Free genogram template

Child Welfare Genogram Template

The child at the centre, both sides of the birth family, and the kinship household they live in.

Updated October 2026 · PDF, PowerPoint, PNG and SVG · no sign-up

Quick answer

A child welfare genogram template puts the child at the centre with their separated birth parents, both sets of grandparents, and the kinship carer household they live in, joined by a placement line. A case header records the child, case number, worker and date. Caseworkers use it to identify relatives for placement and plan contact.

Open in GenogramAI (free) Download blank PDF

Download the child welfare genogram template

Free files, no sign-up or email. Print the blank, edit the PowerPoint, or reuse the example image with a credit to genogramai.com.

When to use a child welfare genogram template

Use this template in child protection, foster care and kinship assessments, where the first question is who is in this child’s family and who could help. The child sits at the centre with both birth parents and both sets of grandparents, so relatives on each side are visible when you search for a kinship placement. The kinship carer’s household is drawn with its own boundary and a placement line to the child.

The case header (child, case number, worker, date) makes the sheet fit straight into a file, and the child-line key covers biological, adopted and foster connections. Write placement dates on the lines and keep notes on contact arrangements. For practice guidance, see Genograms for Child Welfare.

If the case is a wider family assessment rather than one child’s placement, the Social Work Genogram Template has a family-centred layout. If outside services (school, court, treatment, health) need to be shown around the family, use the Genogram and Eco-Map Template.

The blank template and a filled-in example

Left: the blank printable. Right: the same template filled in for a fictional family in GenogramAI.

Blank child welfare genogram template: The child (index, double outline) at the centre; birth parents on a separated partner line; maternal and paternal grandparents above; a kinship carer (an aunt) with her own household boundary containing the child, joined by a foster/kinship placement line. A header for Child, Case #, Worker and Date; a key with child lines and the household boundary. — Blank: The child (index, double outline) at the centre; birth parents on a separated partner line; maternal and paternal grandparents above; a kinship carer (an aunt) with her own household boundary containing the child, joined by a foster/kinship placement line. A header for Child, Case #, Worker and Date; a key with child lines and the household boundary.

Child Welfare Genogram Template filled in: Kinship Care Genogram for a Child Welfare Assessment drawn in GenogramAI with a genogram key — Filled in: The completed example is a fictional family in which Mason (16), Lily (13) and Kai (8) live in kinship care with their maternal grandmother, Dolores Ramirez, since 2022. Their mother Angela is in residential treatment for opioid use, the older children’s father is in prison, and Mason and Lily spent a year with licensed foster parents first. It shows institution boxes, foster and lived-with lines, and ended relationships. Read the full example

Open this example in GenogramAI to start from the finished layout: it copies into your account (the Free plan holds 2 genograms) and every person, line and condition stays editable.

How to fill in a child welfare genogram template

1
Place the child
Put the child in the centre with a double outline and their siblings beside them.
2
Add both sides
Draw the birth parents with their partner line, then both sets of grandparents and the parents’ siblings.
3
Show the placement
Draw a household boundary around the carer’s home and a placement line to the child, with dates.
4
Add services and safety
Note institutions, contact arrangements and any abuse or neglect lines, then complete the case header.

Symbols this template uses

Drawn the way GenogramAI draws them. Every other symbol is in the genogram symbols guide and the genogram key.

Symbol	What it means
Double outline	The child the assessment is about.
Dotted child line	Foster or kinship placement: the child lives with this carer without a legal parent relationship.
Dashed enclosure	Household boundary: where the child lives now.
One slash on the partner line	The birth parents have separated.
Institution box	In GenogramAI, a prison, treatment centre or hospital linked to a person, with dates.
Red zigzag lines	Abuse or neglect lines, drawn from the person responsible to the child.

Common mistakes to avoid

Drawing only the side of the family the child lives with. The other parent’s relatives are potential carers.
Using a biological line from a kinship carer. The carer is related to the child through a parent; the placement is a separate line.
Leaving dates off placements and moves. The sequence of placements matters for court and for the child.
Not checking names with the family. Errors in a court document undermine its value.

Who uses this template?

Child protective services caseworkers, foster care and kinship workers, children’s guardians, family court social workers and MSW students in child welfare placements.

Common uses

Kinship placement searches
Child protection assessments and case conferences
Family group decision-making and family meetings
Court reports on placement and contact
Permanency planning

What the template covers

Child-centred layout with both sides of the family
Kinship carer household and placement line
Case header (child, case #, worker, date)
Key with child lines and household boundary
Editable PowerPoint and SVG versions

What is free?

Free and paid, plainly

All five files on this page (blank PDF, PowerPoint, SVG, example PDF and PNG) are free to download and use, with no sign-up. In GenogramAI, the Free plan includes 2 genograms, 5 AI credits a month, all 64 relationship types, medical shading and PNG export, with no card. PDF, SVG and GEDCOM export, file import and photo import are on paid plans; Professional is $12/month.

Frequently asked questions

What is a genogram used for in child welfare?

To map a child’s family on both sides, find relatives who could provide care, document placements and contact, and give courts and teams a shared picture of the family.

How do you show kinship care on a genogram?

Draw the relative in their usual family position, enclose their household with the child inside it, and join them to the child with a placement line and the start date.

How do you show a parent in prison or treatment?

Keep the parent in their usual place and add a note or, in GenogramAI, an institution box linked to them with the dates.

Can I use this template in court?

Many caseworkers attach genograms to court reports. Check names and dates with the family, include the key, and follow your agency’s rules on what may be shared.