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Parenting

Mendez family smiling and sitting together on couch.

Planting seeds for future generations 

Sandra and Jorge Mendez adopted Emily and Michael from foster care in 2019. As their children step into adulthood, they reflect on lessons in healing, trauma-responsive parenting, and supporting connections with birth siblings.

A father puts his hand on his son's shoulder as they walk together outside.

Supporting children who have experienced trauma 

For young people who have experienced trauma or loss, pain is often communicated through their behaviors or emotions. Here’s what to consider when seeking mental health support for your child.

A mother and teenage girl are sitting on the couch, smiling, and engaged in a conversation.

Learn how to build meaningful relationships with those in your care

Forging a strong relationship doesn’t happen overnight. Rather, it requires showing up consistently and with compassion. In this blog post, adoption expert Mary Boo unpacks potential challenges when creating bonds and delves into the art of building trust through gestures like embracing differences, adjusting expectations, and prioritizing connection before correction. Whether you’re starting fresh with a new placement or navigating a rocky patch, this post is packed with practical strategies for helping your family grow stronger together for life.

A woman sits on her couch in a living room decorated for the winter holidays, with a contemplative expression.

Providing comfort and joy during a season of emotional ambivalence

This article explores how and why the holiday season can be a time of emotional ambivalence for those experiencing foster care or adoption. Families can learn how to provide meaningful comfort and joy to those in their care by exploring this list of resources from child welfare experts who offer strategies and techniques for effectively meeting these needs.