PAST 366 GATHERINGS
the topics for our past gatherings are listed below.
We’re available to teach them for your group or organization.
IF YOU SEE A TOPIC THAT interests you (of if you have one in mind), TAP OR CLICK THE BUTTON TO CONTACT US ABOUT IT.
TL;DR: The Out of Sync Child
There are certain books in the foster care world that are routinely recommended. So we read some for you and led discussions about them. Our second book was The Out-of-Sync Child.
TL;DR: The Body Keeps the Score
There are certain books in the foster care world that are routinely recommended. So we read some for you and led discussions about them. Our first book was The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Caring for the Unique Needs of LGBTQ+ Children in Foster Care
Jeannie Roberts, founder of Foster Love, guided us through a deeper understanding of what LGBTQ+ children experience in foster care and how to better serve their unique needs.
Cultural Fluency: growing up Black in a White world
Guest presenter, LaDoris Bell shared her experience spending time in both Black and White households as a teenager.
TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention)
Local foster-adopt mom, therapist, and TBRI trainer, Megan Greenwood guides us through a 2-part series on this useful tool.
How to Enjoy Foster Parenting
Cory Jones led a discussion that centered on the fact that to be a happy foster parent we first have to be happy people. And being happy requires intention and the right formula of things that help us feel fulfilled.
Guiding Teenagers
Christina Jones taught a fantastic class on “planned emancipation” and helping our teenagers prepare themselves for adulthood long before it actually arrives.
Calming Angry Kids
Author, teacher, and adoptive mother, Tricia Goyer, brought a powerful perspective on helping our kids deal with big emotions, especially by dealing with ours as parents first.
Sleep Matters
Katie Walker (LCSW, RPT) talked about all things sleep and why it’s critical for helping our kids have happy, peaceful lives.
FASD 101
Crowd favorite, Tiffany Tassin, was back to talk about FASD from her experience as a geneticist and an adoptive mom of two children with FASD.
Strong Partners
Helpful, practical tips for maintaining a strong connection between parents in the home while raising extra children.
Anxiety 101
Katie Walker (LCSW, RPT) brought her expertise on helping children deal with anxiety.
Interracial Parenting, Pt 2
Cultural fluency teacher, Valerie Annette, returned with a two-part class.
Interracial Parenting, Pt 1
Cultural fluency teacher, Valerie Annette led us through a powerful conversation on parenting children from other cultures.
Parenting a Child with ADHD
Christina Jones walked the class through our family’s journey parenting four kids with ADHD. From a professional OT perspective as well as an in-the-trenches mom perspective, she shed light on the practical reality and ways to manage ADHD.
A Day in the Life Series
Each October we focus on a day in the life of various people in the world of foster care. In 2022 we focused on a former foster youth, a DCFS investigator, a mom suffering from addiction, and a bio/adoptive mom relationship.
They’re STILL Doing it
Parenting is hard under even the best circumstances. But add in behaviors stemming from trauma and it can feel an awful lot like groundhog day! How do we stay patient when our kids don’t seem to be moving forward?
The Basics of Attachment
This two-part conversation was led by Lee Anne Cooper from King’s Ranch Ministries and she discussed how to work with children whose trauma might feel unmanageable at times.
Parenting a Child who is Neurodivergent
Author and nationally recognized speaker, Carrie Cariello, opens up about life with her son, Jack, who lives with autism.
Why am I so Angry?
Foster care has a way of bringing all our insecurities to the surface, and it often leads to an explosive result. Have you ever scared yourself by how angry you get as a parent? You’re not alone, and we address some ways to manage it here.
Parenting and the Enneagram
Professional enneagram teacher and coach (and adult adoptee and adoptive mom), Melissa Corkum, led us through three teachings to help us better understand our kids by knowing their personalities.
Raising Digital Kids Part 2
Sarah Kimmel, a Family Tech Parent Coach, gave some tips and tricks on staying a step ahead of the technology curve.
Raising Digital Kids Part 1
In part 1 of this 2-part series, Sarah Brooks from RaisingSocialKids.com walked us through some big-picture stuff about kids and technology.
Parenting Siblings in Foster Care
Christie Erwin and Megan Greenwood shared their knowledge and experience with sibling groups, the unique joys and challenges, and why it's such a critical need.
Deescalation Techniques
Rachel Hubbard, co-founder and director of Second Chance Families, walked us through some tried and true methods that she and her team have employed for more than 10 years.
My Story
Tosha from Kit + Me is an adult transracial adoptee who speaks openly about her experiences both from childhood and now in adulthood.
Basic Hair Care
LaShonna Bruce is back with more tips on caring for black and biracial hair.
Newborns Exposed to Drugs
A panel of experienced foster parents plus a pediatric physician joined us to talk about the best ways to care for children exposed to drugs in the womb.
Our Story
Have you ever wondered about running a smooth house with a large family, navigating interracial dynamics, how to keep healthy connections with birth families, or raising 7 boys and 1 girl in the era of TikTok and SnapChat? We may not have the best answers but we shared our experience, especially a hefty amount of what not to do!
Grief and Loss
Melanie Ukestead, LCSW and grief support group leader at a local children’s hospital walked us through the various ways grief plays a role in the lives of children and the adults caring for them.
Unicorn Families
Even in the foster care world, some families just stand out a little more. We invited a panel to share their perspective as therapeutic, LGBTQ, interracial, and “Empty Nester Age” foster parents.
Ask the Experts
Many children in foster care require therapeutic services, so we invited experienced OTs, PTs, and STs to share what their various therapies can do and how children might qualify for services.
Tech Savvy
High school teacher and former Apple genius, Ian Thomas, walked us through all the various ways we can equip ourselves as parents in a virtual age.
Growing Up Around Addiction
A panel of volunteers who grew up around addition shared what life was like and how addiction continues to play an active role in their lives.
Not Awkward: sexual health, dysfunction, and abuse in foster care
Guest presenters Ryan Russ (Certified Sexual Addictions Therapist) and Lisette Yang (Investigator - Children’s Protection Center) talk about the wide range of needs and responses when it comes to sexual health, dysfunction, and abuse in foster care
A Day in the Life of a Birth Mom
In a pre-recorded interview, a mother opens up about what it was like to lose five children to adoption through the foster care system, and how it has impacted her life.
A Day in the Life of a Special Needs Parent
Guest presenter, Victoria Stover, shared what her day-to-day experience is like caring for medically fragile children.
A Day in the Life of a DCFS Worker
Long-time DCFS employee, Tiffany Wright, helped us see the world of foster care through the eyes of case workers and DCFS administrators.
A Day in the Life of a CASA Worker
Xanthoula Groom, CASA volunteer, walked us through the role CASA plays and how children in foster care can benefit from their services.
A Day in the Life of a Foster Child
In a pre-recorded interview, a young lady shares what her experience has been like since entering the foster care system at age 12.
Trauma 101
featuring guest presenter, Katie Walker, LCSW, RPT
Parenting Solo
for foster parents who are single, featuring guest speaker, Angie Winkler, LCSW and foster-adopt mom.
Unstuck: guiding teens through foster care
With guest presenter, Eric Gilmore, founding director of Immerse Arkansas
Navigating Race in Multiracial Families
What can foster parents do to prepare themselves to welcome children of another race into their home?
Behavior Issues? Think like an OT
Christina Jones, occupational therapist, explains how problem solving skills are a needed tool for foster and adoptive parents.
Fight With a Goal in Mind
A guide to parent-child conflict. Learn about “fighting styles,” and how you can manage conflict in a way that leads to productive outcomes instead of escalating tension.
Foster Care Freebies
We invited representatives from organizations throughout Central Arkansas to share the services they offer for children in foster care and their families.
Ages and Stages: Raising tweens and teens
Tweens and teens have developmental needs that go beyond those of younger children. Second Chance Families Director, Rachel Hubbard, shares insight into navigating relationships with your tweens and teens.
Ages and Stages: Raising 3-10 Year-Olds
What is typical behavior, what is developmental delay, and what is trauma-related? This class helps you discern your child’s behavior so you can respond in appropriate ways.
An Honest Discussion on Foster Care, Adoption, and Race
A panel of 5 African-American moms guided us through an honest conversation about foster care, adoption, and race.
But What About My Own Kids?
We spend a great deal of time talking about parenting our kids from hard places - and rightly so - but we don’t often turn our attention to the kids who were born into our families.
Summer Hair
Mommies and Curls is back to teach some great new styling techniques for your children of color’s hair this summer. Hit the beach and pool in style this year!
Navigating Relationships with Birth Families
Every circumstance is different when it comes to interactions with our foster-adopt kiddo’s birth families. So we assembled a well-seasoned panel to share their various experiences and the wisdom they’ve gleaned from navigating these waters.
Black Hair, White Care
We partnered with Mommies and Curls for an entire morning of instruction and hands-on learning about how to care for our children of color’s hair.
Empower Your Child to Tell Their Story
Neurological research has shown that a child is much more resilient when they can tell the full story of their lives, especially the hard parts. This gathering helps you piece together your child’s story, giving them language and imagery to use where they may not have it.
The Explosive Parent
Foster care and adoption bring parent’s deepest insecurities to the surface, and that can often lead the parent to places of explosive anger. This class provides scientifically-rooted mindfulness strategies to help parents keep their cool when their home is full of chaos.
When it’s not ‘Love-at-First-Sight.’
Not every child who comes to our home is easy to love. Yet they still need all the same connection, compassion, love, and care. This class provides practical ways to build your affection for every kid in your home, no matter their personality.
Simple Routines for a More Peaceful Home
With 8 children spanning ten years in age, routines and systems have saved the Jones family. In this class, we offer some very practical ways to reduce stress and increase the calm in your home.
5 Strategies for Parenting Kids from Trauma
Children who have suffered trauma require parents and caregivers who understand what has happened to them, and the best way to form solid connections. This class offers 5 practical ways to help the kids in your home who have experienced trauma.