Wisconsin Family Connections Center

Family Fun Night at Skate City: Rice Lake
2026-02-11 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Skate City – Rice Lake, 2057 17 1/4-17 1/2 Ave., Rice Lake, WI, 54868, United States
Registration for this event is required on Eventbrite.

Adoptive, foster, guardianship, relative caregiver, and reunified families – join WiFCC for family fun night at Skate City in Rice Lake on Wednesday, February 11th from 5:00pm-7:00pm! Along with skating, Skate City features a playland for children 11 and under. Pizza and beverages will be provided!
To learn more about Skate City, check out their website: http://www.sk8city.com/.
All children must have a guardian/parent present for the entire event. Each attendee, regardless of plans to skate or not, must have a registered ticket. Please note that this may not be a sensory friendly event due to loud music and lights on the rink.
This event would be a great opportunity to invite your child’s birth/first family or previous foster family. We understand this may not work for all family dynamics but encourage you to consider it. We hope to create an opportunity for children to have all their loved ones in one location whenever possible and create positive memories together. Please have each household register separately.
If you have questions about this event, contact Madeline at mcurry@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.

Clinicians Webinar - From Conflict to Collaboration: Making Parents True Partners in Treatment
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | Microsoft Teams
Hard conversations with parents can leave even seasoned clinicians feeling stuck or discouraged. This session offers a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to shifting from conflict to collaboration in parent sessions. Participants will learn practical strategies to de-escalate resistance, strengthen trust, and invite parents into true partnership. Through real-world examples and usable language, clinicians will leave feeling more confident, grounded, and effective in their work with children and families.
Presented by special guest speaker to Wisconsin Family Ties, Megan M. Hamm, Ed.S, LPC-S, RPT. Megan is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist with over eighteen years of experience helping families navigate behavioral challenges. She is the owner of Time For A Change Counseling, LLC. With specialized training in trauma and attachment, Megan’s approach is rooted in understanding the underlying causes of challenging behaviors and empowering parents and clinicians with practical strategies to address them.
This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from Megan M. Hamm and walk away with practical insights you can use right away.
Questions?
Contact Kaitlyn Healy for more information.
📧 Email: khealy@wifamilyties.org

Lunch and Learn: They Are Not Invisible with Dr. Adam Anthony
2026-02-11 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
In this session, Dr. Adam Anthony centers the “They Are Not Invisible” EmpowerMENt framework, highlighting the critical need to recognize and affirm foster/adopted boys—especially boys of color, as whole, complex individuals whose behaviors often represent unseen grief, identity navigation, and resilience. Through personal narrative and practical guidance, the session explores the emotional, developmental, and cultural realities shaping their inner worlds. Families and professionals will receive grounded strategies to reduce misinterpretation, strengthen connection, and build pathways for leadership, belonging, and voice. The goal is simple yet powerful: to ensure these boys are not overlooked, mislabeled, or misunderstood, but instead fully seen and supported in every environment they move through.
Register

Virtual Group: Open Mic Teen Support Group
2026-02-10 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
Youth ages 13-17 who are part of an adoptive or guardianship family in Wisconsin

About this event
Join other teens of adoption or guardianship families for a live, video group session to socially connect and discuss topics related to challenges that arise in these family dynamics. This support group will be facilitated by Chelsey and Christy, WIFCC Support Specialists. Join as often as you would like!
This online group will utilize Zoom to connect over video chat. Your child will need to have access to a smart phone with the free Zoom app, or a computer with a camera and microphone. Parents, you will receive the link your child will need to connect to the group. If you have any questions, please contact ctimm@cclse.org or ccoulthurst@cclse.org.
Who is this group for? for teens who are in foster, adoptive, kinship, and/or guardianship families.
The group’s goal is to provide a structured and safe place for your child to build trust, coping skills, and peer connections while reducing frustration, conflicts, and anxiety felt at home. The group provides your child an opportunity to meet with fellow children dealing with similar challenges with their families on a more personal level. Your child will participate in a variety of activities and discussion while focusing on this session’s theme. The overall goal is for your child to feel supported, that they have control over their attitude and success in life, and understand the complexities of family life.
Group criteria:
• Children between the ages of 13 and 17 are welcome to participate
• During group the child needs a private space free from distractions or other members of the family, but still under the supervision of a trusted adult.
• If you register your child, please be sure they understand prior to registration that this group requires a willingness to participate.
• What your child shares in group is confidential information, unless his or her safety is at risk. Group facilitators are mandatory reporters.
Additional virtual group acknowledgments:
• I understand there are potential risks to this technology, including interruptions, unauthorized access, and technical difficulties. WIFCC may discontinue the virtual group session if it is felt that the videoconferencing connections are not adequate for the situation.
• The group participants must be residing in the state of Wisconsin.
This group is offered through the Wisconsin Family Connections Center, a program funded by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
Register

Cookies & Conversation - Moms Night Out!
2026-02-10 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | VanZeelands Nursery & Landscape, 2600 N Casaloma Dr., Appleton, WI, 54913
Please join the WiFCC for a Mom’s Night Out! Foster, pre-adoptive, and adoptive moms are welcome to come and relax while connecting with other moms touched by adoption.
Learn how to decorate your own set of Valentine-themed cookies with The Floured Whisk! You will be provided with six cookies, all the supplies to decorate, a box to take the cookies home, along with the recipes and step-by-step instructions. Everyone will receive a thank you bag with a cookie cutter, some piping bags, and some chocolates.
Contact Val at vzegers@cclse.org with any questions.
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.

Frosty Fun Skate Day: Ice Skating at Monona
2026-02-07 10:30 - 12:30 (America/Chicago) | Lake Ridge Bank River Rink, 6320 Inland Wy, Monona, WI, 53716
Registration for this event is required on Eventbrite. (will start Dec. 22, 2025)

Adoptive, foster, guardianship, relative caregivers, and reunified families, join the Wisconsin Family Connections Center for a fun filled morning ice skating at the Lake Ridge Bank River Rink in Monona, WI. We will have the rink reserved for the morning/early afternoon. Each registered skater will receive a free skate rental, and all attendees (skater or non-skater) will receive a hot cocoa and a snack. Please note there are tickets for skaters and non-skaters. If you will not be skating but plan to attend, please select a non-skater ticket.
This event will take place from 10:30am-12:30pm. Lake Ridge Bank River Rink is located in the heart of Monona. This ice rink offers the opportunity to make fun memories and, not to mention, an opportunity to show off your skills.
Due to the popularity of this event, please let us know ahead of time if there is any reason you can no longer attend or need fewer tickets than you originally signed up for. We would like to accommodate as many families as possible. Please note there will be a maximum of 6 tickets per household.
If you have any questions, please contact Megan at mmiller@cclse.org.
Hope to see you there!
This event is limited to Wisconsin residents impacted by adoption or out-of-home care and their immediate household.
Cancellations for events must be made at least 72 hours in

Caregiver Wood Board Art: Wausau
2026-02-06 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Clay Corner Studio LLC, 1801 Sherman Street, Wausau, WI, 54401, United States
Registration for this event is required on Eventbrite.

Caregivers impacted by adoption or out-of-home care, join WiFCC at Clay Corner Studio for a Friday night of art and connection! This event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Your registration includes all supplies needed to make your craft. Please register for one ticket per person. Information on how to pick your project will be sent via email before the event.
This workshop is designed for caregivers only. If you have any questions about this event, contact Chelsey at ccoulthurst@cclse.org or 715-491-7243.
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.
