Foster Care Training Today

FREE APRIL TRAINING: Conversations that Lead to Connection

April 22, 2026
6:30pm ET / 5:30pm CT / 3:30pm PT

Join me LIVE on Zoom to earn a certificate for 1 training credit hour.

In this training, you will learn:

- Understand how values, identity, and teen development can shape disagreements between adults and teens.
- Learn practical communication strategies that help keep conversations open, even when perspectives differ.
- Explore ways to approach emotionally charged conversations with curiosity, reflection, and intention.

This is practical, actionable guidance you can implement immediately.

Register here: https://fostercaretrainingtoday.com/conversations-optin

Fun is not the opposite of learning. It is one of the most powerful tools for it.

When kids laugh and play, their brains release dopamine, which sharpens attention and deepens memory. For children who have experienced trauma, joyful learning is not optional. It is how their brains get access to learning at all.

I am breaking this down at the Spring Thriving Family Summit on April 18. Free. Virtual. Built for foster and adoptive parents.

Register at https://thrivingfamilysummit.com/registration-spring2026

RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION

The NCTSN is one of the most credible and comprehensive sources of trauma-informed guidance available to caregivers of children and teens. Their families and caregivers section includes practical, research-based resources on how traumatic experiences shape children's behavior, what regulated and dysregulated communication looks like, and how adults can create an emotional environment where real conversation is possible.

For caregivers focused on building connections through conversation, this site is especially useful because it explains the "why" behind teens' behavior. The resources are written in plain language, freely accessible, and regularly updated. Bookmark this one.

Learn more here: www.nctsn.org/audiences/families-and-caregivers

NEW BLOG POST

You cannot correct your way into a relationship with a foster child. Before behavior plans, before academic goals, before any of it, connection has to come first. This week's article breaks down exactly what that looks like in practice: the words to say, the promises to keep, and why staying during the hard moments matters more than almost anything else. Read it at the link below.

👉Learn more in my Substack article: https://open.substack.com/pub/sharondunlevy/p/before-you-can-reach-a-foster-child

IMPACT MILESTONE

Training foster parents isn't just professional development. It's child advocacy in action. These numbers represent real families, real classrooms, and real children whose outcomes are changing because the adults in their lives showed up prepared. Proud of the work. Committed to more.

Ready to be part of what's next? Join us at https://fostercaretrainingtoday.com/.

WEEKLY TIP

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