Special Events
Foster Hope Day
Foster Hope Day is the Coalition’s signature day of online giving and celebration of what matters most: family!
Hope in a Handbag
Join us for a glamorous evening where fashion meets philanthropy. Mingle with 300 stylish changemakers at a chic silent auction featuring designer handbags to suit every style and taste. Every bid helps further our mission. Hope in a Handbag will return on April 16, 2026.
Junior Board Trivia Night
The annual Junior Board Trivia Night is a special evening themed trivia, food, and fun for the St. Louis community, hosted by the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition’s Junior Board. All proceeds go directly toward supporting children impacted by foster care!
Give STL Day
Give STL Day is a 24-hour online annual giving event benefitting St. Louis and Illinois communities. The Coalition is proud to participate each year.
Upcoming Events & Trainings
Monthly Weekly Daily List
October 2025
Secondary Traumatic Stress
This training addresses the complex impact of secondary traumatic stress. You will learn about the risk factors for and signs of secondary traumatic stress as well as techniques for prevention and self-care. This course is intended for anyone who works directly with the child welfare population, such as resource parents or child welfare workers. 3 […]
The Adoption & Guardianship Journey: Navigating Relationships with Birth Families
This training will help participants recognize the benefits for children being aware of their adoption/guardianship story and maintaining connection with their birth families. Participants will become more aware of strategies for maintaining and promoting connections; understand the continuum that exists for connection; know how to negotiate relationships with birth families; and recognize the impact on […]
November 2025
Spaulding Adoption Training: Making the Commitment to Adoption (4 sessions)
Forming a family through adoption is different than forming one biologically or being a foster family. While adoption brings great joy and happiness to families, children who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and/or the loss of their family of origin may also bring unique challenges to the parenting experience. This training is designed […]
Ask the Advocate: Educational Resources and Enrichment Options
This is your opportunity to have questions answered about educational support for students impacted by foster care. We’ll discuss how to meet the ever-changing needs of our children. This session will address learning loss and regression and discuss options for students to learn more through online resources and other experiential learning opportunities that are ongoing […]
Birth and Foster Parent Partnerships: Creating a Caregiving Network (2 sessions)
Join us for a new training on bridging the gap between birth and foster parents. Fueled by fear, mistrust, defensiveness, and trauma, this gap in partnership causes children in the foster care system to suffer. Research shows that children thrive under consistency in parenting. Children need to see that all the adults in their lives […]
New! Youth Suicide Prevention with Compass Health
Join Compass Health Education and Outreach Specialists in Youth Suicide Prevention for this training featuring two suicide awareness and prevention programs: Missouri Ask. Listen. Refer Missouri is ranked 15th in the country for suicide deaths. This program is designed to reach Missouri residents interested in suicide prevention within their communities. After attending, you will know […]
New! Parent & Child Training: It’s Real: Conversations with Your Child About Mental Health, featuring Compass Health
Join us for a unique training for parents and youth in middle and high school for a conversation about mental health. It’s Real is a program facilitated by mental health education specialists from Compass Health. It’s Real is designed to provide mental health education to teenagers aged 11 and up. In this program, attendees will […]
The Importance of Sibling Bonds
Sibling relationships are emotionally powerful and critically important not only in childhood, but over the course of a lifetime. The sibling relationship is one of the longest relationships anyone will have, preparing individuals for peer relationships, teaching social skills, conflict resolution, and navigating relationship issues. They provide a sense of connection, continuity, and belonging. Children […]
December 2025
Kinship Caregiving: Building Resilience
This training describes parental resilience, why resilience is important, and how caring for children who have experienced trauma, separation, or loss can impact a caregiver’s own well-being. This theme also covers the behaviors that foster a protective environment for parents and children. You will learn about the signs of stress and burnout, the importance of […]
Secondary Traumatic Stress
This training addresses the complex impact of secondary traumatic stress. You will learn about the risk factors for and signs of secondary traumatic stress as well as techniques for prevention and self-care. Also included will be additional strategies & supports for the holiday season. This course is intended for anyone who works directly with the […]
Big Behaviors: Making Sense of Lying, Stealing, & Meltdowns (2 sessions)
Youth who have experienced trauma often have behaviors that can be frustrating and challenging to manage. Traditional parenting techniques can be ineffective, leaving caregivers baffled and overwhelmed. This training addresses three behaviors which seem to confound parents the most: lying, stealing, and meltdowns. You will learn how trauma impacts the youth’s brain, reasons behind the […]
Kinship Parenting: It’s Complicated
This training acknowledges the complexities associated with caring for children who are related, including: divided loyalties; redefining roles and relationships; setting boundaries with parents and other relatives; and the range of emotions including anger, resentment, guilt and/or embarrassment that caregivers can feel. You will take away strategies for how to manage family dynamics and conflicts, […]
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