Center for Adoption Support and Education

May 2026 support groups are open! C.A.S.E. hosts virtual and in-person groups for youth, adult adoptees, and parents and caregivers each month. Connecting with others who share your experience can be a meaningful support while navigating adoption, foster care, or kinship care. Swipe to see May's schedule and register through the link in bio. #mentalhealth #supportgroup #adoption #fostercare #kinshipcare

W.I.S.E. Up!® is turning 25, and we’re celebrating with a brand-new look!   To mark this anniversary, the W.I.S.E. Up!® Empowerment Program has been refreshed with an updated PowerBook, a new website, and a modern design that reflects the diverse experiences of today’s kids and families.   At the heart of it all is Casey the W.I.S.E. Up! owl, a trusted guide helping children and caregivers explore, grow, and find their voice together.  Meet Casey and learn more on our website (link in bio)

Last December, C.A.S.E. hosted its first-ever State of Practice Convening, and we are thrilled to share a preview with you. More than 70 national leaders across policy, practice, research, philanthropy, and lived experience gathered in Washington, DC to engage with two groundbreaking reports representing more than a quarter century of evidence building. This research establishes adoption competence as an essential standard of mental health care for individuals and families connected to adoption, foster care, and kinship care. This national convening was only the beginning. We are committed to expanding access to training for mental health professionals and adoption-competent care for individuals and families. A free public webinar exploring the reports is coming soon. Stay tuned! Dive into the reports, download our 1-pager, and read the press release on our website: /stateofpractice/

At the start of the year, we introduced our Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency series exploring the seven interconnected issues of Loss, Rejection, Shame & Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy, and Mastery & Control that offer language for experiences that are often felt but not always named. Throughout this series, you'll hear from a range of voices within the adoption constellation, including adoptees, first/birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoption-competent professionals. By centering lived experience alongside clinical insight, we aim to deepen understanding, reduce stigma, and support all members of the constellation with honesty and compassion. In this installment, Katie Monroe, MSW, Social Worker at Dignity Health, explores the concept of disenfranchised grief, developed by researcher Kenneth Doka, and what it means when grief goes unacknowledged by the people and systems around us. Writing from her own lived experience as a first/birth parent, Katie reflects on the isolating weight of a loss society rarely makes room for, and the hope that comes from finally having language to name it. Her piece reminds us that it is possible to hold multiple truths at once. Read more on our website, link in bio.

Join C.A.S.E.'s Tony Hynes, Ph.D., for the third session in a powerful four-part series exploring the unique emotional landscape holidays can create for adopted individuals, "More Than Cake: Understanding Birthdays in Adoption." During the session, attendees will learn practical strategies for supporting open conversations, addressing hurtful comments, honoring past and present connections, and strengthening attachment — all during some of the most meaningful times of the year. 📅 Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST | Zoom Registration is $20 per course, and professionals completing this series can receive 1.5 CE credits per course. Learn more + register today on our website, link in bio. #adopteevoices #socialwork #mentalhealthprofessionals

Building a strong child welfare workforce starts with planting the right seeds — and that's exactly what the Title IV-E Roundtable is designed to do. From May 19-21, representatives from public and tribal child welfare agencies and their university partners will gather in Denver, CO, for the 2026 Title IV-E Roundtable: Growing Hope Rooted in Community. This national convening brings together educators, trainers, and agency partners who are shaping the next generation of child welfare professionals. As a Wildflower Wellness sponsor, the National Center is proud to participate alongside the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) and the C.A.S.E. Academy (@caseadopt ). Together, our organizations work to ensure that child welfare professionals at every level are equipped with the training and tools they need to provide adoption-competent mental health care across systems. Representing our partnerships at the gathering will be Erin Bader, LCSW, with the National Center, LaShawnda Kilgore, PhD, with NTI, and Laura Ornelas, LCSW, with the C.A.S.E. Academy If you're attending, we'd love to connect! Stop by our table and say hello. 👋 Learn more about the National Center and our partners on our website, link in bio. #ChildWelfare #TitleIVE #ChildWelfareWorkforce #Denver

For children who have experienced foster care, the transition to adoption carries deep questions about identity, belonging, and permanency. In her latest blog for C.A.S.E., Carol Bishop, LMFT, walks through 12 essential aspects of this transition, offering adoptive parents a thoughtful framework for supporting their child's sense of self, family connection, and long-term healing. Read the full blog on the C.A.S.E. website, link in bio. #mentalhealth #adoption #fostercare

"I kept noticing everything. Where I could sit. What I could touch. How people were talking. Trying to figure out the rules without asking too many questions." This is how C.A.S.E. Policy Advisor Ashley Garcia Rivera describes walking into her first foster home. This National Foster Care Month, Ashley is sharing what that experience taught her, and what it means for the foster parents and caregivers who want to show up well for the children in their care. Her latest blog post, "Trust Isn't Given, It's Built," is a thoughtful, firsthand look at what children in foster care navigate, and how consistency, honesty, and patience can lay the groundwork for safety and connection. Read it at the link in our bio.

In a timely and personal blog for C.A.S.E., Board Member Robert Parsons explores what coming of age can be like for youth in the foster care system, and why the transition to adulthood is rarely as simple as a birthday. Drawing on his own experience as an adult adoptee, Tony reflects on the difference between adulthood as a gradual event and the abrupt reality many foster youth face: "18 isn't just a birthday — it's often a cliff. Historically, this was the day the safety net was pulled away, and you were expected to survive on your own." His piece also examines the structural gaps in extended foster care policy and makes the case that the most vital form of support isn't a check or a housing voucher — it's permanent, supportive relationships. This National Foster Care Awareness Month, we're proud to share perspectives like Tony's that center lived experience in conversations about child welfare and permanency. Thank you, Tony! 💚 Read more on our website, link in bio.

"The Heart That Found You," a vibrant picture book by Anna Schocket, is a heartwarming exploration of adoption. The story follows Heart, the main character, as they travel across mountains, oceans, and more in pursuit of love and belonging. Lauren Lynch, adoptive mom and C.A.S.E. Training Coordinator, recommends this book as a starting point for adoptive families with very young children. In her review, she explores its portrayal of diverse families and how it can open the door to early conversations about adoption. 🔗 Read more on our website, link in bio.

[SYF Webinar] Bridging the Gap: Preparing Expectant Parents for Open Adoption Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST Use coupon code EXPECTANT to receive free registration at checkout. Join us for the May installment of our 2026 Strengthening Your Family Webinar (SYF) Series. This session will be presented by Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Ethical Family Building and Katie Monroe, MSW, Social Worker at Dignity Health. In the adoption world, open adoption is often marketed to expectant parents and emphasized in adoptive parent education. However, expectant and birth parents often lack access to essential tools for long-term success in open adoption relationships. This interactive webinar is led by two birth parents working in the field — bridging the gap and offering professionals comprehensive strategies to educate and support expectant and birth parent clients throughout their open adoption journey. In partnership with The Jockey Being Family Foundation, C.A.S.E. offers 600 FREE registrations to each Strengthening Your Family (SYF) Webinar. Learn more about the presenters, session objectives, and registration details on our website today, link in bio. #webinar #familysupport #adoption #fostercare #kinshipcare #professionaldevelopment

At the start of the year, we introduced our Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency series exploring the seven interconnected issues of Loss, Rejection, Shame & Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy, and Mastery & Control that offer language for experiences that are often felt but not always named. Throughout this series, you'll hear from a range of voices within the adoption constellation including adoptees, first/birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoption-competent professionals. By centering lived experience alongside clinical insight, we aim to deepen understanding, reduce stigma, and support all members of the constellation with honesty and compassion. On the topic of Shame & Guilt, adult adoptee and C.A.S.E. Training and Content Development Specialist Tony Hynes, Ph.D. shares his poem, "What Lived Beneath My Name," reflecting on how he has wrestled with shame and guilt throughout his adoption journey. Read the full poem on our website, link in bio.