Connected, We Thrive: Building Schools That Heal for Adoptive, Foster & Kinship Kids - Laura Adams

This November, Fostering Change continues our special series for National Adoption Awareness Month, celebrating families formed through adoption and raising awareness about the unique needs of children in foster and kinship care.

Throughout the month, we’re spotlighting extraordinary advocates, educators, and parents who are helping every child feel safe, seen, and supported.

We also invite you to join Comfort Cases’ 2nd Annual “Coats for a Cause” Drive, hosted by CNN’s Laura Coates.

Our goal is to collect 500 brand-new coats for youth in need this winter.
Every coat donated provides warmth, dignity, and comfort to a child or teen who needs it most.
Learn more and get involved at: https://www.comfortcases.org/lauracoates

🎙️ This Episode: Featuring Laura Adams, Founder & President of iCARE4 Adoptive And Foster Families (iCARE4AAFF)

With more than 30 years in education and nonprofit leadership—and as the mother of four daughters, including two adopted internationally—Laura Adams is on a mission to ensure that every school is equipped to meet the emotional and learning needs of adoptive, foster, and kinship children.

Through iCARE’s professional development programs and her innovative Connection Kits™, Laura is helping educators build trauma-informed, healing-centered schools where connection leads to confidence—and where children not only learn but thrive.

💬 In This Conversation:
• The urgent need for trauma-informed professional development in schools
“Adopted, foster, and kinship children make up nearly 15% of our classrooms, yet most educators have never received any formal training on how to support them.”

• Why connection—not compliance—is the foundation for learning
“Children who feel safe and seen are children who can learn.”

• How Connection Kits™ are transforming classrooms nationwide

• The power of collaboration between schools, families, and child welfare professionals
“When we work together, we create communities of belonging—and connected, we thrive.”
Laura’s insights remind us that healing often begins in the classroom.
By equipping teachers with shared language and the right tools, we can build schools that don’t just educate—but nurture.

🌐 Connect with Laura Adams & iCARE4AAFF
Website: https://icare4aaff.org
Facebook:   / icare4aaff  
Instagram:   / icare4aaff  
LinkedIn: Laura Adams – iCARE4AAFF

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