This month feels deeply personal and incredibly exciting.

We are officially launching our Adoption and Foster Friendly Schools movement, with 4,500 free Connection Kits scheduled to arrive in schools in time for the start of the school year. Please reach out to your Regional Office of Education and make sure your school is included in the Connection Kit distribution starting in August.

Make sure you are registered to be part of the 200 Founding Schools to get access to the Beyond the Family Tree professional development video and receive the free Connection Kit Digital Implementation Guide. Sign up at ggl.link/aaffs-signup.

Thank you to our very first trailblazing Founding Schools. Their early commitment is the spark that is changing the landscape of education in Illinois.

This movement is moving fast. After years of advocacy, HB 4536 has officially passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, making Illinois one of the first states in the nation to explicitly recognize relational and developmental trauma within educator training policy. This landmark bill serves as a national model for trauma-responsive education. While this new legislation is a major victory, policy is just the foundation. Now the real work begins to turn that law into real classroom reality.

Seeing this policy shift finally happen is emotional, to say the least. What started as a grassroots effort is turning into statewide systems change. Schools now have an opportunity to unlock a child’s true potential. By recognizing the roots of trauma and attachment, we can help these students feel safe, understood, and ready to thrive.

Our community of support is growing too. Last month, through a grant partnership with West40 and the Illinois Association of School Social Workers, we trained over 150 school professionals in our Beyond the Family Tree webinars. This brings our total to nearly 800 educators, professionals, and caregivers sharing a common language to support our families.

This month we are also honored to welcome Rick Feltner to the iCARE advisory board. As a former youth in care and current CASA supervisor, Rick brings invaluable lived experience and leadership, ensuring the voice of the child remains at the center of our work. You may recall he shared his story in last month’s issue of Connected Together.

Every single child deserves a school environment that understands their story, protects their emotional wellbeing, and helps them feel safe enough to learn. To our incoming champions: we need you to step up this fall and help us build a new model for relationship-focused education. Thank you for leading the way.

Never forget that through thousands of ordinary, intentional moments, you will make a profound impact. When we connect, children thrive.

Laura Adams, President and Founder, iCARE4 Adoptive And Foster Families

Big News: We Are Expanding Our Scholarship Program

Given the growing mental health needs within foster, adoptive, and kinship communities, professionals with advanced trauma training make a profound difference in helping children heal, attach, and thrive. To better support this work, the iCARE Champion $500 scholarship is expanding.

It is now open to both graduate students and practicing professionals, including social workers, counselors, and mental health workers, who want to pursue specialized continuing education. Whether you are a current grad student or a practicing professional looking to fund advanced training in EMDR, TAC, TBRI, or other trauma-informed modalities, iCARE wants to support your growth.

Two $500 awards will be announced this fall. The deadline for applications is now June 30, 2026.