Our event page provides opportunities for families to connect and experience new activities in a stress-free, accepting space. Check out our special events below for more information and dates. This calendar is updated regularly, so please check back often. Please get in touch if you have an event to share with us.
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FSI Training Explorations ~ Weathering the Storm: Understanding Aggression toward Family/Caregivers in Childhood and Adolescence (AFCCA).
April 11, 2022 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm PDT
Join Lauri Cabral and Tracy Moisan on April 11th.
Aggression toward Family/Caregivers in Childhood & Adolescence (AFCCA) is a difficult subject for many to discuss. While many know of its existence (often under different names and descriptions), it is frequently unreported and not widely discussed. The individuals exhibiting the behaviour as well as their parents / caregivers speak of the shame and isolation they commonly experience when they do bring light to the discussion. The National Consortium on Aggression toward Family/Caregivers in Childhood & Adolescence (AFCCA) was formed to gain a better understanding from Canadian stakeholders and to explore the perspectives of individuals, families, and service providers on how best to improve outcomes for Canadian children, their families, and their communities.
More than 100 young adults, parents, caregivers, and siblings shared their lived experiences and expertise to shape key learnings, help to codevelop recommendations, as well as test and validate emerging conclusions. Collectively they represent a cross-Canadian geographic perspective, and include perspectives from biological, adoptive, and kinship families, youth who had experienced child welfare and child protection systems including alternative living arrangements, neurodiverse individuals, and first voice youth advocates.
Lauri Cabral is the Chair of the National Consortium on Aggression toward Family/Caregivers in Childhood & Adolescence (AFCCA) and chairs the Adopt4life Working committee on AFCCA. Lauri’s recognized expertise in the challenges faced by families experiencing AFCCA has led her to share her insights with numerous professional organizations and service providers seeking to understand this issue. Lauri passionately believes that with the right understanding and support for families, we can together improve outcomes for their children. After 25+ years in various management roles, she joined Adopt4Life where she worked in both a strategic capacity and as a Regional Parent Liaison, building a peer support network in the Eastern region of Ontario. Lauri has directly supported countless families experiencing AFCCA, created community awareness and learning opportunities for families and professionals, hosted on-line support groups, and facilitated knowledge sharing with international experts. Lauri has worked to build relationships with academics across Canada to expand Canadian research to include literature on the topic. She has her M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology and is certified in alternate dispute resolution. The prevalence of AFCCA and devastating impacts experienced by families is what drives her continued efforts to raise awareness and influence change. Lauri is based in Ontario, Canada.
Tracy Moisan is the Program Director for the National Consortium on Aggression toward Family/Caregivers in Childhood and Adolescence (AFCCA). She is a passionate advocate for increased understanding of neurodiversity and supporting children and youth with exceptional needs. As a founding member and past director of two parent support networks for families and individuals with FASD, Tracy has helped to build effective peer support relationships that improve parent and caregiver mental health and resiliency. In her role with Adopt4Life, Tracy leads marketing and community engagement strategies that build awareness and understanding of the needs of adoptive families. As an adoptive parent herself, Tracy deeply understands the complexities inherent in adoption and the need for ongoing, trauma-informed, attachment-centered supports for families and youth. She is an advocate for deepening family engagement in research, and has partnered on multiple research studies herself sharing her lived experience. Tracy also brings 25+ years’ experience in leading and implementing engaging marketing, communications, and community engagement strategies, spanning the technology and non-profit sectors. Tracy is based in Ontario, Canada.
