- The Quiet Power of PartnershipAdolescence is a season of expanding independence — but for teenagers with disrupted attachment histories, connection remains central. When caregivers and school professionals communicate openly and consistently, stability strengthens and growth unfolds with greater confidence. Partnership between home and school does more than support behavior; it reinforces permanency, trust, and the secure base adolescents still need.
- Veronica’s StoryVeronica’s Story Veronica’s feeding journey as told by Jill Rabin, a licensed speech-language pathologist with deep expertise in early development, attachment, and feeding/communication. Sometimes joyful engagement with food is the priority in therapy versus oral intake. Veronica, age 20 months adjusted. She has struggled with self-limiting, vomiting and weight gain… Read more: Veronica’s Story
- Nora and Leon’s StoryOur Family’s Adoption Story: Guided by Love and Loss Adoption has always been in our hearts. After having three biological children, we felt called to grow our family through adoption. Our journey ultimately began after the heartbreaking loss of our oldest daughter, Kathleen, in 2023 from complications of a rare… Read more: Nora and Leon’s Story
- Kate’s StoryCommunities That Understand Their Stories Children who are adopted—whether through foster care or directly into families—need more than homes; they need communities and schools that understand their stories. Parenting an adopted child begins with humility: the courage to admit you don’t know everything. That simple truth opens the door to… Read more: Kate’s Story
- Rob’s StoryNovember is National Adoption Month, a time to celebrate families created through adoption and to remember the thousands of children in foster care still waiting. But adoption is not the final chapter. For children who come from foster care, the papers may change their address, but their past remains part… Read more: Rob’s Story
References: What AFKP Need to Know
Guided Growth: Educational and Behavioral Interventions for Children and Teens with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Early Trauma (Ira Chasnoff, MD and Ronald J. Powell,
References: From It Takes a Team
The Connected Child (Karyn B. Purvis, PH.D., David Cross, PH.D., Wendy Lyons Sunshine) Profiles in Adoption (National Council for Adoption, 2023) Trust Based Relational Intervention-TBRI®
References: From Cradle to Classroom
Guided Growth: Educational and Behavioral Interventions for Children and Teens with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Early Trauma (Ira Chasnoff, MD and Ronald J. Powell,
More Time, More Options
iCARE Graduate Scholarship Update: More Time, More Options We’re excited to announce an extension of the iCARE4 Adoption Competency Scholarship for graduate students in school
Advisory Board Welcome – Fall 2025
Advisory Board Welcome – Fall 2025 We are thrilled to welcome four new members to the iCARE4 Adoptive And Foster Families Advisory Board, joining Katie
Parent & Caregiver FAQ 2025 – Senate Bill 1560
Beginning in 2027, Illinois schools will offer annual mental health screenings for students in grades 3–12. This FAQ answers parents’ and caregivers’ top questions—what the law requires, how the screenings will work, and what families can expect.
