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Finding My Village: The Weekend That Changed Everything
By Chelle Hanson Eight years ago, I adopted my sons. It wasn’t something I planned. After raising four biological children, I believed that season of midnight feedings, school meetings, and constant responsibility had passed. But when one of my adult children faced mental health challenges that made parenting unsafe, I stepped in. By 2018, I
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How Do I Know if My Family is a Good Fit for a Child or Sibling Group?
By Delaney Duff, Kansas Adoption Exchange Family Specialist) So, you’ve taken the plunge! Whatever path led your family to adoption from foster care, you’ve checked the big boxes: pre-service training is behind you and/or your Home Study is officially ready to go. Whether you’re a local Kansas family or joining us from out-of-state, the foundation
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When Love Feels Hard: Parenting Through Rejection
February 2026 February is often described as the month of love — a time filled with messages about connection, affection, and closeness. But for many children impacted by adoption and trauma, love is not simple or safe. Love has come and gone. Love has meant loss. And when love has hurt before, pushing it away
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Beyond the Resolution: Why I’m Trading Goals for a Single Word “New Year, New Me.” Cue the collective eye roll. It’s a concept as old as time, and it’s likely dominating your social media feed right now. Most of us dread the annual pressure to pretend that because the calendar flipped to 2026, we should
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Thinking about adoption in the coming year? Now is the time to start!
The holidays are a season of hope, joy, and new beginnings – a perfect time to think about giving a child the greatest gift of all: a forever family. If adoption is on your heart, starting now can make next year the year a child finally finds their home. Why Start Now? Adoption is a journey, not a quick
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What is a Youth-Centered Profile?
Author: Jordy Johnson, MSW, Youth-Centered Profiles Specialist Youth-Centered Profiles (YCP) are a creative and youth-driven approach to adoption recruitment that allows older youth in foster care to take an active role in shaping how they are represented to potential adoptive families. Instead of relying solely on adults to tell their story, YCP invites youth to
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What your child’s body language can tell you: reading nonverbal cues in children with trauma history
Has your child ever shut down or seemed distant in particular situations, even you were trying to help? Or perhaps you’ve noticed them flinch or look away when stressed. These moments can, understandably, prove confusing to even the most attuned of caregivers, but your child’s body language may actively be telling you what their words
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Forget the Critics—Your Kid Comes First This Holiday
October 2025 A few months back, I was at an extended family gathering—one of those rare occasions where you’re suddenly surrounded by relatives you haven’t seen in years. Naturally, I wasn’t up to date on everyone’s lives. But then something caught my attention: my cousin’s 14-year-old son was sitting alone at a table, quietly eating
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Born to Be a Big Sister
Alex Hepner | Sept 2025 I got a call one day, and within 24 hours, I had a baby in my arms. At the time, I was a single mother to my 5-year-old daughter, I took a kinship placement of my 2-month-old niece. At the time, I had no idea how foster care or kinship
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Honoring Kinship Caregivers in September
September is National Kinship Care Month — a time to pause and recognize the powerful role kinship families play in the lives of children. Across Kansas and beyond, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and close family friends step forward when children cannot remain safely with their parents. They open their homes and their hearts, often unexpectedly,