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 meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents. Skilled trainers who […]

Working with Birth Families to Achieve Permanency will equip foster parents with many different ways to positively work with birth families toward the initial goal of reunification. The training also discusses the alternatives to reunification including relative placement and open adoption. It explains why including the birth families in these various placements is vital for the placements to succeed. […]

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 a seasoned foster/adoptive […]

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 behavior.  After completing this training, participants will be […]

ASK-VIP Medically Complex Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Groups are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents caring for children with medical complexities. They offer an opportunity to share experiences, questions, resources, and concerns in a safe and compassionate environment. These groups are led by a seasoned foster/adoptive parent facilitator with lived experiences caring […]

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 be able to: Identify […]

Drugs: Things You Need to Know is designed to inform parents of the many different classifications of illicit drugs, as well as the current trends related to adolescent drug abuse. Detailed descriptions of commonly abused drugs are provided, including the appearance of these drugs and the effects they produce in users. The importance of identifying drug […]

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 often faced […]

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 this […]

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 with social service […]

Myths & Realities of Foster Care & Adoption enables parents to identify myths and realities related to foster care and adoption.   After completing this training, participants will be able to:  Identify myths that surround foster care and adoption and articulate accurate realities.  Interpret statistics to distinguish between foster care and adoption myths and facts.  ASK-VIP trainings are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents. Skilled trainers who have […]

Recognizing the Signs of Adoption Disruption & Dissolution will teach foster/adoptive parents about adoption disruption and dissolution by equipping them with information regarding factors that contribute to disruption/dissolution, statistics on disruption/dissolution rates, and warning signs of a disruption or dissolution.  The training also discusses ways to prevent a disruption/dissolution from occurring.   After completing this training, participants will be able to:  Define and compare […]

A Guide to Coping with Allegations explores the prevalence of false allegations of abuse and neglect amongst foster homes and reasons such allegations may arise. Strategies for preventing false allegations are shared and tools for successful documentation are provided. Strategies for navigating false allegations and related investigations are also explored. After completing this training, participants will […]

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 foster and adoptive parents some […]

Cyberbullying is a training that explores what cyberbullying entails, warning signs that a child may be a victim of it, and its harmful effects. Statistics on cyberbullying are examined and reasons for cyberbullying behavior in children and youth are discussed. Strategies designed to protect children and youth from becoming a victim of cyberbullying are provided.    After completing this training, participants will be able to:  Identify the signs of a child, teen or […]

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 a seasoned foster/adoptive […]

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 will be able to:  Establish and maintain workable boundaries around […]

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 any issues that might arise.  After […]

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 […]

Adoption: Understanding Your Commitment explores adoption dissolution. It addresses the impact on a child and family when adoption dissolution occurs and offers strategies and resources to prevent it.   After completing this training, participants will be able to:  Interpret information about adoption dissolution and reasons why it occurs.   Identify strategies to prevent adoption dissolution.  ASK-VIP trainings are expressly designed to meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents. Skilled trainers who have lived experiences with fostering and […]

Transracial Parenting: Ages 0-5 explores the unique experiences of transracial families and examines developmental stages of racial identity development in young children. It offers strategies to create an environment that is conducive to the formation of a positive identity, as well as strategies to help children develop coping skills and methods of maintaining a positive identity. It also addresses how to properly care for the skin and hair of African-American or bi-racial […]

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 meet the needs of foster and adoptive parents. Skilled trainers who […]

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 be […]

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 aspects of placing siblings together as well as potential barriers and challenges.  Identify items to consider before […]

Understanding and Coping with Sensory Processing Challenges provides parents with tools to engage and work with children who display sensory processing challenges. Parents will learn what Sensory Processing Disorder is and become familiar with the various sensory systems. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Understand types of sensory differences Identify strategies that help […]

Guiding Your Child Through Adolescence explores the physical and emotional changes that children undergo as they enter adolescence. Parents will discuss how parental roles change during this period of their child’s development. Strategies for successfully communicating with children during adolescence are provided.  After completing this training, participants will be able to:  Identify physical and emotional changes that children experience as they enter adolescence.  Discuss how […]

Connecting with Your Child While Correcting Behavior introduces parents to strategies to use to help them feel connected to children while correcting difficult behaviors.  Parents will learn how to connect while also understanding the child’s history and also empowering them in the process. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Participants will learn the […]

Creating Memories & Meaningful Family Traditions for Blended Families will inform parents of triggers children in their home may have and what they can do as parents to help create new memories that will add to their healing process. This training will also discuss activities and ideas for creating memories and new family traditions with the new […]

Openly Talking with Children About Adoption equips adoptive parents with the skills necessary to talk honestly and positively with children about their adoption experiences. Participants will explore how to begin the conversation with their adopted child at various developmental stages. This training also addresses some of the common fears and misconceptions surrounding openly and honestly discussing adoption with their children.   After completing this training, participants […]

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 to provide […]

Preventing Child Abuse: Types, Signs & Symptoms will inform parents of the definition of child abuse and ways it can be prevented. It provides descriptions and statistics of different types of abuse and the signs and symptoms of each type of abuse. The training discusses the difference between discipline and punishment and strategies for abuse prevention. In addition, […]

Fostering & Adopting At-Risk Children explores categories of at-risk behaviors among children and adolescents that may lead to negative consequences, like poor health, injury or death. It assists foster/adoptive parents with identifying as-risk behaviors and offers strategies to help address them.    After completing this training, participants will be able to:   Identify types of “at-risk” behaviors in youth.  Discuss strategies to problem […]

Transracial Parenting: Ages 0-5 explores the unique experiences of transracial families and examines developmental stages of racial identity development in young children. It offers strategies to create an environment that is conducive to the formation of a positive identity, as well as strategies to help children develop coping skills and methods of maintaining a positive identity. It also addresses how to properly care for the skin and hair of African-American or bi-racial […]