KVC Kansas’ Adoptive Family and Training Support Group – Meets on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 6-7:30pm. If you’re in Kansas and you’re interested in joining, please email adoptionspecialist@kvc.org.

K-PARC’s Peer to Peer Support Group – K-PARC maintains a list of volunteers who have raised children who have experienced trauma and other family or mental/behavioral health challenges. These trained adoptive and kinship parents are willing and eager to help new adoptive parents.

K-PARC staff are happy to match new or prospective adoptive parents to peer volunteers who have already experienced some of the challenges and joys of parenting kids affected by trauma.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email Crystal Fox at crystal.fox@fosteradopt.org

**An additional adoption advocate can be assigned to your family if you need extra support.**

“The Club” by Robyn Gobbel – Resource for education and community support. Find her on Facebook or robyngobbel.com.

You can also listen to her podcast The Baffling Behavior Show (formerly known as Parenting After Trauma). 

Facebook Adoption Support Group – Join the private KS Adoption Support Group on Facebook! 

Families Rising (formerly North American Council on Adopted Children) – Explore their website for trainings and local support in your area. If you’re located in Kansas, click here to find support groups in Kansas.

• The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis – A very helpful book for parents raising children who have experienced trauma. 
• The Connected Parent by Karyn Purvis – Gives you practical advice and powerful tools you can use to encourage secure attachment in your family. 
• Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control by Heather T. Forbes – Traditional parenting and discipline does not work with kids who’ve experienced trauma. This book walks parents through the paradigm shift in parenting children who behave out of their trauma. 
• From Fear to Love by Bryan Post – Helps parents understand the impact of early life trauma and the impact of interruptions in the attachment process.
• The Great Behavior Breakdown by Bryan Post – Identifies 27 of the most problematic and challenging behaviors that parents face. Breaks them down and provides step-by-step guidance for transforming your family conflict. A must-read for parents working with children who seemingly have uncontrollable behavior. 
• No Drama Discipline by Dr. Dan Siegel – Highlights the fascinating link between a child’s neurological development and the way a parent reacts to misbehaviors. Provides effective, compassionate roadmap for dealing with tantrums, tensions, and tears without causing a scene. 
• What Happened to You? by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey – Provides scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand. 
• The Boy Who was Raised by a Dog by Dr. Bruce Perry with Maia Szalavitz – Stories of trauma and transformation. 
• Inside Transracial Adoption by Beth Hall and Gail Steinberg – Designed to support transracial adoptive parents in their lifelong learning process. 

• What is Adoption? Just for Kids (What is? Series) by Jeanette Yoffe, Devika Joglekar 
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
• The Primal Wound by Nancy Newton Verrier 
• Tell Me My Story: What does Adopted Mean? By Raquel McCloud and Taylan McCloud 
• The ABC’s of Adoption by Raquel McCloud and Taylan McCloud 
• Being Adopted by Amy Wilkerson LCSW 
• Adoption is Both by Elena S. Hall and Lara Norris 
• The Family Book by Todd Parr 
• The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, Joanne Lew-Vriethoff 
• Adoption is a Life-long Journey by Kelly DiBenedetto and Katie Gorczyca 
• I Love You When You’re Angry by Erin Winters and Kaitin Bucher 
• The Face in the Mirror: Teenagers and Adoption by Marion Crook 
• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richarson and Peter Parnell 
• My Family is Forever by Nancy Carlson 
• I’ve Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb and Suzie Mason 

988 Lifeline – If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988. You can also chat with them online via their website.

If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, access 988 services here. If you speak Spanish, access support here.

If this is an emergency, call 911.

Camber Mental Health – Camber Mental Health is the leading regional provider of children’s and adult mental health services with a network of nonprofit hospitals and residential treatment centers in Kansas City, Wichita, Hays and Olathe (Children’s Mercy Camber Mental Wellness Campus). As the pioneer of trauma-informed mental healthcare models in the region, Camber has spent over 30 years developing and enhancing innovative therapies to help thousands of children and adults live more balanced, healthy and resilient lives.

Call Camber’s Admissions Department at (913) 890-7468 to make a referral or to access services.

1-800-CHILDREN, Supporting Parents – 1-800-CHILDREN provides 24/7 support without judgment. No question is too big or too small when it comes to parenting.

Find helpful resources and supports near you through their website or connect with a real person by calling 1-800-332-6378. They offer free and confidential support in English and Spanish as well as multiple other languages.

Lift Up KC by Children’s Mercy Kansas City – This curated database of resources can help you and your family connect to trusted community resources.

Simply enter your zip code in the search bar on their website to find local resources to find local resources to address needs such as food, housing and goods, parenting, early childhood, health, money and employment, education, safety, legal and seasonal.

My Resource Connection by Johnson County, KS – This database provides resources local to the following counties in Kansas and Missouri.

Kansas

• Douglas
• Franklin
• Johnson
• Leavenworth
• Lyon
• Miami
• Shawnee
• Wyandotte

Missouri

• Cass
• Clay
• Cole
• Jackson
• Platte

Simply input your zip code and/or the type of service needed to find local resources. Common searches include:

• Low Cost Home Rental Listings
• Child Support Assistance/Enforcement
• Community Mental Health Agencies
• Dental Care
• English as a Second Language
• Eye Care
• Food Assistance (food pantries, SNAP benefits, etc.)
• Furniture
• Immigration
• Local Transit Passes
• Medicaid Services in Kansas
• Oxford House for Men or Women
• Rent Payment Assistance
• Substance Abuse
• Transitional Housing
• Veteran Benefits Assistance
• Utility (electric, gas, heating/fuel, water) Payment Assistance

Childcare Center – Nationwide search engine for childcare centers and in-home daycares. Head to their website and type in your zip code OR your city/state (such as Olathe, KS) to find qualified childcare providers in your area.

EmberHope – EmberHope provides a range of mental health services including a qualified residential treatment program (QRTP) serving girls ages 10-17, a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) serving girls ages 12-18.

EmberHope also provides Functional Family Therapy (FFT) for families caring for youth ages 11-18 located in Western Kansas (see map below). Referrals for Functional Family Therapy must be made by the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Families Together Inc. – Families Together Inc. provide families and transition age youth with individualized assistance, training, resources and tools at no cost. These services are available in English and Spanish. Their services include:

• Individualized Assistance: Through this program, Families Together staff can help answer questions and concerns about special education, early childhood, behaviors, bullying, mental health, disability services, transition to adulthood, health care and more! They can also help parents and families navigate the various disability resources and systems as well as provide information, resources, problem-solving support, and strategies to help parents access and advocate for the support their child needs.
• Parent-to-Parent Support: This program connects parents with other parents who have walked a similar path and who understand the challenges of raising a child with a disability or special health care need.
• Education Advocate training: Education Advocate training is a free training designed to equip Kansas foster parents, adoptive parents, community volunteers and anyone who wishes to help a child whose parents are unknown or unavailable by acting on their behalf for special education decisions. This training is also great for parents who want to know more about their rights in the special education process. It is offered at various locations throughout Kansas eight times per year.
• Parent Training and Information Center: The Parent Training and Information Center serve families of any child with a disability who receives early intervention or special education services in the state. Through workshops and individualized assistance, this center helps parents understand the complex systems of special education, healthcare, and community services. Services are available in English and Spanish.
• Family-to-Family Health Information Center: This is a family-led center staffed by highly skilled, knowledgeable family members who have first-hand experience and understanding of the challenges faced by families of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN). This center provides critical support to families caring for CYSHCN, particularly families of children with complex needs and those from diverse communities. Some of the services include helping families:
  • Find appropriate care and services
  • Identify and access community support programs
  • Connect with parent other parents with similar concerns
  • Become an effective member of their child’s medical team

Kansas Family Advisory Network (KFAN) – KFAN is an outreach ministry that provides support, advocacy, training and education to help stabilize at-risk families. Learn more about their services here.