This theme helps participants understand the impact of separation and ambiguous loss, and the different ways children grieve. Life-long grieving and the importance of providing opportunities for grieving is explored. Strategies to help children deal with grief and loss are identified. Participants will understand loss and fractured attachments with birth family members and previous placements; recognize the importance of establishing and maintaining essential relationships with and for children; understand the impact of frequent moves and the importance of managing transitions for children; and understand the separation, grief and loss experienced by all members of the foster/adoption network.

• Explain the various losses that children may experience and how these losses can impact their feelings and behaviors currently and in the future.
• Describe the grieving process for children and behaviors that may be associated with it.
• Define ways that children grieve and how it often looks different than the way adults express grief.
• Understand how ambiguous loss and unrecognized grief impacts children.
• Understand how to support children in acknowledging their losses and grieving them over the life cycle.
• Learn how to recognize grief and loss as the possible underlying causes of behaviors

• Committed to recognizing and honoring children’s losses and helping them to grieve.
• Willing to reflect on how one’s own losses may impact their parenting experience

• Demonstrate the ability to recognize behaviors that may result from grief and loss and respond effectively in a way that considers the underlying cause of the behavior.