Wisconsin Family Connections Center

Building Blocks for Effective Co-Parenting
2025-11-20 11:00 - 12:00 UTC | Zoom
Join CWLA for a webinar to explore Building Blocks for Effective Co-Parenting, an engaging, informative framework that highlights the importance of effective co-parenting. When done properly, effective co-parenting can aid and assist in the overall growth and healthy development of children.
We understand that families become separated for a variety of reasons. With the upcoming holiday season, it can be especially difficult for separated parents and their children. This webinar provides an opportunity to:

recognize reasons why some relationships end
learn how these actions can impact children’s identity and self-esteem
offer strength-based, solution-focused strategies and techniques to create consistency and support for all parties involved.

Many of these core principles can be applied to all families—including birth, kin, foster, and adoptive.
Presenter: Marcus Stallworth, LMSW, CWLA Director of Training and Implementation

Live Webinar: Boys with Braids
2025-11-18 12:00 - 13:30 | Wisconsin Family Connections Center Classroom
The Boys With Braids webinar raises awareness about the cultural and spiritual significance of braids for Native boys and men. It highlights the importance of identity, resilience, and cultural pride while addressing stereotypes and promoting understanding among families, schools, and communities. Through storytelling and education, the presentation fosters respect for traditional practices and encourages positive self-identity for Native youth.
Presenter: Michael Duncan – Founder & CEO, Native Dads NetworkMichael Duncan is an enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes with Maidu, Wailaki, Wintun, and Western Band Shoshone heritage. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Native Dads Network Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2014 to support the healing and empowerment of Native fathers, families, and communities.
Michael is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II (CADC II) and has over fifteen years of experience working in Native communities, facilitating culturally grounded programs that focus on wellness, fatherhood, and intergenerational healing. He is a certified trainer of trainers of the Fatherhood/Motherhood Is Sacred curriculum and has brought these teachings to Tribal communities across California.
Through workshops, presentations, and community events, Michael addresses critical issues such as historical and intergenerational trauma, cultural identity, substance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and healthy relationships. He uses traditional teachings, personal stories, and lived experience to break cycles of harm and support cultural revitalization and healing.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 12:00-1:30 PM
Free | Registration is limited to 500 participants. Register for the live webinar by clicking here! Licensed foster parents will receive 1.5 training credits for participation in this webinar. Each individual participant must register separately to receive credit. Questions? Call us at 1-800-762-8063 or email info@wifamilyconnectionscenter.org

Parent/Caregiver Coffee Meet-up at The Gingerbread House: Muskego
2025-11-18 09:00 - 11:00 | The Gingerbread House, S63W16147 College Ave., Muskego, WI, 53150
Foster, adoptive, guardianship, kinship, and reunified caregivers, join us to connect, learn, and share! Join the Wisconsin Family Connections Center for this opportunity to meet with other caregivers and make connections! We will meet at The Gingerbread House in Muskego, WI. Each registrant will receive a food or drink purchase of up to $15.
You can view their menu here: https://gingerbreadfarmhouse.com/
Registration is required for this event. Contact Jamie at jsocolick@cclse.org with any questions. Please note: This is an adult-only event, and no childcare will be available on site. Please make arrangements accordingly. A $25 childcare reimbursement, per family, is available for folks who must secure childcare in order to attend, if not already covered by another funding source.
Cancellations for events must be made at least 72 hours in advance. If 3 or more late cancellations or no-shows occur within a six-month period, the household’s event registrations in the following six months will default to a waitlist.
This event is limited to Wisconsin residents impacted by adoption or out-of-home care and their immediate household.

Family Play " Flat Stanley Jr." at Racine Children's Theater: Racine
2025-11-16 12:00 - 14:00 | Racine Children’s Theater, 2519 Northwestern Ave, Racine, WI, 53404
Adoptive, foster, guardianship, kinship, and reunified families: join the WiFCC at The Racine Children’s Theatre for “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr.” at 12:00 pm! The show will last approximately 1 hour, and each family can register for up to 5 tickets (for adults and children four and older).
Based on the best-selling book series, Stanley folds his way around the world with his flat-tastic hijinks. Stanley Lambchop is your ordinary, everyday ten-year-old until the bulletin board on the wall above his bed comes loose and falls right on top of him. The next morning, Stanley wakes up flat. In a whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley—the ultimate exchange student—scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem. He’s stamped, posted, and cancelled from Hollywood and France to Honolulu and beyond, all in an effort to become a three-dimensional boy once more.
The Packy Play Experience
At the performances, Packy, our friendly elephant mascot, welcomes the audience and introduces the show. The plays are family-friendly, fun-filled, with action, humor, audience participation, imaginative storylines, and catchy tunes to keep kids interested and involved.
Packy’s Theatre Rules
Plays are appropriate for children ages four and older. Children younger than 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring babies.
No eating or drinking allowed in the theater. Concession sold at the performance should be consumed in the lobby.
The taking of pictures and the use of recording devices are prohibited during the performance.
Children with distracting behaviors will be asked to leave the auditorium.
Additional information can be found on their website at: https://racinetheatre.org/
For any questions or accommodations, please reach out to Christy at ctimm@cclse.org.
Cancellations for events must be made at least 72 hours in advance. If 3 or more late cancellations or no-shows occur within a six-month period, the household’s event registrations in the following six months will default to a waitlist.
This event is limited to Wisconsin residents impacted by adoption or out-of-home care and their immediate household.

3rd Annual Rock County Foster Care Conference
2025-11-15 08:30 - 16:30 | Dr. Daniel Hale Williams Rock County Resource Center, 1717 Center Avenue, Janesville, WI, 53546
The Third Annual Rock County Foster Parent conference will be a day that promises to be both informative and engaging for all attendees!
Our day will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with check-in and morning refreshments. The Welcome and Opening Remarks will be given by Shelbey Shelton, CPS Lead Supervisor. There will be a conference icebreaker for all attendees. We are pleased to welcome Emi Nietfeld as our morning keynote speaker. Emi is a Harvard graduate, software engineer, journalist, public speaker, and award-winning author! Her memoir, Acceptance, tells her personal journey of her time in foster care and periods of homelessness. She will speak on the true meaning of Resilience.
There will be opportunities for small breakout sessions during the day; covering topics such as internet safety, first aid/cpr, managing risky behaviors, LGBTQIA+, and stress management. Attendees will be able to rank their preferred breakout sessions.
Lunch will be catered by Hacienda Real of Janesville!
Our closing keynote will be given by Patricia Carroll, UW Extension, Associate Professor in the Department of Family Development. She specializes in Human Development and Relationships. Professor Carroll will speak on The Importance of Parental Confidence.
Please see the Conference booklet for more information about the speakers and their presentations.
The conference is a great opportunity to obtain 8 hours of ongoing foster parent training credit, network with other foster parents, and gain insights from experts in the field!
Please see the PDF booklet of available break-out sessions, information about the presenters, and the detailed schedule.

Healing Centered Families Wisconsin 2025 Conference
2025-11-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Chula Vista Resort, 2501 River Rd, Wisconsin Dells, WI, 53965, United States
A free conference for reunified, adoptive, permanent guardianship families, and foster families who are on the path to permanency.
Healing Centered Families is a free statewide conference for reunified, adoptive, permanent guardianship families, and foster families who are on the path to permanency. This all-day conference will feature a dynamic keynote speaker, experts within the field, time to connect with other caregivers, as well as a resource room.
Keynote:

Attaching to Heal or Healing to Attach/Jaclyn Skalnik, founder of Adoption Wellness, LLC

Presentation Topics:

Attachment (Keynote Follow-Up Presentation)/Jaclyn Skalnik
Children’s Mental Health (OCMH)/Andrea Turtenwald
Navigating the School System/Julie Quigley, Autism United of Wisconsin

A block of rooms has been reserved for both Friday night, November 14, 2025 and Saturday night, November 15, 2025. To reserve a room, call the Chula Vista Resort directly at 1-833-509-1665. Please refer to booking ID#: K94459 Coalition for Children & Families for the “Healing Centered Families Conference.” Please make your reservation by November 1st to receive the special group rate of $98 for a single occupancy room or for $139 for a double-quad occupancy room . *We cannot guarantee waterpark hours and/or operation.
Please note- The conference is for adult attendees only. Children will not be admitted to the conference. Please arrange for childcare.

Healing Centered Families Conference 2025
2025-11-15 | Chula Vista Resort, 2501 River Rd, Wisconsin Dells, WI, 53965, United States
Save the Date!

A conference for guardians, adoptive parents, foster parents, reunified parents, or any family on the path to permanency.
