These webpages identify external resources on specific topics of interest to foster, kinship and adoptive families.
Clarifications from the US Office of Special Education Programs and the Virginia Department of Education in spring 2023 that clarifies responsibilities of schools to allow a parent or caregiver to request an initial evaluation of child suspected of having a disability. Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multitiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) cannot be used to delay or deny an initial evaluation.
3/14/23 Federal clarifications including links to two earlier memoranda
4/21/23 Virginia Superintendents' Memo
Originally broadcast live on May 9, 2023, this webinar from FFF’s Renee Myers offered an overview of typical parenting stressors, self-care techniques and approaches for making a self-care plan for the upcoming summer break.
Recording of webinar
Copy of presentation slides
Proof Alliance NC strives to prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies by providing training, education and resources to professionals who serve individuals of reproductive age, deliver prevention messaging and resources to individuals who can become pregnant, as well as resources for professionals who provide supports to families and individuals impacted by FASD.
This series of three webcasts from VCU Autism Center for Education, presented by Dr. Ruth Brown, were made available in February, March and April 2023.
Webcast Part 1: The Essential Messages of Trauma Responsive Practices
Webcast Part 2: Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses
Part 3: Trauma Responsive Strategies for the Classroom
On March 8, 2023, FFF hosted a live webinar featuring the new Critical Crossroads videos and other resources. Provided here is a re-recording, that does not include time for the pre-and post-tests or Q & A that were included in the live webinar.
Recording of Critical Crossroads resources webinar March 2023
Presented live on February 22, 2023, this virtual panel session was hosted by Northern Virginia Family Network (nvfn.org) and facilitated by Formed Families Forward and NAMI Northern Virginia.
Panelists included:
Victor Martin, Ruthy Marcado, Alexandria City Public Schools
Jenny Sexton, Arlington Public Schools
Stefan Mascoll, Fairfax County Public Schools
Rebecca Sharp, Falls Church Public Schools
Blaise Carland, Megan Marshall, Loudoun County Public Schools
Mallory McKnight, Julie Crawford, Prince William County Schools
A recording of the session and a resource sheet with links mentioned during the session are available.
A recording with Spanish captions will be available soon.
Resources shared in Session and related links of interest
Recording of Panel session
Originally broadcast live on January 31, 2023, this webinar featured a replay of a FASD Collaborative webinar on Preventing Secondary Characteristics of FASD by Adrienne Bashista, Director, Families Affected by FASD (FAFASD). Ms. Bashista addressed questions from participants at the end of the webinar.
Presenter Adrienne Bashista can be reached at fasdfamilies@gmail.com.
Webinar recording
Originally broadcast live on January 24, 2023, this webinar features Dr. Elizabeth Cleveland of the Central Arkansas University. Dr. Cleveland overviews FASD and in particular, the diagnosis of FAS and ND-PAE. She offers recommendations for meeting the needs of children, youth and young adults in home and school settings.
Webinar recording
Dr. Cleveland's presentation slides
This January 2023 resource from Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center at Generations United covers some areas of educational access for kinship families.
Fact sheet
From the National Child Welfare Information Gateway at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, this fact sheet is designed to help kin caregivers—including grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, and other relatives as well as family friends caring for children— work effectively with the child welfare system.
It also includes resources, such as links to more detailed information or places to find support, to help you learn about and navigate the child welfare system.
May 2022
Fact sheet
From the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center, this fact sheet address a number of key issues kinship caregivers face when support their kin in school.
Education is high on the to-do lists of kin and grandfamily caregivers. Accessing educational services for children in their care can be difficult. Frequently, kin/grandfamily caregivers lack legal custody of the children and/or are unfamiliar with the local education system. This resource is designed to help direct-service professionals assist caregivers in ensuring the children they raise have the educational experiences needed to thrive.
January 2023
Fact sheet
Originally broadcast live on January 17, 2023, this Formed Families Forward-hosted webinar featured panelists:
Nate Sheets, Behavior Consultant and Parent Coach at Oregon Behavior Consultation, https://cognitivesupports.com/
Carson Kautz-Turnbull, 5th year graduate student at the University of Rochester, working with Dr. Christie Petrenko. ckautz@ur.rochester.edu Ms. Kautz-Turnbull shared this resource for families and educators: Families Moving Forward Connect project and related app: https://fmfconnect.com/
Kelly Henderson, PhD, Executive Director, Formed Families Forward
Additional scholarly resources suggested by Ms. Kautz-Turnbull are also provided here.
Recording of Panel webinar
Self care in Caregivers of Children with FASD
A Mobile Health Intervention for FASD Families Moving Forward Connect
Initial Feasbility of the Families Moving Forward Connect App
A meta analytic review of adaptive functioning in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and the effect of IQ, executive functioning, and age
Strengths and Positive Influences of Children with FASD
Originally broadcast on January 10, 2023. this webinar was presented by Annie Tulkin, MS, Accessible College LLC.
Webinar presentation slides
Webinar recording
Accessible College Resources from presenter Annie Tulkin
This infographic from Formed Families Forward’s Critical Crossroads resources overviews the issues around trauma impact on children and youth with disabilities.
Critical Crossroads Infographic
This federal letter from the US Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services issued 11/10/22 to State Special Education Directors clarifies requirements for highly mobile children and youth such as military-connected children, migratory children, children who are homeless, and children in the foster care system.
Specific issues addressed are:
From VCU’s Center on Transitions Innovation, this brief factsheet covers strategies for educating, collaborating and engaging families of transition-age youth and young adults with disabilities.
Transition Process fact sheet
From FFF and the WAZE to Transition project at PEATC, this fact sheet is designed for youth in foster care. It overviews individualized education programs (IEPs) and foster care transition plans.
A Spanish version of the fact sheet is also available.
Transition Planning Foster Care Fact Sheet
Spanish Transition Planning Foster Care Fact Sheet en Espanol
Presented live on October 12, 2022, this webinar presented by FFF’s Renee Myers, NCSP, offered an overview of informal and formal special education dispute resolution techniques.
Recording of webinar
Slides from Webinar presentation
Originally offered live on September 21, 2022, this webinar from FFF was presented by Nina Manganaris, Deputy Director, and Ebony Thompson, experienced bio and foster mom. The reasons behind stressful transitions as well as coping strategies were covered.
Webinar recording
Slides
From the Home and Community Positive Behavior Support Network (HCPBS), this April 2022 webinar by Dr. Robin Wilson and Mariah Tricker focuses on Sexual Offending Behaviors.
webinar recording