The month of May shares three incredibly important focuses: National Foster Care Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Each of these months directly connect with the work we do and the communities we serve.

National Foster Care Month is an initiative led and promoted by the Children’s Bureau. There are over 407,000 children and youth in foster care across the country, and 34% were placed with relatives or kin. Kinship care, in its various forms, is important in meeting the needs of children involved in the child welfare system.
This year, National Foster Care Month focuses on how relative and kin connections keep families strong. When children cannot remain safely with their parents, we should prioritize placements with kin. Kinship care helps to maintain family connections and cultural traditions that can minimize the trauma of family separation.
To learn more about how you can support youth in foster care, click here. For information about our Heart Gallery featuring local children in foster care who are looking for their forever homes, click here.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a national movement to fight mental health stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. One of our core services is to provide counseling and mental health services for families formed through adoption, families involved in foster care, families who are caring for kin, birth parents, blended families, and families who achieved pregnancy through reproductive technologies.
Please reach out if you find yourself or your family in need of extra guidance or support and learn more about our counseling services here.
Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrates the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. The next sessions of our Interracial Adoption Support Groups for parents and children will be on June 11 and 12. To learn more or sign up, contact Erica Moltz here.
Today is the last day to watch Helping Children Cope with Anxiety and Stress for free during National Foster Care Month! Learn signs and symptoms of anxiety, effective parenting strategies for supporting an anxious child, and when and how to seek professional assistance.
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Tournament

Friday, June 17 | 8 AM
Turf Valley Resort

Sign up to walk the parade
with Rainbow Families!

Families who finalized an adoption in Maryland may be eligible for our FREE Maryland Post-Adoption Program!

One of the benefits of this free program is the Adoptive Parent Support Line. Call 410-402-1121 Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm for support, guidance, and advice!

Click here to contact our team to check your eligibility.
Kenneth is a 13-year-old teen with a great sense of humor and a vivid imagination. He loves building lego sets, playing video games, spending time with pets, and collecting action figures, snow globes, and stuffed animals. Kenneth is eager to be a part of a family and has a strong desire to belong. His instinct is to protect those he cares about. He would like to be able to maintain a relationship with his biological siblings and family members and will need a family who can support those connections.

Kenneth is aware of his coping skills, knows how to manage strong emotions, and will benefit from a caretaker who can remind him of what he knows and support him through difficult feelings. Kenneth loves one-on-one attention and it is important to him to feel recognized and important. He will benefit from caretakers who can take that one-on-one time with him.
Spread the word! We're hiring for a Clinical Services Manager position and a Master of Social Work (MSW) Intern. Want to apply or know someone who would be a great fit? Click the link below to learn more!
The Parent Support Group meets weekly via Zoom to provide a space for parents to connect and discuss their challenges and wins from the past week, share helpful resources, and ask questions in an empathetic group setting. To hear about the impact of this group from a weekly attendee, click here.

To register,
please contact
Melanie
Geddings-Hayes,
LCSW-C,
by clicking here.
The Interracial Adoptive Children's Group is a safe space of emotional support for children and youth adopted interracially. Each session, the group will engage in open discussion and guided activities (readings, lessons, games, etc) focused on civic and cultural topics that impact their lives. The focus for this group will be to build resilience, self-esteem, and identity.
Upcoming Sessions:
June 11, 2022

Organized by Age:
10-11 am | Ages 10-13
11 am-Noon | Ages 5-9

To register, please contact Delois Pearsall by clicking here.
Parent's Group is a safe space for parents to connect and engage with other interracial adoptive families to ask questions, share advice, and discuss their family's unique experiences. This group will meet monthly and include guest speakers, productive dialogue, and practical take-aways for each family.

Upcoming Sessions:
June 12, 2022
3-4:30 pm

To register, please contact Erica Moltz by clicking here.