Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) come in many forms, from physical and mental abuse to neglect and household dysfunction. This training examines data from the ACE study, how early adversity as a child can impact adult physical, social and emotional health as well as what foster and adoptive parents can do to address trauma and create […]
Confidentiality in Foster Care explores the importance of protecting the confidentiality of children in care. It offers strategies for how sensitive information about children in care can be communicated in appropriate ways while maintaining confidentiality. Maintaining a child’s confidentiality across a variety of settings, including social media, is addressed. After completing this training, participants will […]
ASK-VIP Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents in an inclusive, safe, and compassionate environment. They are led by seasoned facilitators who have lived experiences with fostering and adoption. If you’re seeking an opportunity to share resources, suggestions, frustrations and successes with those who share the unique experience […]
Building Positive Relationships with Case Workers & Community Partners provides foster parents the information and tools needed to establish a positive working relationship with their caseworker and child’s caseworker, with the goal of providing the best possible continuum of care for the child. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Work in partnership […]
Healthy Boundaries: Strategies for Answering Tough Questions helps foster and adoptive parents understand the importance of setting boundaries in their lives. It explains the different types of boundaries (Physical and Emotional) and offers strategies and ideas to help parents work with children to build their own boundaries, especially when it comes to intrusive questions asked […]
Child Development 0-5 explores the typical milestones, or skills, that children develop from birth through age 5. It offers resources that caregivers can utilize to determine if a developmental screening may be warranted. Strategies for successfully advocating on behalf of children to receive needed assessments and services are explored. After completing this training, participants will […]
Perceptions of Adoption: A Child’s Developmental View will discuss the ways a child’s cognitive development skills and emotions develop, and how that impact his or her perceptions regarding adoption. This training provides information on how these perceptions change at each major developmental stage, along with how foster and adoptive parents can help children work through […]
Sibling Attachment & Adoption provides parents with tools to promote healthy sibling relationships in foster and adoptive families. Parents will explore different ways in which families are formed and learn tips on helping children to explain blended families (biological, adopted, foster and step) when the need arises. After completing this training, participants will be able […]
Helping Foster & Adopted Children Transition to a New School will assist foster/adoptive parents in preparing to enroll a child in a new school. It will also provide practical tips for helping their children explain adoption to their classmates in a way that is comfortable to them and gives suggestions regarding answers to common adoption […]
Keeping Families Strong provides foster parents insight on how to keep partnerships, families and friendships strong while providing care to out of home children. It will also provide strategies for foster parents to build workable boundaries around these key elements to keep their core families strong while providing foster care. After completing this training, participants […]
First Steps: Kentucky’s Early Intervention System explores the services provided by this program. Participants learn how to refer children ages zero to three who have developmental delays, or medical conditions known to cause developmental delays, for First Steps services. How to work with the program to create an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is explored. […]
ARC Meetings & IEPs: The Basics will help foster and adoptive parents understand the process of an ARC Meeting and gain a better perspective of what an IEP will look like. It offers strategies and ideas to help parents be prepared the ARC meetings. This training also offers sample IEP goals and objectives to give […]
Creative Parenting: New Ways to Focus on Your Child is designed to help parents recognize the value of seeking to understand the meaning behind a child’s behavior. It explores the importance of creating time to connect with children one-on-one, modeling appropriate coping strategies, having consistent expectations, praising desirable behaviors, and redirecting challenging behavior. After completing […]
ASK-VIP LGBTQ+ Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Groups are specifically designed for foster/adoptive parents who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as foster/adoptive parents who are caring for children or teens who identify as LGBTQ+. The groups offer an opportunity to share experiences, questions, resources, and concerns in a safe and compassionate environment. These groups are led by […]
Learning Your Child Has a Disability aims to help foster and adoptive parents understand the unique emotions of discovering or confirming a child in their care has a disability. This training will also offer tips and strategies to help foster and adoptive families cope with these feelings and challenges. After completing this training, participants will […]
Bullying provides parents an overview of bullying behaviors that children, teens, and young adults may encounter and the effects it has on children, youth and society as a whole. This training also provides strategies to help prevent and intervene if bullying is suspected, or what to do if you suspect your child is exhibiting bullying […]
ASK-VIP Support Group for Foster/Adoptive Parents Caring for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Children provides a welcoming, safe environment for foster and adoptive parents to share resources, concerns, ask questions, and connect with others who have a similar family dynamic. The support group is facilitated by Christina Delk. Delk has worked for 23 years as a Teacher […]
Attachment & Bonding with your Foster & Adopted Child equips parents to enhance their relationship with foster/adopted children by teaching them the basics about bonding and attachment. This training also provides practical tips for promoting both bonding and attachment. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Articulate attachment styles and challenges to attachment […]
Helping Your Child Make Healthy & Positive Choices: Talking to Teens & Preteens will teach foster and adoptive parents the importance of open and ongoing dialogue with their preteen or teen about the tough issues they will face throughout their adolescent years, with the goal being to help their child to begin making healthy choices […]
ASK-VIP Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents in an inclusive, safe, and compassionate environment. They are led by seasoned facilitators who have lived experiences with fostering and adoption. If you’re seeking an opportunity to share resources, suggestions, frustrations and successes with those who share the unique experience […]
Healthy Boundaries in Teenage Relationships explores healthy and unhealthy dating behaviors. It is designed to assist caregivers in identifying warning signs that a teen may be involved in an abusive dating relationship and provides suggestions for talking to teens and/or their friends who find themselves involved in such relationships. After completing this training, participants will […]
Ten Things Every Pediatrician Should Know About Children in Care will equip foster and adoptive parents to better understand the unique medical factors children in care face. This training will also offer some tips and ideas to help foster and adoptive families work with health care staff and professionals at addressing these characteristics in order […]
Helping Your Child to Succeed in School will increase the ability of foster/adoptive parents to understand educational challenges faced by foster/adopted children. It will give resource parents the tools for creating a positive educational experience for their foster/adopted child, and equip them with the necessary tools to help support their children in the educational setting. […]
Fostering & Adopting Sibling Groups explores the benefits of placing siblings together as well as potential barriers and challenges. The impact of on attachment and bonding among siblings who have experienced trauma is discussed. Considerations related to caring for a sibling placement are explored. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Recognize positive […]
Positive Discipline for Teenagers will provide foster/Adoptive Parents with effective tools that will guide them to positive discipline and communication with teenagers that are in their care/home. It discusses the importance of using partnership based approach to discipline. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Identify the three main styles of discipline and […]
Compulsive Lying explores why a child may lie compulsively. It identifies strategies and offers resources designed to assist children and their families dealing with this issue. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Recognize causes of compulsive lying Identify strategies to employ with children to address lying. ASK-VIP trainings are expressly designed to […]
Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew will equip foster and adoptive parents to understand the thoughts and feelings children who are adopted may experience. It offers strategies and ideas to help parents be prepared for unique situations that may occur as their children grow and mature. By being prepared for various scenarios […]
Strategies to Remain Positive When Adopting describes common behaviors that the child(ren) may exhibit as well as feelings adoptive parents may have during the adoption process, including grief and post-adoption depression. This training also provides strategies on how to cope with these emotions in a healthy way. After completing this training, participants will be able […]
Blended Families: Parenting Children When They Don’t Get Along assists caregivers with identifying issues that children may experience that are unique to blended families. It offers strategies to create a peaceful environment for children within a blended family who are experiencing difficulty getting along with one another. It also offers tools to empower children to […]
Strategies for Parenting Teens will provide an overview of adolescent development and common questions and challenges presented by youth who are in foster care or were adopted. This training will equip participants with parenting strategies to address specific issues common to foster and adopted teens. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Recognize […]
Promoting Stability & Increasing Resiliency for Children in Care explores the concepts of stability and resiliency and introduces skills for building resiliency in children who have experienced trauma. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Identify the differences between stability and resiliency and what it means to children in care. Describe ways to build […]
ASK-VIP LGBTQ+ Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Groups are specifically designed for foster/adoptive parents who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as foster/adoptive parents who are caring for children or teens who identify as LGBTQ+. The groups offer an opportunity to share experiences, questions, resources, and concerns in a safe and compassionate environment. These groups are led by […]
Strategies for Parenting Teens will provide an overview of adolescent development and common questions and challenges presented by youth who are in foster care or were adopted. This training will equip participants with parenting strategies to address specific issues common to foster and adopted teens. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Recognize […]
Positive Adoption Language: Part 1 will discuss the power and impact of words and terminology related to adoption and foster care. This training will provide strategies to help parents reword common terms and misconceptions into positive language that is unique to foster care and adoption, such as working with birth families, facing diversity and society’s […]
Preparing Children for Permanency equips foster/adoptive parents with strategies to prepare children for permanency. It offers insight on the thoughts and emotional reactions that a child transitioning to permanency may experience. It also explores ways to help children understand and express their emotions during this time of transition. After completing this training, participants will be […]