Hague Education Package
Families Are Forever is a Hague compliant, interactive training intended to help prepare and equip families for the challenges and joys of international adoption. Each course will immerse families in thought-provoking material vitally relevant to adopted children from ‘hard places.’ It’s our goal to introduce these subjects so that you are ready to engage with your child and to become his/her informed and loving advocate. Some of the topics addressed in Families Are Forever will include: understanding child development, the effects of trauma, neurochemistry, sensory processing issues, parent attachment styles, benefits of secure attachment, and behavioral challenges.
About Trudy Landis, Director of Families Are Forever
With degrees in education and child development Trudy Landis is a long-time educator, child development specialist, Children’s Pastor, CASA volunteer and Trust-Based Relational Intervention™ (TBRI) Practitioner – helping multitudes of adoptive and fostering families form strategies for successful bonding and integration of a son or daughter, brother or sister into a home ready to receive them. With over 30 years of experience supporting families and children all over the globe through transition, trauma, and everyday challenges, Trudy delights in guiding families to specific tools such as the research based, whole-hearted TBRI practices of the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development and the work of other trauma informed educators and therapists to smooth the way for each child. Trudy studied with Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross, authors of ‘The Connected Child’ and enthusiastically joined in their enduring passion of bringing healing to children from ‘hard places’ and to the adults who love them so that they may give voice to those children.
Providing Foundations for Parenting Children from Hard Places.
During your first pre-adoptive phase, FAF offers 8 interactive courses designed to prepare families for international adoption. This Hague compliant program will help equip your family through thought provoking articles, videos, and essay questions. These classes total 18 hours and are taken as you complete your home study. After completing these courses, you’ve finished your pre-adoptive parent education and training.
If you’d like to dive deeper, and learn more about how you can connect with, and bring healing to your adopted child, check out Phase 2 and additional courses.
Learning to Connect With Your Child
This optional pre-adoptive phase offers 8 interactive courses created to take parents deeper into the subjects of bonding and attachment and the practical ‘how-tos’ of parenting a child from a hard place using TBRI™ – Trust-Based Relational Intervention and other closely related materials. We recommend beginning this program once you are matched with a child. These classes – while both practical and idea-rich – will add valuable insights into personalities and temperaments of each individual in your home. These classes total 20 hours and are taken when you know a bit more about the child you are adopting.
Additional Courses
After completing Phases 1 or 2, you’ll have the option to take additional courses to deepen your understanding or learn about challenges specific to your adoptive child. These classes allow families to increase their knowledge of relevant topics and are helpful as you consider a specific child or want more information to help you parent your child. These courses can be taken at any time.
If you’d like to learn more, check out our additional resources page.