Parental education programs equip parents with practical tools and proven strategies to navigate parenting challenges with confidence. Read our guide to discover how these skills can strengthen family bonds.
Kids don’t come with an instruction manual, but that doesn’t mean you have to figure out parenting all on your own. Education about parenting biological, adoptive or foster children provides guidance from leading experts and parents who have been in your shoes. Education platforms can help you navigate raising children with confidence, while reducing the likelihood of crisis interventions.
What is Parent Training
Training resources for parents are more than just classes and webinars. They are an opportunity to gain tools, perspectives and support that can make a lasting difference for your family. These programs can cover a wide range of topics including mealtime challenges, attachment and self-regulation.
For adoptive parents and those supporting them, training offers a safe space to learn about the unique joys and challenges of the adoption journey. These courses can also help families meet pre-adoption education requirements set by many states and agencies, ensuring people parenting through adoption are well-prepared before welcoming a child home.
How Training Reduces Crisis Interventions
Parent training gives families proactive tools to manage challenging behaviors before they escalate. By teaching strategies such as emotion regulation and how to build secure attachment, parents are better equipped to create nurturing environments where children feel understood and supported. Education can help parents recognize early warning signs of behaviors that might otherwise require crisis-level interventions.
In a study published in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, foster caregivers who participated in attachment-focused training “reported that their children showed less avoidance when distressed,” and the training “enhanced foster children’s ability to seek support directly from their caregivers.” This is just one example of how preparing parents with the skills they need can help them navigate challenges before they escalate.
Empowering Parents at Every Stage
Parenting is an ever-evolving journey, with each stage bringing new joys and new challenges. The strategies that support a toddler learning to talk aren’t the same as the ones that guide a teenager through questions of identity. Training equips parents with a toolkit they can draw from at every stage, helping them feel prepared not just for the present moment, but for what’s ahead. Here are a couple of training programs that can support you in your parenting journey.
StageWise Parenting’s online learning platform offers on-demand webinars and self-paced courses that are accessible, engaging and deeply informed by research and expert advice for anyone caring for or working with children. Whether you’re facing everyday parenting struggles or navigating complex emotional or behavioral concerns, StageWise Parenting meets you where you and your child are. When grownups have the knowledge and confidence to meet children’s needs, everyone thrives.
The W.I.S.E. UP!® program extends this support directly to children, giving them a safe space to explore their feelings about adoption while building practical tools to respond to intrusive questions or insensitive remarks. Parents are part of the experience as well, gaining insight and strategies to support their children as they put these tools into practice. The Cradle is proud to be the only organization in Illinois trained to facilitate this program that empowers adopted and foster children to decide if, when and how to share their stories.
For guidance on which courses or programs might best support your family, we invite you to contact cradle@cradle.org or info@stagewiseparenting.org for personalized recommendations.
