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Nonprofit launches initiative to empower adopted, foster, kinship students

iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families offers specialized training to support mental health success

A new Chicago-based nonprofit is making strides to improve the futures of Illinois’ adopted, foster and kinship students.

Founded in February by Laura Adams, iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families is introducing a free online training program aimed at enhancing mental health outcomes of nearly 300,000 adopted, foster and kinship students across the state. The training is accessible at icare4aaff.org.

“Our mission is to bridge the gap between child welfare professionals, parents and schools,” said Adams, who now serves as the organization’s president and CEO. “We believe that schools, equipped with the right training, can play a crucial role in supporting these students during their most formative years.”

The program offers 15 to 17 hours of specialized training designed for school mental health professionals, focusing on the specific needs of adopted, foster and kinship children. Five school districts already have committed to the training: Rondout School District 72, Northbrook/Glenview School District 30, Lake Forest School District 67, Lake Forest Community High School District 115 and New Trier Township High School District 203.

Already, school staff members taking the training are seeing the benefits.

“NTI School-based Mental Health Professionals Training is an outstanding resource for school-based professionals and behavioral health specialists,” said Jenny Wojcik, superintendent of Rondout School District 72. “The training program is filled with evidence-based research strategies for supporting youth and families who have experienced the challenges associated with the world of adoption, foster and kinship parenting relationships.

“The training not only offers extraordinary guidance for those whose lives have been touched by the related trauma of these lived experiences,” she continued, “but it also supports trauma-informed practices for young people from many backgrounds.”

“Adopted, foster and kinship children are among the most vulnerable in our school systems,” Adams noted. “Too often, their emotional support is left solely to child welfare professionals and parents. But with schools playing such a significant role in these children's lives, it’s essential that school staff are also well-equipped to meet their needs.”

Starting Jan. 1, 2025, the importance of this training will become even more pronounced as Illinois implements SB2824. This new law will allow foster children to remain in their current schools even if they are placed in different foster homes.

“This law provides much-needed stability, ensuring that foster children won’t face additional disruptions in their academics, relationships with teachers and friendships,” Adams said. “With these children staying in their schools long-term, it’s even more crucial that educators know how to support them effectively.”

By the ages of 12 to 17, approximately 80% of foster children and 50% of adopted children require mental health services. Alarmingly, more than 40% of foster children do not graduate from high school, and only 8% pursue higher education. In Illinois, the estimated 300,000 foster, adopted, and kinship students represent about 15% of the state’s total public school enrollment, equating to roughly three students in every classroom.

The recent influx of immigrants adds to the numbers as these children often have similar experiences to adopted and foster children — often suffering the grief of separation from a parent as well as from being uprooted from their childhood homes.

The training is known as adoption competency training and includes eight modules developed by the National Training Initiative (NTI) for the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.). Topics covered include attachment, trauma-informed assessment and best practices for mental health support in schools.

Illinois already is leading the way in equity of care by increasing access to mental health support through schools. However, true equity cannot be achieved without ensuring that school staff are properly trained to meet the specific needs of every student, including those who are adopted, in foster care or part of kinship families.

“Our vision is for every adopted, foster and kinship child to have schools that know how to support them, no matter where they live,” Adams said.

To further advocate for these changes, Adams and her team will present a workshop at the Illinois School Social Worker Conference in October and participate in an equity immersion panel at the joint annual conference for Illinois school boards, superintendents and administrators in November. Another bright spot has been iCARE’s recent inclusion on the statewide REACH Learning and Resource Hub overseen by the Center for Childhood Resilience.

Meanwhile, iCARE continues to urge school leaders to enroll their staff in the free online course, which is accredited by the National Association of Social Workers and the National Board for Certified Counselors.

For information, visit icare4aaff.org or contact Laura Adams at laura@icare4aaff.org.

Donations to support this important work can also be made on the website.

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