Post Adoption Newsletter Winter Edition

POST ADOPTION Winter Newsletter

As winter arrives and the year draws to a close, we take this opportunity to reflect on the warmth, resilience, and love that define our adoptive and guardianship families. In this edition, we share seasonal resources, family-centered activities, and insights to support your ongoing post-adoption journey.

Celebrate National Adoption Month with Us! November is National Adoption Month, a time to celebrate the love and connection that adoption brings to so many families. In honor of this special month, we invite you to join us for our Adoption Brunch.

Come enjoy some food, connect with other adoptive parents, share stories, and let your children play and make new friends. We’ll also have some exciting drawings for gift baskets and prizes.

Adoption Brunch

Saturday, November 15, 2025 10:00 a.m-12:00 p.m.

Eastview Community Center: 602 South Main Street, Bloomington, Illinois 61701

CYFS will provide breakfast pizza and drinks. Please bring a dish to share.

RSVP by November 13th to your assigned worker

It’s FAFSA Season!

Now is a great time to start filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aide (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic year. Completing the FAFSA early can help your student access the widest range of financial opportunities – including grants, scholarships, and low-interest loans. If your child is planning to attend college or vocational school next year, we encourage you to begin the process soon! https://studentaid.gov/

Family Core and Baby Fold We are pleased to announce our collaboration with two agencies who provide our families with Post Adoption Preservation Services. Please contact Jennifer at 309-323-6569 to assist you in connecting with one of the agencies below if you are interested.

• Family Core is based in Peoria and provides services to 22 counties. www.familycore.org/services/outreach/ • Baby Fold is in Bloomington, Normal, Champaign/Urbana and Springfield . They also serve 22 counties. www.thebabyfold.org/services/adoption/adoption-support-and-preservation Please take some time to visit their website to see what services they are able to offer.

Free Training Opportunities National Council for Adoption ON DEMAND COURSES adoptioncouncil.org/courses/ ADDitude – Live Webinar November 20th: The Empathy Playbook for Parents: Helping Kids (and You) Navigate Unfair Treatment and Tough Relationships additudemag.com/webinar/how-to-explain-adhd-to-a-child/

Budget-Friendly Meal Planning Made Easy We know that feeding a growing family can take creativity- and a good plan! To help make mealtimes a little easier (and more affordable), Aldi has put together a $40 meal plan designed to feed a family of 10.

See this link for more information: https://shorturl.at/zA7Bp

Free Events BLOOMINGTON

CHAMPAIGN

Downtown Bloomington: Annual Tree Lighting

Winter Nights at Prairie Farm – November 28–

Ceremony – December 5 | 4:30-8pm

December 28 free holiday light displays with

DANVILLE

special Sensory-Friendly Sundays

Downtown Danville – November 28 | 5:30-8:00pm

LINCOLN

– Holiday Lights and Santa Photo

Downtown Lincoln - Carriage Rides & Christmas

GALESBURG

Events – start November 25

Holly Days Parade – December 7 | 5pm

SPRINGFIELD

PEORIA

Downtown Springfield Christmas Parade –

Santa Claus Parade – November 28 | 9:15am

December 6 | 5:30pm

LASALLE

QUAD CITIES

The Celebration of Lights – Rotary Park –

Helium Balloon Parade – November 22 | 10am –

December 4 | 5–10pm

Downtown Davenport

Trauma-Informed Tips for the cold months and Holidays While winter break can be an exciting change, establishing routines can help children feel secure in their surroundings. Lack of routine can lead to restlessness, negative emotions, and feelings of chaos.

Steps for maintaining stability: • Encourage personal time/downtime which helps eliminate overscheduling and high irritability with other family members • Keep a consistent sleep schedule, helping to protect emotional and physical well-being.

• Celebrate the small wins as they come.

• Conduct regular emotion check-ins.

Helping Children Undersand Family and Identity.

• Honoring family traditions or creating new ones.

• Encourage children to share their unique celebrations and customs, encouraging diversity and inclusiveness.

• Have Age-appropriate conversations about adoption during family gatherings.

• Have a plan before you enter a family gathering of what information is appropriate to discuss and what is not.

• Develop a safe place or word where triggered individuals can escape from the chaos to breathe and recenter themselves.