Understanding Child Maltreatment
Understanding Child Maltreatment: Contributing Factors and Impact on Children
September 23rd |1:00 pm – 2:30 pm ET
1.5 CEs/Contact Hours | Free for live attendees
Speaker: Dr. Anna Koehle, EdD, HS-BCP
When a child experiences abuse or neglect, it has significant and lasting effects on their physical, emotional, and psychological development. To offer effective support, professionals and caregivers must understand what child maltreatment is, how it occurs, and the impact it leaves behind. This webinar will explore the various factors that contribute to child maltreatment, including environmental, familial, and societal influences. Participants will also learn to recognize signs of maltreatment and examine the short- and long-term effects of child maltreatment.
For more information on continuing education and to register, follow this link.
What is NCFA?
The National Council For Adoption (NCFA) is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the love and stability of a permanent family. For more than 40 years, NCFA has walked alongside children, birth parents, and adoptive families, offering support, guidance, and advocacy. They also equip professionals and communities with education and resources that help protect children and strengthen families. NCFA believes adoption is not just a process, but a lifelong journey, and they are committed to making sure no one walks that path alone. Together, they work to build a brighter future for children and families everywhere.
How Can Adoptive Parents Benefit from NCFA?
For Adoptive Families and Birth Parents
This training helps those who have experienced adoption better understand how childhood maltreatment can affect development and relationships. By learning to recognize signs of trauma and the ways it can surface over time, families and birth parents gain tools to respond with greater empathy, patience, and support.
For Adoptees and Caregivers
Adoptees and those who care for them benefit from practical strategies to promote healing and resilience. The training creates space for understanding past experiences, while offering guidance on building trust, strengthening connections, and fostering a safe, nurturing environment for every child.
Why This Matters in Adoption
Understanding child maltreatment is more than professional knowledge—it’s a way to honor the lived experiences of children, families, and birth parents touched by adoption. When we recognize the realities of trauma and learn how to respond with compassion, we create space for healing and connection. This training offers practical steps that can make a real difference in adoption journeys by helping participants:
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Recognize the unique challenges children may carry into adoption
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Build stronger, more trusting relationships within families
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Offer birth parents and adoptees greater empathy and understanding
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Support resilience and long-term well-being for children
By learning together, we can ensure that adoption is not just about creating families, but also about fostering safe, supportive, and loving homes where every child can thrive.
