Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behavior virtual summer course
2025-07-29 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-08-05 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Join FFF this summer for a Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behavior virtual course, in real time on Tuesday evenings.
This 8-session Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behavior course is offered weekly on Tuesdays, virtually from 7 – 9 PM, starting June 17. The course is delivered by FFF’s Melissa Lebling, who is a certified Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behavior course facilitator. All 12 modules will be included in the 8 sessions. The registration fee for the course, inclusive of materials and access to the live sessions, is $250.
Register using link below.

Helping Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Parents Navigate Special Education webinar
2025-07-30 12:00 - 13:30
Hosted by the Regional (Central VA) Post Adoption Consortium, FFF staff will share critical and current information about the special education process and how to support families formed through foster care, adoption and kinship care raising children and youth with disabilities. Open to any interested professional or family member statewide.

Learning Your Way online course window opens
2025-08-01
The summer/fall registration for Formed Families Forward’s very own online learning course platform is open now. Course access starts August 1st. Your registration includes access to the following courses:

Special Education 101
Constructive Communication & Collaboration
Dispute Resolution
Trauma 101 for Foster, Adoptive & Kinship Families
Special Education Dispute Resolution for Foster, Adoptive & Kinship Families
Kinship Care
Other Health Impairments (OHI) – including lessons on ADHD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and Tourette Syndrome

The lessons are self-paced and include presentations, videos and other resources, interactive scenarios and resource links.
Best yet, the courses are free to family members and interested professionals. Certificates of completion are available.
Register at link below.
Download FLYER HERE.

Formed Families Summer Family Picnic
2025-08-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Southside Park, Vienna, 1317 Ross Drive SW, Vienna, VA, 22180, United States
Foster, adoptive and kinship families are invited to join FFF for our annuaul Summer Family Picnic on Friday, August 1 at Southside Park in Vienna. The event is FREE but REGISTRATION is required, see link below.
We will reconnect, relax, and play. There will be a service project and activities for the whole family followed by dinner.
Main dishes (pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, and mac and cheese) and drinks will be provided; we ask families to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
Following dinner, young children will enjoy a surprise entertainer.
**New this year** teens will participate in a special activity: “Thinking Outside of the Box & Into the Future.” Participating teens (13 and older) will receive an Amazon gift card!
Parents and caregivers will have time to talk with each other and visit our exhibitors. NOTE: Parents and caregivers are responsible for supervision of their children at all times. This is NOT a drop-off event.
This year’s picnic will be at Southside Park, located at 1315 Ross Dr. SW, Vienna, VA, 22180 (Enter park from Ware St. SW). Restrooms will be available.
Download EVENT FLYER HERE.

Formed Families Together VIRTUAL peer support group meetings 25-26
2025-08-03 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-09-07 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-05 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-11-02 19:30 - 21:00
For adoptive and foster parents and kinship caregivers, these monthly virtual support groups are hosted by FFF. Formed Families Together support groups are facilitated by trained peer parents/caregivers who have lived experience with foster care, adoption and kinship care. The virtual group meets the first Sunday of each month from 7:30 – 9 PM. Register to receive the log-in specifics. A reminder email will be sent to registrants monthly.
Interested participants can register any time; the groups have open enrollment but all participants must be registered through our link.

Welcoming the New School Year: Strategies for Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Family Success webinar
2025-08-13 19:00 - 20:00
It’s that time again for the kids to head back to school!
This webinar addresses the unique challenges faced by formed families as they navigate new academic, social, and behavioral expectations and establish new relationships with educators and peers. Gain strategies for creating effective routines, managing anxiety, helping children regulate, and building effective working relationships with school staff.
Presented by Stacia Stribling, Deputy Director and Kelly Henderson, Executive Director, Formed Families Forward
Download the FLYER HERE.

Building Resiliency webinar with WETA PBS Kids
2025-08-19 19:00 - 20:00
Building Resiliency for Children
WETA PBS Kids presents this virtual workshop to provide parents, caregivers and professionals with the tools to use children’s media to enhance literacy skills. Participants learn how to connect screen time to children’s literature and literacy-building activities. This session uses the power of children’s books to teach young children to embrace growth, mistakes, and the unexpected.
Download event FLYER HERE.
Register at link below.

Formed Families Together IN PERSON support group 25 - 26
2025-08-20 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-09-17 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-10-15 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-11-10 08:00 - 17:00 | Formed Families Forward Office, 10304 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States
For adoptive and foster parents and kinship caregivers, these monthly IN PERSON support groups are hosted by FFF. Formed Families Together support groups are facilitated by trained peer parents/caregivers who have lived experience with foster care, adoption and kinship care. The in-person group meets the third Wednesday of each month from 7 – 8:30 PM.
Interested participants can register any time; the groups have open enrollment but all participants must be registered through our link.

An Early Childhood Conference- Discovering the Why? Empowering Families and Childcare Providers Together
2025-09-06 08:00 - 15:30 | GMU Science and Tech campus, 10900 University Blvd, Manassas, VA
Hosted by Foundation First, this conference event brings families and educators together to explore strategies for nurturing positive outcomes for children.
Attendees can expect to gain:
Valuable insights
Practical tools
& a chance to connect with experts and peers who share a passion for quality early childhood education.
FFF’s Melissa and Stacia will be presenting sessions.

Together is Better: Building Collaborative Relationships between Caregivers and Educators webinar
2025-09-12 10:00 - 11:30
One of a series hosted by Fairfax Co Public Schools Family Resource Center, presented by FFF.

Stronger Together Youth and Young Adult Peer Support Groups (in-person)
2025-09-23 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-09-30 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-10-07 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-10-14 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-10-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Formed Families Forward Office, 10304 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States
Our Fall 2025 Stronger Together support group for youth and young adults will meet IN PERSON in Fairfax City for weekly sessions starting on Tuesdays, September 23 from 6 – 7:30 PM.
The group emphasizes positive peer supports as a context for strengths-based growth. Participants will explore who they are, who they seek to be, and navigate the current culture and environment. Using creative and supportive activities, the group will focus on development of specific positive social skills such as choosing healthy relationships and safe self-expression.
The youth and young adult Stronger Together support group is designed for teens and young adults age 14-22 who have lived experiences in one or more service systems such as:

Social services (foster care, child welfare, family services)
Special education (learning or emotional disability or other condition)
Mental health services
Substance use treatment/recovery

Group meetings are facilitated by a mental health professional and a young adult peer co-facilitator.
A light dinner is served each evening. Regular weekly attendance is expected.

Preventing Escalation and Reinforcing Growth: Using Proactive, Affirming Behavior Supports with Children and Youth with Autism and related Neurodevelopmental Disorders webinar
2025-09-29 19:00 - 20:00
Presented by Drs. Jodi Duke, Grace Francis and Alexandra Raines from GMU College of Education and Human Development, this webinar will offer parents, caregivers and professional partners ways to learn how to reduce the likelihood of distress and build skills by reinforcing helpful behaviors—all while avoiding jargon and centering respectful, neuro-affirming practices.

Apple Picking Day with FFF
2025-10-05 11:00 - 15:00 | Stribling Orchard, 11587 POVERTY HOLLOW LANE, MARKHAM, VA, 22643, United States
Join FFF for our annual Formed Families Apple Picking Day at Stribling Orchard. The Orchard is open 9 AM to 5 PM; FFF will have a table and games from 11 AM – 3 PM. Families formed through foster care, adoption and kinship care will get a special band for a discount on all apples purchased.

Fairfax Kinship Family Support Group IN-PERSON 2025-26
2025-10-16 18:15 - 20:00
Are you raising a child for a relative or close family friend? Kinship caregivers are invited to our Fairfax Kinship Support Group!
The Fairfax Kinship Support Group provides a safe, nurturing, and healthy environment for caregivers to share their experiences, concerns, and frustrations with their peers. The group offers a network to share resources and information among the group members, reducing feelings of isolation, and celebrating family successes in maintaining permanency for and the ongoing commitment to building strong families. Peer support can be critical to caregiver self-care and can contribute to healthy family functioning and improved outcomes for children and youth.
The group is FREE of charge. Meetings are facilitated by professional mental health clinicians who have deep experience with kinship families.
The group meets twice a month, in two formats virtual and in-person. The IN PERSON group meets at different Community Center locations around the County. Registrants will receive email reminders of location.
NOTE: Fairfax Kinship Support Group will NOT meet in JULY.

Once registered, you will get reminders for BOTH group formats. Kinship caregivers may participate in both virtual AND in-person meetings or choose the format that works best.
See the registration site for all the meeting dates and formats.
FLYER HERE.

Fairfax Kinship Family Support Group IN-PERSON 2025-26
2025-10-16 18:15 - 20:00
NOTE for June, the June 18 meeting will be VIRTUAL.
Are you raising a child for a relative or close family friend? Kinship caregivers are invited to our Fairfax Kinship Support Group!
The Fairfax Kinship Support Group provides a safe, nurturing, and healthy environment for caregivers to share their experiences, concerns, and frustrations with their peers. The group offers a network to share resources and information among the group members, reducing feelings of isolation, and celebrating family successes in maintaining permanency for and the ongoing commitment to building strong families. Peer support can be critical to caregiver self-care and can contribute to healthy family functioning and improved outcomes for children and youth.
The group is FREE of charge. Meetings are facilitated by professional mental health clinicians who have deep experience with kinship families.
The group meets twice a month, in two formats virtual and in-person. The IN PERSON group meets at different Community Center locations around the County. Registrants will receive email reminders of location.
NOTE: Fairfax Kinship Support Group will NOT meet in JULY.

Once registered, you will get reminders for BOTH group formats. Kinship caregivers may participate in both virtual AND in-person meetings or choose the format that works best.
See the registration site for all the meeting dates and formats.
FLYER HERE.

Positive Parenting class in Prince William
2025-10-18 09:00 - 15:00 | The Arc of Greater Prince William, 13505 Hillendale Rd., Woodbridge, Virginia, 22193
Hosted by FFF, this one day class is delivered in person.
Thank you to Potomac Health Foundation for support of the Positive Parenting in PW classes.
Positive Parenting in Prince William uses proven parent training (Positive Solutions for Families) that helps families learn to support children’s social and emotional skills, understand their problem behavior, and use positive ways to help children learn the behaviors they need to be successful. We will cover ways to deal with challenging behaviors and the mental health needs of children. This session provides parents and caregivers with key strategies that can be helpful with children of all ages and needs.
During the class, we will discuss a wide range of positive approaches that support children’s self-regulation, independence, cooperation, and problem-solving skills. This class consists of hands-on role playing and strategies.
Topics include:
· Making the Connection
· Keeping it Positive
· Behavior has Meaning
· The Power of Routines
· Teach Me What to Do
· Responding with Purpose
· Putting it All Together with a Plan
Families will receive a workbook, Family Routine Guide, children’s booklets, and materials to reinforce the skills learned during the class.

Class starts at 9:00 a.m., doors open at 8:30 for check-in and light breakfast. Child care is included for free, but advance registration is REQUIRED.
Lunch will be provided.

Heroes and Role Models webinar
2025-10-23 19:00 - 20:00
It is important to see yourself reflected in history and in the world. Neurodiverse children, teens and adults have often been neglected when it comes to representation in the media, in schoolbooks and assignments, in movies and TV. Growing up, how wonderful it would be for parents/caregivers to be able to share with their child who has a disability, neurodiverse people who made a positive impact on this world. This session will focus on those heroes and role models so families can then empower their child with a disability by sharing this often-neglected part of history and life.
Presented by Gary Shulman, MS.Ed.

Circle of Support Conference
2025-11-08 08:00 - 14:30
Hosted by The Arc of Greater Prince William, this day-long conference will take place at Hylton High School.
This annual Circle of Support Conference is designed for families of children with special needs and professionals who support them.
FFF will be there!

Special Education Basics: From Referral to Eligibility webinar
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:00
Presented by Formed Families Forward, this one-hour webinar overviews the first phases of the special education process.
Access to special education and related services for children and youth with disabilities starts with referral and evaluation to determine eligibility. This process can be complex and overwhelming for foster, adoptive and kinship families new to the process. In this presentation, we will focus on the initial evaluation for special education services and address how to initiate an evaluation; what the evaluation entails; and the timelines to conduct an evaluation.
Another webinar on December 9 at 7 PM will cover the basics of the individualized education program (IEP); register for that HERE.
Download FLYER HERE.
