Preparing for Permanency

This course is designed to enable prospective adoptive parents to increase their knowledge of developmental trauma and attachment. In this course, we look at parenting strategies which build attachments while respecting the child’s past experiences and how we can maintain safe and developmentally appropriate boundaries.

We will also explore the importance of making positive connections with a hurt child, ensuring that everyone has practical strategies to take away. You will have information on preparing for family life, the importance of foster parents and how to support a child when they move into your family home.  The course also focusses on the importance of self- care and creating a strong support network. 

This course is only suitable for approved and waiting adopters. 

Considering Siblings?

This session is for prospective adopters who are considering whether they could adopt more than one child. This may be together or one at a time. This is a place to learn more about the national picture around children waiting and what the challenges and joys of adopting siblings may be.

Other considerations will be explored, such as, birth children, siblings placed in different families, life stories and contact with birth families. If you are considering more than one child to adopt, then this session will help you to process that decision. This session is led by an experienced adopter of three siblings with 15+ experience.

This course is suitable for prospective adopters.

Brothers and Sisters Learning Programme

This programme runs as a hybrid of support and training over an eight-week period. You will come together with other adopters of siblings to consider how to promote positive family dynamics and help your children to enjoy each other’s company as they grow. We will look at our own sibling relationships and how our parents may have encouraged or discouraged positive relationships and how this might impact your parenting of your siblings. There will be learning around trauma bonds and how to combat sibling rivalry. You will gain insights from other parents as well as the trainer who has adopted three siblings of her own.

This course is suitable for all adopters.

Families Discussing Adoption: Primary Age Children

This course will help you gain insights and resources that will help you discuss your child(ren)’s adoption with them in an age-appropriate and compassionate way. 

You will have the opportunity to think about why it is important, how to explain adoption to our children and be signposted to appropriate resources to use with your child.  

You will also be able to share your own experiences and learn from each other in a safe and supportive environment.  

This course will help you to consider how you can build your child’s identity and support this as they move through the developmental stages in childhood.   

This course is suitable for all adopters who have primary aged children, and those adopters who are approved and waiting for a child.

Families Discussing Adoption: Secondary Age Children

This course will help you gain insights and resources that will help you discuss your child(ren)’s adoption with them in an age-appropriate and compassionate way. 

You will have the opportunity to think about why it is important, how to explain adoption to our children and be signposted to appropriate resources to use with your child.  We will practise how to explain different situations to our children and the knowledge that they need to have to feel safe and supported.

You will also be able to share your own experiences and learn from each other in a welcoming and safe space. 

The course also covers Therapeutic Life Story Work and how this can help our children with complicated and difficult life stories. 

It will also help you to consider how you can build your child’s identity and support this through their teenage years and into adulthood and beyond. 

This course is suitable for all adopters who have secondary aged children. 

Strengthening  Roots: Supporting Your Adopted Child to Maintain Links With Their First Family and Foster Families

Research shows that our children think about their first and foster families more often that we think they do. It is important that we show them that we are there with them to support their wants and needs in relation to this.

This course will examine the experience of contact from the child, first family and the adoptive family’s perspective. 

The course is informed by the latest research that informs best practice when facilitating and supporting contact. Participants will also have the opportunity to consider the purpose, benefits and challenges associated within the context of how it can support our children to build a stronger identity. 

This course also covers the following:

• how contact can be supported and improved and consider tracing and reunion
• considering the benefits of contact with the foster family now that their child(ren) are in permanent families
• the opportunity to plan next steps for your family, with your child at the heart of all decision making 

This course is suitable for all adopters who would like to explore meaningful contact.

Strengthening  Roots – the early years - building connections with the first family - the basics

This course is for parents of primary aged children (4-11) and will enable participants to look at the experience of contact from the perspective of the child, the birth family and adoptive parents. It will look at the feelings that each one may have and how these can be supported.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear about latest research, consider the purpose, benefits and difficulties associated with contact and how it can support our children to build a stronger identity. 

Participants will also be able to consider the benefits of contact with the foster family, now that their children are in permanent families.

Participants will have the opportunity to plan their next steps for their family, whilst keeping the needs of the child at the forefront.

This course is suitable for all adopters who have primary aged children, and those adopters who are approved and waiting for a child.

Strengthening  Roots – the later years - extending connections with the first family 

This course is for parents of secondary school aged children (11-18). During this training, you will be given time to evaluate where you are now, explore what your child would like in terms of contact and have the opportunity to plan for your next steps.

The course will consider the possible feelings and experiences that the child, first family and adoptive family may have. We will consider that our children may want to meet with their first family and what we would like to have in place before this happens.

Participants will also have the opportunity to hear about the latest research informing best practice in relation to contact, consider the purpose, benefits and challenges associated with contact and how it can support our children to build a stronger identity. 

We will also look at how contact can be supported and improved and consider tracing and reunion.

Participants will be able to consider the benefits of contact with the foster family now that their children are older.

There will be chance to meet with the trainer before the course in order to share any challenges you are currently facing in relation to contact. 

This course is suitable for all adopters who have secondary aged children who would like to explore meaningful contact.

Looking Forwards, Looking Back’ – Why did no one tell us about that?

 “I have no idea where to go from here or what kind of support may be available”

“I am regularly subjected to verbal and physical abuse from my adolescent”

“I feel overwhelmed and alone”

Does this sound like how you feel? If so, come and join our informal Adolescent and Teens support group sessions facilitated by a highly experienced trainer and adoptive parent.  Participants will be able to support and connect with others in similar situations, to share ideas and network.

This group is suitable for adopters with adolescents and teens

Parenting Care Experienced Adolescents

This three-part course aims to support participants through the challenging adolescent years​ covering:

• The emotional impact of adolescence​ and the challenging issues arising
• Practical strategies and ideas to support care experienced adolescents
• Carer compassion fatigue and self-care​ 

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss individual challenges with peers. 

The third part is a follow up session allowing participants the time and space for reflection and networking with peers about the impact of this training and to think about how to move forwards.

This course is suitable for adopters, foster parents and special guardians with adolescents and teens

Living with Adolescents, Teenagers and Young Adults

This course over 9 weeks is for those who are facing or currently experiencing the challenging teenage years.  The course is facilitated by an experienced adopter and trainer, whose aim is to share practical ideas and strategies.  Topics covered include:

• How past trauma affects the present and why
• The importance of connection
• Looking behind the behaviours
• Managing aggression
• Education and issues for all the family
• Emotional and mental health
• Essential maintenance for carers
• Independence – what? How?
• The future 

The course is a chance to connect with others who are on the same journey, to build resilience and enhance skills and strategies.

This course is suitable for adopters with adolescents, teens, or young adults