Supporting Families. Healing Children. Strengthening Schools.
Being trauma-aware is the first step. But true transformation happens when schools go further. Our approach is:
Hope-Focused: We equip schools to restore belief in what’s possible.
Resiliency-Oriented: We build on strengths, not just manage symptoms.
Family-Centered: We help educators and caregivers work in partnership—because healing happens in relationship.
This lens shapes everything we do—from our Connected We Thrive™ Professional Development series of workshops to our Connection Kits™. It’s not about adding to your plate—it’s about lifting the load…that’s the reason iCARE4 Adoptive And Foster Families is here!
So often, families of adoptive, foster, and kinship children struggle because schools misunderstand their children’s needs.
iCARE equips the environments children live and learn in—especially their schools —to be ready for the complex stories they carry. We help educators, social workers, and community partners understand the impact of loss, attachment, and identity on children in adoptive, foster, or kinship families. Through our iCARE4 Schools Connection Kits™ and our Connected We Thrive™ Professional Development Series—we give school teams, the confidence and language to engage families with dignity and empathy.
Did you know… Foster Parent receive 29+ hours of training. Adoptive Parents 39+. Schools receive ZERO.
iCARE is here to close that gap with tools and training so kids are invisible no more.
Helping Schools Heal: Tools and Training That Build Connections
Creating Schools Where Every Child Can Thrive
We empower schools, families, and policymakers with education and resources to help them recognize that children from adoptive, foster, and kinship families have unique needs and require a different kind of support—one that’s holistic, collaborative, and grounded in a family-systems approach.
iCARE4 Adoptive And Foster Families is a hope-focused, systems-change nonprofit transforming how schools support children from adoptive, foster, kinship, and transitioning families. We are a non-profit formed by passionate clinicians, educators, and parents who live this work every day.
Through our bilingual Connection Kits™, dynamic workshops, and statewide advocacy, we’re helping educators build trauma-aware, identity-affirming classrooms where students feel safe, seen, and supported.
Backed by evidence-based frameworks like TBRI®, Hope Theory, and the Neurosequential Model, and supporting foundational principles from School-Based Mental Health Training by C.A.S.E., iCARE is bridging the gap between education and mental health—and leading a movement to make belonging part of every child’s school day.
We believe connection isn’t extra—it’s essential.
Let’s build schools that heal.
👉 Learn more about our Connected We Thrive™ Framework for school. Rooted in evidence, built for impact—Connected We Thrive™ turns frameworks into everyday strategies that help children and families thrive. Learn how to bring our tools to your district at by contacting our team today! 📧
With generous support from donors and partners, we provide no-cost and subsidized professional training and hands-on tools to schools and decision-makers. Our workshops equip staff with trauma-informed, attachment based, family-centered strategies to help children feel safe, seen, and supported. Our iCARE4 Schools Connection Kits™ bring practical, resiliency-oriented hope-focused tools directly into classrooms, helping educators apply these strategies effectively.
Because Connection is the Key. 🔑 And When We CONNECT, Children THRIVE!
Who We Support
Our tools and trainings are designed for educators and school-based mental health professionals, as well as parents and caregivers working with:
Foster, adoptive, and kinship care youth
Children navigating family transitions
- Children with complex family stories
These students often face disrupted attachments and deep loss. With the right support, they can thrive.
Real Tools. Real Change.
Our Connection Kits™ are already being used in hundreds of schools to help students regulate and reconnect. Each kit contains evidence-informed, classroom-friendly materials to support emotional safety and connection.
Our professional development is tailored to meet educators where they are. Whether it’s a 60-minute staff training or our in-depth “Connected We Thrive™” series, schools walk away with real strategies that work.
Join the Movement
Together, we can ensure no child falls through the cracks.
Let’s build healing-centered schools—where every child, every family, and every story is honored.
