ETC Parent Training

Parent Training Overview

Empowered to Connect (ETC) Parent/Caregiver Training is an interactive learning experience designed for parents and caregivers specifically those whose children have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and maltreatment. We fundamentally believe that every human being has a great capacity to grow and overcome adversity when that journey is done in supportive, connected, and nurturing environments. The ETC Parent Training was developed by Michael & Amy Monroe and relies heavily on the Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) model developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and her colleagues at the Karyn Purvis TCU Institute of Child Development.

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ETC Parent Training equips parents and caregivers with a holistic understanding of their child’s needs and development while empowering them with the tools and strategies to effectively meet those needs, build trust, and help their child heal and grow. The training is taught from a Christian perspective and focuses on a wide range of topics, including helping parents understand the impact of their child’s history, what they themselves bring to the parent-child relationship, the fundamentals of attachment, the impact of fear, and the importance of meeting their child’s sensory processing, nutritional and other physiological needs.

Ultimately, ETC Parent Training integrates this holistic understanding with the insights and skills parents need to effectively and consistently employ a balanced parenting approach that allows them to provide the compassionate discipline that both connects and corrects.

Session Topics & Training Requirements

Empowered to Connect Parent Training is divided into two separate courses: the Prepare Course (for pre-placement couples and singles) that meets for six weeks, and the Connect Course (for post-placement couples and singles) that meets for nine weeks.  Each course is taught in interactive small groups that meet weekly for two-hour sessions.

The Prepare Course includes the following six sessions designed to provide useful insights and a solid foundation for those who have not yet adopted or begun fostering:

• Building a Foundation of Connection
• Examining What You Bring to the Relationship
• Discovering the Heart of Connection – Attachment
• Focusing on the Needs of the Whole Child
• Putting It All Together: Connecting While Correcting (Parts 1 & 2)

The Connect Course includes the following nine sessions designed for parents who have already adopted:

• Building a Foundation of Connection
• Understanding What Your Child Brings to the Relationship
• Examining What You Bring to the Relationship (Part 1)
• Examining What You Bring to the Relationship (Part 2)
• Discovering the Heart of Connection – Attachment
• Focusing on the Needs of the Whole Child
• Putting It All Together: Connecting While Correcting (Parts 1-3)