Foster Friendly Faith Best Practice #1

Staff And Volunteers Are Trauma Aware

Ensure volunteers in child and youth ministry are trauma aware.

Offer trauma awareness training to staff, children and youth volunteers annually to ensure those serving in children and youth ministries are aware of the impact trauma can have on infants, children and teens.


Becoming Trauma Aware

Free Introductory Course

Duration: 67 minutes

This free trauma awareness course is an ideal introduction for your faith community’s leaders, staff and volunteers serving in children’s and youth ministry to become aware of how kids in foster care (and who have experienced other forms of trauma) might experience the world around them. Topics include:

  • Attachment
  • Trauma and toxic stress
  • Grief and loss
  • How you can help

At the end of this introductory course, you’ll receive a code for a huge discount to access our comprehensive, six-and-a-half hour Made to Belong Trauma Training course.

Thank you for doing your part to improve the outcomes and experiences for kids in foster care.

Our free, one-hour trauma awareness course is just one option available to your faith community to use with your team. You can fulfill our trauma awareness best practice using any qualified training program.

Get Started!

Take Our Free One-Hour Trauma Awareness Course

More Trauma Training Resources

Our free, one-hour trauma awareness course is just one option available to your faith community to use with your team. You can fulfill our trauma awareness best practice using any qualified training program.

Here are a few additional resources to explore:
Trauma Aware Guide
Trauma Aware Guide

AKB’s companion guide to our free awareness training reinforces the key tenets and teachings in our one-hour course, “Becoming Trauma Aware.”

Support Groups



Hope For The Journey Conference

Show Hope’s annual Hope for the Journey Conference encourages and equips parents and caregivers to meet the everyday needs of children impacted by adoption and/or foster care. Also a resource for churches, agencies and organizations that support families.

Local TBRI Trainer
Local TBRI Trainer

You can engage a local TBRI-certified practitioner. The Karen Purvis Institute offers a list of individuals who have completed its TBRI Practitioner Training.

Explore More Foster Friendly Best Practices

#2 Launch A Support Ministry

Launch an ongoing ministry to serve adoptive, kinship and foster families in your faith community. Explore options and get free resources here.

#3 Teach On Foster Care

Teach on God’s heart for foster care and adoption at least once a year in a main gathering. Get sermon resources here.