• Circus of the Heart

    North End Event Center, Minnesota State Fair Grounds Falcon Heights, United States
    - Activities

    Welcome to the 28th Annual Circus of the Heart! Join us for the kick-off of Minnesota’s Adoption Awareness Month, honoring families who have grown through adoption and kinship care. We…

  • [Fall Forum] Indigenous Kids in Foster and Adoptive Placements

    - Ongoing Learning

    Join renowned scholar and educator Anton Treuer for an in-depth training event, "Indigenous Kids in Foster and Adoptive Placements: From the Indian Child Welfare Act to Best Practices for Helping…

    Free
  • [Fall Forum] Unlocking the Power of Play for Connection

    - Birth/First Parents

    Play is biologically hard-wired into every human. It's not frivolous; it's a powerful, fundamental tool to build resilience, empathy, connection, trust, well-being, creativity, optimism, and more. Play enables human flourishing.…

    Free
  • [Fall Forum] Resilience on the Road: Lessons from Foster Care to the Auto Shop

    - Ongoing Learning

    Chaya Milchtein stands out in a crowd, flaunting her fashion sense while teaching about cars, traveling the world, and breaking all kinds of norms. Hear about Chaya's inspiring personal story of overcoming adversity while navigating the foster care system and building a successful career in a male-dominated industry.

    Free
  • [Fall Forum] Pride in Parenting: Navigating Systems as LGBTQ+ Families

    - Ongoing Learning

    From the perspective of two social workers that also happen to be same-sex parents, this workshop will explore personal and professional insights on parenting in today’s rapidly changing landscape. Participants can expect to broaden their understanding of current political and societal challenges facing LGBTQ+ families through examining the nuances of navigating healthcare, education, legal systems…

    Free
  • [Fall Forum] Digital Citizenship and the Adoptee Experience: Navigating Identity in the Online Age

    - Ongoing Learning

    In this present-focused training, Cam Lee Small explores how the digital landscape is transforming adoptee experiences and identity formation. Drawing from his clinical practice and personal journey as a Korean American adoptee, Cam examines how social media, DNA testing, and online communities create both opportunities and challenges for adoptees navigating their identities. Participants will gain…

    Free
  • [Fall Forum] Unlocking the Power of Play for Connection

    - Ongoing Learning

    Play is biologically hard-wired into every human. It's not frivolous; it's a powerful, fundamental tool to build resilience, empathy, connection, trust, well-being, creativity, optimism, and more. Play enables human flourishing. In this workshop, we will dive into the neuroscience of play and walk away with practical ways to leverage play in work, relationships, and life.…

    Free
  • [Fall Forum] Fighting the Darkness by Sharing Your Light

    - Foster Parents

    So many of us battle depression and anxiety on a regular basis or know someone that does. Making it even more difficult is the fact that most fight their “Darkness” in secret. Chris Hawkey was one of those people until an unlikely scenario led him to bring his battle into the light. Chris will talk…

    Free
  • [Fall Forum] Restoring Developmental Pathways for Children Impacted by Trauma and Neglect

    - Ongoing Learning

    Children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or other significant disruptions in care often carry unmet developmental needs that affect their ability to trust, self- and co-regulate, and form connected and safe relationships. This webinar will introduce a practical framework for understanding these gaps through the lens of core relational needs and the need–response cycle —…

    Free
  • The Nightmare of Sleep Problems

    - Foster Parents

    Sleep and bedtime challenges can be exhausting for both youth and parents. This webinar will provide an overview of the different types of youth sleep and bedtime challenges with significant attention placed on how child neglect and trauma can impact sleep and bedtime behaviors. Several case studies will be presented along with considerations on how…

  • The Power of Your Story

    - Foster Parents

    Every story holds the power to heal, connect, and inspire change. In this workshop, Madilyne Harmston, a licensed independent clinical social worker, former foster youth, and adoptee, shares her own journey to demonstrate how personal storytelling can become a powerful tool for resilience and transformation. Madilyne Harmston is a therapist, speaker, and advocate who believes in…

  • [Professionals In-Person] Permanency: What It Means and Why It Matters

    Great River Regional Library 1300 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud
    - Professionals

    This is an in-person professionals only training located at the Great River Regional Library with St. Cloud Task Force. Mississippi Room 106 - 1300 W Germain  St. Cloud, MN 56301. This workshop will explore the world of child permanency. We will define what permanency is, why it matters, and a variety of different barriers to…