Four New Courses for Adoptive Families in May
April was a busy month for our Adoption Coaching and Training (ACT) Team! They launched a counseling service for adoptive families, which is currently available to Ohio families. In addition, they began offering live and online classes that people could take no matter where they lived.
We are excited about all the positive feedback about these two new programs. After an online training course, one family wrote, “We really found the training Saturday so incredibly helpful. Not only did it explain how to incorporate this information into how we parent, but at the end of the training, we both said to each other, that helped us understand ourselves better, too.”
We will be offering FOUR courses in May:
Trauma-Informed Parenting – Saturday, May 6, 2 pm-4 pm EST
This 2-hour instructor-led course will cover the following topics: Learn the three R’s – Regulate, Relate, Reason; be informed of practical Trauma-Informed Parenting strategies; be aware of trauma support resources for children; recognize the importance of finding activities to have fun with children; recognize the importance of connected parenting and the relationship as the foundational cornerstone; understand how to promote healthy behaviors; recognize the importance of parent’s self-regulation’ know how to be proactive versus reactive’ recognize the difference between discipline and punishment.
Parenting Racially and Culturally Diverse Families – Thursday, May 11, 7 pm-8:30 pm EST
This 1.5-hour instructor-led course will cover the following topics: Understand the impact of parenting children from different race/ethnicity/cultural backgrounds and know how to honor and incorporate a child’s race/ethnicity/culture into existing family systems; identify strategies to help children develop positive and proud identities; help children and families prepare for and handle racism in all forms.
Separation, Grief, and Loss – Saturday, May 20, 2 pm-4 pm EST
This 2-hour instructor-led course will cover the following topics: Understand the impact of separation, ambiguous loss; learning different ways children grieve; life-long grieving and importance of providing opportunities for grieving; recognize strategies to help children deal with grief and loss; understand loss and fractured attachments with birth family members and previous placements; recognize the importance of establishing and maintaining essential relationships with and for children; understand the impact of frequent moves and the importance of managing transitions for children; understand the separation, grief and loss experienced by all members of the foster/adoption network.
Parenting a Child with a History of Sexual Trauma – Tuesday, May 23, 7 pm-8:30 pm EST
This 1.5-hour instructor-led course will cover the following topics: Aware of the indicators of sexual abuse; recognize the impact of interrupted sexual development; aware of the unique challenges associated with parenting children who have been sexually abused; recognize the potential risk factors for children who have experienced sexual trauma including re-victimization, sexual trafficking, and re-enactment behaviors. Understand that parents can learn and implement effective parenting strategies that can help keep children safe and help them heal from sexual trauma.
Click the link above to learn more about each course and to register. Registration for each course will close at midnight EST, the day before the course date.
Email Jennifer Knight with any questions, and stay tuned for future offerings!
Meet Your Instructor
Jennifer Knight is an adoption professional with 15 years of experience across domestic waiting child, domestic infant, and international adoption. She is also an adult adoptee bringing a lifetime of personal experience into her interactions with adoptive families. After a mid-life career change to pursue a master’s in social work, Jennifer launched a small non-profit providing social services for families interested in adopting waiting children from the foster care system. In addition to her work in adoption, Jennifer has experience as a mental health therapist for children and adolescents with a history of trauma. Jennifer joined America World Adoption Association in 2020 and currently serves as the Director of Social Services for the state of Ohio and the Post Adoption Program Director.