Wisconsin Family Connections Center

Live Webinar - Hope, Healing, and Connection: A Trauma-Responsive Journey for Families
2025-12-09 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Wisconsin Family Connections Center Classroom
Each family brings their own story—and with it, unique needs. Sometimes that story includes foster care, adoption, or guardianship. Often, needs show up right away, while others emerge as children grow and develop. In this webinar, we’ll take a gentle, trauma-responsive look at the emotional and behavioral challenges that can arise throughout the family’s journey. Together, we’ll explore how early adversity shapes the brain and behavior, how grief and loss may surface in different seasons of life, and how questions about identity and belonging can affect children as they grow. Most importantly, we’ll share practical ways families can nurture strong, healthy relationships and create deeper connections with their children.
Presenter: Samantha L. Wilson, PhD, IMH-E® IV, is Professor of Pediatrics in the division of Pediatric Psychology and Developmental Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is the Director of the International Adoption Clinic at Children’s Wisconsin and has been licensed as a Clinical Psychologist in Wisconsin since 2008. She provides trauma-informed, relationship-based assessment and intervention to children/teens and their families, exclusively with families formed by adoption/foster care. Academic publications cover aspects of adoption, effects of institutional care, and social-emotional development. She is an adjunct staff for the Wisconsin-based TIES Adoptive Family Travel program, a heritage travel experience for internationally adopted people and families. Dr. Wilson is currently credentialed within Wisconsin as an Infant Mental Health Mentor (Level IV – Clinical) and is recognized as a Wisconsin-based state trainer for Trauma-Informed, Child Parent Psychotherapy. Along with direct service to youth and families, she serves as a mentor within the University of Wisconsin Infant, Early Childhood, and Family Mental Health Capstone Program and provides mental health consultation to the Waukesha County (WI) Head Start Program. Lastly, she is a cadre member of Vibrant’s Crisis Emotional Care Team, through which she provides consultation and education to professionals supporting youth in the context of early adversity and/or disaster recovery.
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 | 6:00-8:00 PM
Free | Registration is limited to 500 participants. Register for the live webinar by clicking here! Licensed foster parents will receive 2.0 training credits for participation in this webinar. Each individual participant must register separately to receive credit. Questions? Call us at 1-800-762-8063 or email info@wifamilyconnectionscenter.org

Zootopia 2 Family Movie Event - Appleton
2025-12-09 17:00 - 19:30 UTC | Marcus Valley Grand Cinema, W3091 Van Roy Rd, Appleton, WI, 54915
Please join the WiFCC for Zootopia 2 in theaters! Adoptive, foster, guardianship, kinship, and reunified families are welcome to attend. Each family can have up to eight people from their family attend this event.
We have rented the auditorium exclusively for our group. Each attendee will receive a movie ticket, a 20-oz fountain beverage, popcorn, and candy of their choice.
Plan to arrive between 5:00 pm and 5:20 pm to check in and grab your drinks/snacks before the movie starts at 5:30 pm.
Due to the popularity of family events, please let your local WiFCC specialist 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.
If you have any questions regarding this event or require special accommodations, please contact Val at vzegers@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.

Family Fun Night at Skate City: Rice Lake
2025-12-09 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | Skate City – Rice Lake, 2057 17 1/4-17 1/2 Ave., Rice Lake, WI, 54868, United States
Adoptive, foster, guardianship, relative caregiver, and reunified families – join WiFCC for family fun night at Skate City in Rice Lake on Tuesday, December 9th, from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm! Along with skating, Skate City features a playland for children 11 years old and under. Pizza and beverages will be provided!
Please note that there is a maximum of 5 tickets per family.
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. If you have any questions about this event, please 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.

Christmas with Santa & the WiFCC- Busy Barn Adventure Farms: Fort Atkinson
2025-12-07 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Busy Barn Farm Adventures, W7675 US-12, Fort Atkinson, WI, 53538
Wisconsin Family Connections Center invites you to a special Christmas on the Farm Event at Busy Barn Farm Adventures in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Bring the whole family for a magical moment with Santa. Say hello, share your wish list, and snap a festive photo to remember. You won’t want to miss Mrs. Claus’s story time as she reads some of her favorite Christmas stories while you enjoy cookies and milk. Take a stroll out to Santa’s stables to visit and feed some of the furry and feathered friends on the farm (weather dependent and please dress accordingly). This private event is intended for foster, adoptive, guardianship, reunified, and relative caregiver families residing in the State of Wisconsin.
For additional information on Busy Barn Adventure Farms, please visit: https://www.busybarnsfarm.com.
Tickets are limited to 6 individuals per household. For any questions or accommodation needs, please email Jamie at jsocolick@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.

Eau Claire Children's Theatre Polar Express Holiday Party: Eau Claire
2025-12-06 13:30 - 15:30 UTC | Eau Claire Children’s Theatre, 1814 N Oxford Ave, Eau Claire, WI, 54703
Join WiFCC on Saturday, December 6th at 1:30 pm at the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre for The Polar Express Holiday Party! This event will feature model trains, Santa, hot chocolate and cookies, holiday bingo, a reading of The Polar Express, and more! This event is intended for foster, adoptive, guardianship, reunified, and relative caregiver families. Please feel free to wear holiday pajamas or festive sweaters!
There is a maximum of 6 tickets per family/household. If you have questions about this event, please contact Madeline at mcurry@cclse.org.
Due to the popularity of family events, please let your local WiFCC specialist 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.
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.

Families Like Mine: Wisconsin Relative Caregivers for Children-SE Wisconsin
2025-12-06 10:00 - 14:00 UTC | Coalition for Children, Youth & Families, 6737 W Washington St. Ste. 2353, West Allis, WI, 53214, United States
Join us at the Families Like Mine Regional Event for Wisconsin Relative Caregivers of Children – let’s share, learn, and support each other!

This Families Like Mine is a free regional event for relative caregivers in SE Wisconsin who are caring for children both through child welfare and informally. This drop-in event at Summit Place-Coalition for Children, Youth & Families will take place from 10:00am-2:00pm. Please come when it is convenient for you.
This event will feature:

Regional and state-wide vendors that support relative and like-kin caregiving families
Provide opportunities to connect with experienced relative and like-kin caregivers to build support andconnection
Offer a family activity for relative and like-kincaregivers to bond with the children in their care

Attendees will have opportunities to meet and connect with other relative caregivers from throughout the state, as well as collect resources for ongoing support.
Please note- This is a drop-in event. You do not need to stay the entire time. Bringing the children in your care is optional.

Please register to attend on Eventbrite!

WiFCC Birth Parent Smash Room and Splatter Paint: Appleton
2025-12-04 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | The Breaking Point Rage Room, 2011 N Richmond St, Appleton, WI, 54911
Registration for this event is required on Eventbrite.

This event is open to all birth parents who have had a child placed for adoption, no matter what type of adoption or which agency was involved. Regardless of how long it’s been since placement occurred, you are eligible to sign up for this event.
Join the WiFCC at The Breaking Room in Appleton to engage in a 45-minute fun, stress-relieving smash room. Use bats, golf clubs, and other tools to break ceramic, glass, and metal bustables! There will be an additional 15 minutes to participate in a splatter paint room to create your own canvas. Enjoy throwing paint with squirt guns, paint brushes, and more.
The facility will provide coveralls, gloves, and a face shield to protect you from any flying debris. Please be sure to dress comfortably and wear closed-toed shoes. For more information, check out their website here: https://www.thebreakingpointllc.com/.
If you would like to join, there will be additional time after the event for conversation and snacks at a nearby restaurant. More details to come.
We want all attendees to feel comfortable while meeting other birth parents, which is why we are offering a support person ticket type for this event. This ticket will allow you to bring one supportive person to this event who does not need to identify as a birth parent.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Karla at kmeyer@cclse.org or 715-577-3999.
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.

Foster Parent and Adoptive Parent Support Group - Fond du Lac
2025-12-02 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Grace and Truth Christian Fellowship, N5776 County Rd D, Fond du Laz, WI, 54937
This group will have training opportunities, help and guidance with questions and concerns, and help to build relationships with others who are walking similar roads. Led by fellow foster parents.
A time of encouragement, support, and community.
Light refreshments and childcare will be provided. Please notify us if you will be utilizing childcare so we can plan accordingly.
Meeting on the first Tuesday of every month.
Email Lydia Duke for more info joelandlydia13@gmail.com
