Great Expectations: A Look into Parents’ Expectations of the Journey

Description

The process of preparing and supporting foster and adoptive parents for their journey can be a rewarding, yet challenging practice.

All prospective foster and adoptive parents have their own individual motivations to take these steps, which can range dramatically from person to person. Along with these various motivations come unique ideas and expectations of this chosen journey.

Children in foster care also have pre-conceived expectations of their foster and adoptive parents.

When these two worlds of expectations collide, this complicates matters greatly.

Led by a seasoned clinical social worker and adoptive parent, Leslie Hales, this webinar will explore the role of parental expectations within adoption and foster care as well as how to support families and children with navigating the realities of this journey together.

Leslie Hales, LICSW, PIP

Leslie completed her undergraduate in social work at the University of Southern Mississippi and received her master’s from The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. She has 22 years of social work experience providing services in child welfare and pre and post-adoption services. She currently works full-time for Alahealth providing medical case management. She is adjunct faculty with the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Social Work and provides pre-adoption contract services part-time. Leslie is an adoptive parent of a 24-year-old daughter and co-parents of a sibling group of five from foster care.