Learning and development

Adopting a child can be a challenging experience for everyone involved. Many of our children have had a tough and unsettled start in life, and may need extra support to manage particular emotional or behavioural issues.

We have worked with adoptive parents to develop a learning and development programme to help adopters build the skills and confidence they need to support their child’s development and wellbeing.

The programme is aimed at all adoptive parents who have been approved – whether they are waiting to be matched, have children placed with them, or have already adopted a child.

For more information, contact us on 03000 420508 or by email at adoption.support@kent.gov.uk.

Our workshops

Throughout the year we run a series of online training workshops for parents. As we limit the number of people that can attend, to make sure everyone gets the attention they need, workshop spaces fill up quickly.

We strongly advise that both parents attend together where possible. If you are a single parent, you may be able to invite someone from your support network to attend with you, so please ask us when you enquire.

To be the first to hear about our workshops, sign up to our mailing list by emailing us at adoption.partnership@kent.gov.uk.

Incredible years

This is a 12 week accredited parenting course adapted for adoptive parents. This course is geared towards parents of children between the ages of 3 and 9 years old.

The course helps parents to:

• understand the importance of attachment theory and its relevance to understanding the relationship with your child
• understand the impact of parenting style and capacity on the development of the child
• identify the intent behind a child’s negative behaviour, promotion of child social competence and emotional regulation
• understand the importance of play, communication, routines and boundaries
• improve parent-child interactions, building positive relationships and attachment
• improve parental functioning, less harsh and more nurturing parenting and problem solving
• adopt behaviour management strategies which can be passed on to all adults that care for your child.

Call 03000 420508 or email us at adoption.support@kent.gov.uk to book a place.

Life story book workshop

This is a 2 day workshop that will provide a framework for understanding when to talk to children and young people about adoption.

The course helps parents to:

• put complex experiences into words
• understand children’s reactions
• understand when to use their life-story books.

Call 03000 420508 or email us at adoption.support@kent.gov.uk to book a place.

Non-violent resistance

This is a 10 week parenting course aimed at helping parents manage the violent, aggressive and harmful behaviours in children and adolescents. The basis of this strategy is from ideas and ethology's from Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks.

The course helps parents to:

• de-escalate conflicts
• increase parental presence.

Call 03000 420508 or email us at adoption.support@kent.gov.uk to book a place.

Sensory Integration

This is a 6 week course which focuses on the complexity of sensory issues adopted children can face, the challenges they present and the kinds of support that could be used to support the children and their families.

The group will cover:

• brain development trauma
• sensory integration and processing
• sensory systems and regulation
• an introduction to sensory circuits
• sensory circuits and sensory diets
• a recap and problem-solving session.

Call 03000 420508 or email us at adoption.support@kent.gov.uk to book a place.

Therapeutic Parenting Group

This is a 12-week online group programme for parents. The group is aimed at supporting parents of children who have experienced early loss, disruption and developmental trauma.

The group will:

• offer psychoeducation on developmental trauma, attachment theory and sensory processing.
• help you understand why traumatised children might do the things they do and how therapeutic parenting can help.
• offer you time to learn and practice a model of therapeutic parenting. This model is aimed at helping families with children who have experienced developmental trauma and loss and is based on Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP).
• give you a space to build relationships with other parents, draw on each other’s experience and be supported to develop some strategies to care for yourself.
• focus on parental self-care.

Call 03000 420508 or email us at adoption.support@kent.gov.uk to book a place.