July '25 ConnectU Newsletter | National Foster Parent Association

Stay up-to-date on foster, adoptive and kinship parent happenings with the latest NFPA ConnectU Newsletter.

Print the July, 2025 Newsletter HERE.

National Foster Parent Association Newsletter - July, 2025

NFPA's mission is to be a respected national voice for Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Parents through Networking, Education and Advocacy.

Summer Fun & Family Time!

As summer unfolds, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for the love, strength, and dedication that each of you brings to the foster care community. Your commitment to nurturing and supporting children is truly inspiring.

While we know the role of Provider is a demanding one, we also hope that this season offers you moments of rest, connection, and joy—whether it's a family picnic, a quiet evening outdoors, or a shared laugh with a child in your care. Summer is a time for renewal, and we encourage you to take some time for yourselves to recharge for the busy school season ahead.

Thank you for the vital role you play in changing lives. Together, we are building stronger futures—one child, and one family, at a time.

Wishing you a safe, sunny, and meaningful summer.

Arnie

Our friends at ATTACh - the Association for Training on Trauma and Attachment in Children - have published their Summer newsletter.

They offer advice on managing the sometimes jarring transition from summer to the structure of the school year, and encourage everyone to take a moment to 'Practice the Pause', where you 'take a deep breath, pause, reflect and regroup.'

Read the Newsletter

Purchase Your Copy ($35)

(Sales benefit ATTACh).

NFPA would like to share a valuable resource created by ATTACh.

From their website:

Healing Connections: A Community Approach to Childhood Trauma and Attachment

Healing Connections is an essential guide for professionals and caregivers working with children who have complex needs stemming from early trauma, losses, or involvement in the child welfare system. This updated resource builds on prior foundational knowledge to deliver contemporary tools and practices tailored to today’s diverse families, including foster and adoptive families. By incorporating insights from a wide range of experts, the book reflects a multi-systemic approach that addresses collective trauma and the crucial role of belonging and community in healing. Aligning with the latest evidence-based practices, Healing Connections emphasizes the importance of staying informed about recent research and advancements in the field. Whether you’re a caregiver or a professional supporting children and youth, this book provides valuable knowledge and practical resources to enhance your understanding and effectiveness. Healing Connections aims to enlighten and equip you with essential strategies to foster healing and growth in children facing significant challenges.

Casey Community Opportunity Map: A Data Tool for Community Leaders

From their website:

At Casey Family Programs, we are committed to Building Communities of Hope, a nationwide effort to prevent the need for foster care by supporting families in raising safe, happy and healthy children.

This requires that we look beyond what the child welfare system can do alone and consider how we can work together across systems and across sectors to improve the broader conditions that affect the health, safety and opportunities of children and their families.

The Community Opportunity Map allows anyone to find child and family well-being data for any neighborhood across this nation. We invite you to explore well-being in your community, and to analyze, plan and act alongside others to build Communities of Hope.

Learn More

NFPA & ATTACh Conference 2026

The NFPA will be collaborators with ATTACh for their April 9 - 11, 2026 Conference in San Antonio, TX.

Key stakeholders from the NFPA and our Executive Director Arnie Eby will take part in the design of the conference sessions, with an eye on the needs of the Foster, Adoptive and Kinship parents that we serve.

We look forward to this opportunity to connect with parents and to learn more about how the NFPA can provide ongoing support.

Learn More about the Conference

Request for ATTACh Conference Presentations

The objective of the annual ATTACh Conference is to address the most recent innovations in the treatment of attachment injury and the resulting effects on development.

This call for presentations asks for interventions that focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit in evidence-based protocols as well as effective models that you are using in the field.

Our conference brings together professionals and parents who seek to enhance their skills and ability to achieve effective human connections with those who have struggled with adversity. They want to hear from you and know what it is that you are doing to help families in your area of expertise.

Read more >>

The deadline to submit proposals is July 31st.

Submit Your Presentations for Consideration

NFPA Training Institute (NFPATI) Quick Stats

Learners - over 10,000!

Course Certificates Issued - over 35,500!

Top Topics/Courses? Those focusing on trauma bonding and healing, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Sleep Health for foster children, Parental Reunification, and Communication.

Have you signed up for a FREE NFPATI account? If not, head on over, sign up and start learning today! It's available 24/7, and you'll receive a certificate for each course that you complete.

Our 2025 Virtual Conference will be available online from October 10 - 20th.

Interactive LIVE Sessions will follow on October 24th and 28th.

We are currently confirming our presentations for our virtual conference later this year. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook to see updates as soon as they are available.

How are the session topics being selected?

It's simple - from listening to YOU!

We consistently review which of our 50+ trainings are most utilized on NFPATI, as this provides information about the topics of highest interest.
Arnie attends many conferences throughout the year, and uses every opportunity to speak with parents about their needs for additional training.
We will also use this forum to share important updates on legislative items that have an impact on foster, adoptive and kinship parents.

We will actively gather feedback and requests for more information during the online sessions.

We will then host two LIVE online sessions where we'll answer as many of those questions as possible, providing immediate, direct responses to those inquiries. The attendees will control the agendas for those live meetings!

The conference will be FREE to Members and will be a benefit for those who actively support the mission of the National Foster Parent Association.

Not a member, but wish to attend?

The conference will be available for purchase for non-Members for a fee of $50.00. We'll open registration as we get closer to the event and past the busy summer season, and will make this option available.

Training certificates will be provided for each completed session.