(INDIANAPOLIS) – The 2019 Resource and Adoptive Parent Training (RAPT) conference brought an estimated 300 people together to exchange information, resources, and ideas about the best ways to support Hoosier children impacted by the child welfare system.
The two-day event organized by the Indiana Department of Child Services brings together DCS foster and adoptive parents, as well as the professionals who support them.
The conference offers training specific to caring for children who have been removed from their biological parents, as well as a chance to meet other foster and adoptive parents.
“Every year, we strive to make sure the conference offers education as well as a chance to network with experts and others who have firsthand knowledge of the unique challenges our foster and adoptive parents face,” said LaTrece Thompson, DCS deputy director of staff development. “It’s crucial that parents and professionals receive the latest information about caring for children in foster care.”
This year’s presentations included working with families impacted by substance abuse and equipping parents with the necessary resources to care for children with mental health needs.
Conference organizers also provided car seat demonstrations with certified trainers to highlight the importance of properly installing and using safety seats.
“This is the third time we’ve come, and this conference is always very refreshing,” foster parents Braden and Tasha Hudson said. “It helps us renew and reinvigorate ourselves to help the kids we’re caring for. It’s also nice to come and be with people who are experiencing some of the same things we are because not everyone understands what our kids have been through.”
For more information on how to become a resource parent, visit indianafostercare.org
