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Ongoing Adoption and
Kinship Support (OAKS)

We understand that adoptive and kinship families face unique challenges in parenting their new children. These families may feel overwhelmed without access to the supports that could assist them in maintaining their family. Without the needed services that might assist with overcoming challenging behaviors and bonding issues, families can become discouraged and disheartened. This is where the OAKS program is here to support.

 
 

How to Receive Services

If you are a member of a foster, adoptive, or kinship family and would like access to any of the services offered below, please click the “self-referral” button above. Once you complete and submit the form, an OAKS staff member will contact you.

If you are a member of a social services agency and know of a family who might benefit from the OAKS services, please click the “Agency Referral” button above. Please complete and submit the form and upload an information release. An OAKS staff member will then contact the family.

Available Services

  • Our experienced staff members are knowledgeable about current resources available for adoptive, foster, and kinship families. Navigating these programs alone can be overwhelming. We’re here to help families find various community resources.

  • We offer support groups for families, teens, and parents who have raised adoptive/foster/kinship children both in-person and online. Each support group allows for participants to connect with others in similar situations who can share their perspectives and lived experiences. These support groups are facilitated by our OAKS team. We also offer an online support group via Facebook.

  • For additional support, we partner with Healing Connections Wellness Center for professional counseling and therapy services. The counselors at Healing Connections Wellness Center are equipped with adoption-competency training and can provide in-person and telehealth services with any of their counselors.

  • We provide parent education and coaching in a variety of venues, including in a family’s home, in the Adopt America Network offices, or virtually. These services are performed by staff trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) strategies and the Exchange Parent Aide Model. These attachment-based interventions offer parents tools to help better build successful interventions for their children.

  • The OAKS program also has experienced staff who may act as an educational liaison to families in need. The liaison helps support families through the process of establishing Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for children. The liaison is also available to help identify and find solutions for other educational needs children in a family might have, such as alternative school settings and tutoring.