Parent Group

Proposal writing is more than simply sitting down at your computer and constructing a readable, compelling statement about your goals and ideas. It is part of a complete fundraising process from planning the program to identifying funders, and from writing to editing and following up with grant makers. Before Gather relevant research, articles, letters, and… More

Plan Your Program Before you begin your search for an organization that may be able to provide you with a grant, you need to be sure you are seeking funding for a program that is well thought out, necessary, and complements your other activities. You should spend considerable time with staff, board, volunteers, and clients… More

This article is from NACAC’s Starting and Nurturing Adoptive Parent Groups: A Guide for Leaders. Download the guide A group is a living organism with a life of its own. Groups can become sick and die. They can heal and be renewed. They can even grow and mature to become something different than they started… More

Motivations to Volunteer A parent group is comprised of volunteers. If your group doesn’t fit this description, perhaps you haven’t asked individuals to help. Extended family members or friends as well as previous participants are some of the contacts that you should consider. Did you know that most people will volunteer if asked to help… More

Beginning or expanding a post-adoption information clearinghouse can be a daunting task. Your group may have visions of a vast library of books, articles, directories of therapists, respite care providers, and other professionals, and you might think this goal is unattainable. In reality, clearinghouses exist in many forms. The continuum can range from a recipe… More

A major concern and need for adoptive families is appropriate, safe respite care. Respite can be good for both parents and children, though often difficult to find. Creativity is helpful when trying to locate respite providers as it is with other areas of parenting. Some daily activities for children can provide limited respite for parents… More

As we all know, families feel most comfortable learning about the adoption process by talking with a person who has walked in their shoes (e.g., filed the papers, completed the home study, dealt with a National Exchange or Adoption Desk). Parent groups throughout North America have developed creative ways to bring families together and share… More

After interacting with many group leaders, we understand that many parent groups miss the opportunity to use evaluation as a tool for learning. While the most frequently evaluated activity is a specific event, many groups do not have a way to collect information about the effectiveness of their work. This short discussion is designed to… More

Thousands upon thousands of children who have suffered abuse and neglect are in need of a forever adoptive family and a home to call their own. Agencies throughout the country work diligently to find viable foster/adoptive parents for these children. Oftentimes, agency workers turn to formal and informal parent groups because the resources and talents… More

At NACAC, we believe some of the best support an adoptive, foster, or kinship care parent can receive is from another parent. We provide support and resources to parent and youth group leaders and share information with adoptive, foster, and kinship families about groups in their communities. As part of our work, we maintain a… More

This section of our website is for current and prospective parent group leaders. If you’re a parent looking for a local parent group to attend, click here to link to our parent group database. From its inception, NACAC has been committed to helping adoptive, foster, and kinship parents provide support to one another through in-person… More

Compassion fatigue (also known as vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress) can happen to anyone who works in the business of caring for others—be it in one’s professional life or personal life. There is sometimes a stigma attached to taking care of ourselves, as we are often taught to “take care of others first” from… More

A couple of years ago, a handful of child welfare professionals in New Mexico—including some who were foster/adoptive parents—had a brainstorming session to discuss the question, “How can we address the problem of grief and loss for families in the state’s foster care system?” The questions came about during work to develop a concurrent planning… More

This article was originally published in Adoptalk, NACAC’s quarterly newsletter. Adoptalk is a benefit of NACAC membership. Learn more about becoming a NACAC member. The curriculum described below—including a facilitator’s guide, a participant handbook, and a slide kit—is available on the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s website. The online community requires a user ID and… More

This NACAC manual is intended to help parents and family advocates learn how to set up parent-to-parent networks to provide post-adoption support in their own communities. The document provides information on six model peer support programs and explores in detail NACAC’s former MN ASAP parent support network. Click here to download PDF… More

Finding the money to do the things your group wants to do is a challenge every group leader faces. All groups need money to operate—whether you are just getting started or plan to hold a statewide conference—and as the group’s leader your efforts will be the most successful if group members work together to develop… More

Parent groups form for many reasons; most of them form initially to provide support to their members. When a parent support group begins to talk about how it might provide services to the community, its members usually become aware of their need to find new sources of revenue. It is at this time that many… More

An overwhelming number of foster and adopted children have a variety of special needs, and parent groups often have to address the many issues related to those special needs. As a group leader, your role is to provide group members with information on where to get reliable, comprehensive resources and where to find training opportunities… More

False allegations of abuse and neglect disrupt family life and can rock the stability of even the firmest foundations. Allegations not only affect the accuser and the accused, but also spouses or partners, other children in the family, extended family members, friends, group members, and others in the community. They are difficult to endure because… More