Friday Morning, In-Person, October 9, 2026 – 11:00 am to 12:30 pm – Lunch Provided
Presented by Cynthia Anderson, Yolo CARES, Adult with “Lived Experience” and Caregiver of Younger Siblings
Woodland Community College
2300 E. Gibson Road – Woodland, CA 95776
Building 100 (no parking permit is needed)
Grief and loss are woven throughout the foster care journey, often in ways we do not immediately recognize. For resource parents, it may be the experience of loving a child deeply and eventually saying goodbye. For grandparents and kinship caregivers, it may mean grieving the family life they once knew while unexpectedly stepping into the role of parenting again. It can also mean carrying the heartbreak of watching an adult child or other loved one struggle and being unable, at least for now, to safely care for their children.
Children and youth bring their own experiences of loss—separation from parents, siblings, extended family, friends, schools, neighborhoods, traditions, and everything that once felt familiar. Even positive changes can bring complicated emotions and grief.
In this supportive and interactive workshop, we will explore the many faces of grief and loss in foster and kinship care, how grief can influence emotions, relationships, and behavior, and ways caregivers can care for themselves while remaining emotionally present for the children and families they love. Together, we will consider how understanding grief can help us make room for healing, changing relationships, connection, and hope.