As we step into September and a new school year, I’m reminded of both the opportunities and challenges that face adoptive, foster, and kinship families. This is a month where awareness and advocacy meet real life. One important focus is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)—a condition more common than Autism, Down Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy combined, yet often overlooked. For many families, when we don’t have the whole map of our child’s prenatal or medical history, we’re left navigating by heart. Living in the “maybe” isn’t easy. But loving in the “maybe” means responding with patience, structure, and hope—even on the hardest days.

In recognition of National FASD Awareness Month, I’m honored to share a powerful contribution from Angela Geddes, author of A Complicated and Beautiful Brain and Not Your Typical Parenting Guide. Angela is a leading voice in FASD advocacy, and her piece offers both validation and practical tools for parents, caregivers, and professionals walking this journey.

This month we’re also releasing something many of you have asked for—family-focused FAQs on Illinois’ new annual mental health screening mandate for grades 3–12. Screenings can be an important step in connecting children to help earlier. But without any training or professional development on best practices for serving adoptive, foster, and kinship children, our schools risk missing the mark. That’s why iCARE is advocating for a framework that ensures these screenings are implemented in ways that truly serve children and families. You can read more about this in our Shaping Policy That Heals section.

Our full Connected, We Thrive™ series is now available on Eventbrite, along with our special Connected to Healing™ workshop in partnership with Mimi’s House. We’re also welcoming four new advisory board members, extending our graduate student scholarship deadline, and preparing for a busy season of fall conferences and workshops. Check our website and Facebook page for more information. 

Through it all, our guiding principle remains the same: compassion and love are our compass. Together, connected, we can keep moving forward—no matter how incomplete the map.