foster care adoption courses

There is a tremendous need for adoptive families for children in United States foster care--approximately 130,000 children await a permanent home.

Many of the children available for adoption through the foster care system have been through quite a bit of turmoil in their short lives. Because of this, they will need extra support and understanding from an adoptive family. It is important that prospective parents understand the challenge associated with foster care adoption and prepare themselves to help the children and themselves thrive as a family in the future.

Adoption Learning Partners offers courses to help families pursuing foster care adoption cater to their future child's unique needs.

The following course are suitable for foster care adoption

Brain Development Matters thoroughly explains the impact that early trauma has on a child's brain chemistry, brain development and sensory processing. Once parents understand how their child's brain is connected to his behaviors, these behaviors begin to make more sense. With a thorough understanding of brain development, parents are better prepared to learn how to more successfully intervene and shape their child's troubling behaviors.

Credit Hours: 1.0

Treatment Matters gives parents strategies for seeking professional help as soon as they recognize significant challenges in their child. Understand the importance of a diagnosis, when to consider medication and how to choose a therapist.

Credit Hours: 1.0

Parenting Matters applies a strengths-based, therapeutic approach to parenting in order to heal a child who has had a tough start in life. Learn this deliberate and intentional approach to parenting through exercises, family stories and expert advice.

Credit Hours: 2.0

The goal of this course is to help parents understand the toll raising a tough start child can take on them, their relationships and their other children. Family Matters teaches techniques parents can use to support each member of the family, and themselves, through these challenges.

Credit Hours: 1.0

This highly-interactive course is helpful to anyone considering adopting a child from the U.S. domestic foster care system and will help you understand the entire process of adopting your foster child. It will also help you prepare your family for the emotional transition to adoptive family and help you identify resources.

Credit Hours: 2.0

Adopting an older child presents a unique set of joy and challenges. From knowing what kind of information is important to have to anticipating potential stumbling blocks to a smooth transition, this course serves as a guide to anyone considering adopting a child older than an infant (whether internationally or from the US public welfare system).

Credit Hours: 2.0

Attachment is an essential component of any healthy, happy family. Adoption, however, may present challenges to the attachment process. Designed for both first time adoptive parents and parents struggling with attachment issues with their adopted child, this course provides practical tips on how to form and sustain this important bond.

Credit Hours: 2.0

It is natural for adopted children to grieve the life and family they never knew, no matter how old they were when adopted, how open the adoption or how happy their life with the adoptive family. This course will help adoptive parents recognize the signs of grief at different developmental stages, identify situations that may trigger grief and develop strategies to help children grieve.

Credit Hours: 2.0

Adopting a child of a different race or ethnicity presents challenges families may not expect.  Share in the wisdom and collective experiences of adopted persons and adoptive parents with transracial families and learn new skills for responding to insensitive comments as well as strategies for expanding the diversity in your life.

Credit Hours: 1.5

A fear they will not be able to maintain connections with their birth families and their past may cause a teen to react negatively to an adoptive family. Created by the Family Connections Project through Adoptions Unlimited, Inc., this course is designed to advise child welfare professionals on helping youth maintain contact with birth families and past connections.

A Lifebook is a book created for an adopted child that tells his story, before and after adoption.  It helps children place foster care or adoption in the context of their life experiences.  This course will help you understand the purpose and importance of a Lifebook, identify situations in which it is beneficial and develop some pages of your child's Lifebook.

Credit Hours: 1.5

Advocacy begins even before a child joins her adoptive family and continues throughout her childhood. This course will help you understand why you are the best advocate for your adopted child, determine your need for services and find resources available to assist your family.

Upon completion of this course, you may purchase a certificate for $40. If purchased as part of a package, the fee is already included.

Credit Hours: 2.0

Recorded Webinar

Love Me, Feed Me

Love Me, Feed Me

Katja Rowell, M.D., aka the Feeding Doctor, will help you understand why eating and mealtimes can be so difficult, and share relationship-building strategies to help children do their best with eating.

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