Foster & Adopt 101 Workshop - Virtual

You could never be a foster parent. Could you?

At The Restore Network, we understand the constant back and forth in your mind about wanting to care for a vulnerable child in the foster care system.. but wondering if you're actually cut out for it.

We understand because, as part of The Restore Network’s Director team, we’ve stood precisely where you are. Then, we each held our breath, relied on our faith, and opened our homes to children who needed us. Now, as we’re continuing to parent children who are part of our homes through birth, foster care and adoption, we’ve never looked back.

Truth is - there's no promise that fostering a child is easy. But, we exist to honor a family's courageous decision to say "yes."

As a Restore Network foster family, you will be:

1. Expertly Equipped. As a Restore family, you get more than training. You get extensive trauma-based training taught by a Trust-Based Relational Intervention practitioner who, beyond having a Master’s degree in Social Work, specializes in helping families understand and implement interventions that help bring true healing to kids coming out of traumatic experiences.

2. Carefully Connected. Since placing a child in the right family is more than finding an empty bed, we’ll spend time getting to know your family to identify the type of child who will most thrive in your home. We’ll then coach you on what factors to consider so you can give your best “yes” when a placement is recommended.

3. Constantly Supported. Fostering a child comes with uncomfortable uncertainty, so we connect foster families with the support they need to reduce the stress. This means that when a child is placed, we’ll start by providing clothes, supplies and meals to meet immediate needs and remain in regular contact to offer a safe place to talk, training, advocacy and respite care. We also introduce you to a community of foster families who will walk with you in your journey.

So, let us help you explore the sometimes complicated calling of becoming a foster parent. Register for the 101 Workshop.

**Please note that this is an online workshop. Prior to the event you will receive a separate email with a Zoom link for you to join as well as a virtual copy of the Foster & Adopt 101 Workbook. If you have not received the Zoom link prior to the event, please text 618-917-5592 and Cristalle Turner, Lead Director for The Restore Network, will resend you the link to join.

Who it's for: This workshop is open to all families who are considering foster care. It is designed to offer honest and transparent answers to your most pressing questions while teaching the basics of the foster care process and how The Restore Network can help.

The Restore Network is currently supporting foster families across 11 Illinois Counties ( Bond, Franklin, Greene, Jackson, Jersey, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Saline, St.Clair, Williamson). If you already live in one of the counties that we operate in, we look forward to connecting you with your county Director and supporting you throughout your fostering journey. If you currently reside outside of our area of support, we still welcome you to attend this workshop and learn about how you can be part of the solution to the foster care crisis. After the workshop, we would be happy to help connect you to a recruitment specialist in your area to walk you through next steps and are happy to share with you what it could look like to welcome Restore into your area!

Are you already committed to fostering? If you have started the PRIDE training classes or are currently fostering, the 201 Workshop is designed for you! Find out more here: https://therestorenetwork.org/201-workshop/