Every adoption and permanency journey is unique. Equip yourself with knowledge, skills, and confidence along the way with our workshops and learning opportunities. Whoever you are—someone waiting to adopt, a new parent who’s just started a life with a child, an experienced caregiver, a professional, a young person in or from government care—we’ve developed info sessions, workshops, and other learning opportunities to help create a bright future for you and your family.
Adopt BC Kids info session
Interested in adopting a child or youth waiting in government care? Explore why children enter government care, which includes foster care, and learn about their unique needs when it comes to finding their perfect match in a loving family. Our knowledgeable team will break down the entire adoption journey so you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of whether adopting from care is right for you.
Cost: No fee
Location: Virtual
Adoption Education Program
All prospective parents who are adopting from foster care need to take the Adoption Education Program (AEP). The AEP prepares you for the realities of parenting and adoption. The AEP gets you ready to meet common support needs that many children and youth coming from foster care have. While this is a mandatory course, you can only register once your adoption application is accepted by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Safe Babies
Safe Babies is a course for people planning to care for a baby or toddler who may have been exposed to alcohol or other drugs before being born. Learn about how infants develop, the effects of substance exposure, and how to create a safe and healthy environment for you and your new baby. This is a three-part workshop that will give you lots of time for discussion with Belonging Network facilitators.
Fee: $150 per person
Location: Virtual
Parenting Teens & Tweens
Get introduced to the joys and challenges of parenting a teen or tween (about ages 10 and up) through adoption, guardianship, kinship care, or another form of permanency. As teens and tweens go through puberty, they need age-appropriate support for their mental health and forming a healthy sense of self. Learn what to expect as teens develop, navigate big transitions in their lives, and how to support through disruptions and breakdowns in this three-part series.
Fee: $50 per person
Location: Virtual
Raising Relatives
Raising a child or youth who is related to you means navigating a new family dynamic. Often, families in this situation are also going through loss or trauma. This three-part workshop offers coping strategies for anyone raising a relative, including grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and older siblings, and offers a safe place to discuss the specifics of your situation with our knowledgeable team.
Cost: No fee
Location: Virtual
Surviving & Thriving
The first two years of bringing a new child home are a critical time for bonding and attachment. It’s also often the most challenging time as both you and your child navigate a big transition. This workshop is designed to prepare new families as they navigate the critical and often challenging first two years of placement. You’ll walk away knowing what to expect, with the tools and skills to successfully deal with situations as they arise.
Cost: No fee
Location: Virtual
Trauma-Informed Parenting
Trauma affects a child’s well-being and can shape how they grow up. When parents and caregivers understand trauma and can address it, children can become more resilient and able to cope with difficult feelings and events in life. In this three-part workshop, you’ll learn about the types of trauma, how they can show up in a child’s behaviour and outlook in life, and how to parent in a trauma-informed way.
Fee: $95 per person
Location: Virtual
