This interactive workshop introduces Play Together Stay Together, a vital component of the Adopt America Network’s Ongoing Adoption and Kinship Support Program. Designed to strengthen family connections through intentional play, this program helps adoptive, kinship, and resource families build trust, foster attachment, and develop meaningful relationships. Participants will gain an overview of how play is used as a powerful therapeutic and relational tool and explore the benefits of shared activities for both children and caregivers. Participants will also be introduced to how this program offers a community of other resources for adoptive and resource families, creating pathways for support, connection, and collaboration beyond the session. Ideal for professionals looking for creative ways to reinforce family unity and cultivate lasting ties to better ensure permanency for youth in resource or adoptive families.
1.0 CE (National Association of Social Workers – NASW)
This session will highlight the critical role of lived expertise in influencing permanency practices and outcomes. It will showcase real-world examples and best practices, including strategies for effective message development and sharing from experts in the AdoptUSKids Speakers Bureau. Through targeted training and support, these voices can offer valuable insights that help child welfare professionals better partner with and support youth. Additionally, the workshop will explore ways to create more opportunities for incorporating these lived experiences into the work of child welfare systems.
Melinda Kline, LSCSW, National Project Director (NPD) – AdoptUSKids Melinda is a proud Citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Melinda has 30+ years of child welfare and Social Work experience with an emphasis on permanency, foster care and adoption. Prior to her current position as NPD at AdoptUSKids, she served as the Deputy Director of Permanency Programs for the State of Kansas. Melinda has national... Read More →
1.0 CE (National Association of Social Workers – NASW)
In this interactive session presenters from the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services and NTI Training will explore strategies for recruiting, preparing, and retaining a child welfare-competent and culturally responsive workforce sharing examples from state and tribal work. Participants will learn how technical assistance can help systems and tribes implement effective models of cross-system collaboration, develop local champions, and sustain trauma-informed and child welfare-competent services for children and families with complex needs.
