical aspect of the child welfare process, and the Diona Connect Appointments feature makes it easy to stay organized. Stakeholders can view scheduled appointments and hearings and even add them directly to their calendars. Additionally, push notifications remind users of upcoming appointments, ensuring that everyone stays informed and prepared. Whether it’s a foster parent needing a reminder for a medical appointment or a biological parent attending a court hearing, appointment management support keeps the entire team on track.
Notes
The Notes functionality allows stakeholders to document important events and observations related to a child’s care. Notes can be categorized, such as “journal entry” or “medical appointment,” and can include attachments like photos, medical reports, or report cards. Once finalized, these notes can be shared with agency caseworkers, providing a detailed record of a child’s journey through the system. This not only keeps caseworkers informed but ensures that every critical detail is documented.
Centralized Access to Information
Finally, Diona Connect ensures that each stakeholder has access to the information they need. For example, foster parents can view relevant details about a child’s medical history, school records, and placement history (if appropriate). However, access is role-based, meaning that each stakeholder can only view the information relevant to their role and relationship with the child. This centralized access allows for greater transparency while ensuring privacy and compliance with data protection standards.
A New Era for Child Welfare Communication
Diona is excited to share Diona Connect with the child welfare industry at large. This solution is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of listening to those directly involved in caring for children. By simplifying communication, improving access to information, and streamlining administrative processes, Diona Connect is built to make a meaningful difference in the lives of foster parents, biological parents, guardian ad litem, and most importantly, the children they care for.
At Diona, we believe that when stakeholders are empowered to communicate and collaborate effectively, the children in their care benefit the most. We are thrilled to bring Diona Connect to the HHS space and look forward to watching it impact the lives of children and families across the country. Visit our website to learn more about Diona Connect or schedule a demo, contact us today!