The network
Trusted organizations for the trail.
A directory of the organizations we turn to for research, advocacy, direct services, professional training, and caregiver support. Every one of them has earned a place on our nightstand or in our browser bookmarks.
Stretch 2 · Settling InNo one walks the trail alone. These organizations do the slow, steady work that makes individual trails possible. We link to them because we use them. If your organization belongs here and is not yet listed, please reach out.
Research and information
The organizations that gather, translate, and share what we know about childhood trauma and its healing.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
A federal network of trauma-focused centers. Their site is the best starting point for free, evidence-based guides for caregivers, teachers, and clinicians.
SafetyStabilityVisit siteChild Welfare Information Gateway
The federal clearinghouse for child welfare research, laws, and practice guides. A serious research tool with plain-language fact sheets.
SafetyVisit siteCenter on the Developing Child (Harvard)
Harvard's hub for the science of early childhood, including toxic stress, resilience, and brain architecture. Their short explainer videos are excellent.
StabilityIdentity & ValueVisit siteChildTrauma Academy
Bruce Perry's organization. Home of the Neurosequential Model and a growing library of trainings for caregivers and professionals.
SafetyStabilityVisit siteZero to Three
Research and resources focused on the first three years of life, where early experience shapes long-term development.
StabilityLove & AcceptanceVisit site
Advocacy and policy
The organizations fighting for better systems, better laws, and better lives for children and the adults who raise them.
Children's Defense Fund
A long-running advocacy organization for children in poverty, children of color, and children in the child welfare system.
SafetyVisit siteNational Foster Youth Institute
A youth-led advocacy group founded and run by former foster youth, working to change policy from the inside out.
Identity & ValueVisit siteJuvenile Law Center
A legal advocacy organization for children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
SafetyVisit siteNorth American Council on Adoptable Children
Advocacy, training, and support for adoptive and foster families, with a strong focus on older children and children with complex needs.
Love & AcceptanceVisit site
Direct services
Organizations that connect caregivers and children to real humans, real homes, and real help.
AdoptUSKids
A federally funded resource helping connect waiting children in US foster care with families, plus rich resources for prospective parents.
Love & AcceptanceVisit siteCasey Family Programs
The largest operating foundation focused on foster care, working directly with child welfare systems across the country.
StabilityVisit siteGenerations United
A home for kinship caregivers, especially grandparents and other relatives raising children, with practical guides and advocacy.
StabilityVisit siteChildhelp
The organization behind the 1-800-422-4453 hotline, also offering prevention, treatment, and advocacy services nationwide.
SafetyVisit siteFosterClub
A national network for young people in foster care, led by young people in foster care. Essential reading for any caregiver.
Identity & ValueVisit site
Training for helpers
If you are a therapist, teacher, caseworker, or caregiver looking for deeper training in trauma-informed care.
TBRI (Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development)
Home of Trust-Based Relational Intervention. Trainings for caregivers and professionals working with children from hard places.
Love & AcceptanceVisit siteCircle of Security International
Parent-education programs rooted in attachment research, designed to help caregivers read and respond to their children.
Love & AcceptanceVisit sitePolyvagal Institute
Training and resources based on Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory, which has shaped how many clinicians understand trauma in the body.
SafetyVisit siteAttachment and Trauma Network
Training, support groups, and advocacy specifically for families raising children with attachment and trauma needs.
Love & AcceptanceVisit siteCollaborative and Proactive Solutions (Lives in the Balance)
Ross Greene's organization, offering free training on the collaborative problem solving model for parents, teachers, and clinicians.
StabilityVisit site
Caregiver support
For the adults walking the trail. Support groups, respite resources, and peer communities.
Foster Care Alumni of America
A national organization by and for people who grew up in foster care, with resources for alumni and the families who raised them.
Identity & ValueVisit siteARCH National Respite Network
A directory of respite care programs across the country, for caregivers who need a rest and do not know where to start looking.
StabilityVisit sitePostpartum Support International
Support for parents, including adoptive and foster parents, navigating postpartum and post-placement mental health.
StabilityVisit siteCreating a Family
A nonprofit with a deep library of articles, podcasts, and support groups specifically for adoptive, foster, and kinship families.
Love & AcceptanceVisit siteNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Support groups and education for families navigating a loved one's mental health. Their family-to-family program is a lifeline for many caregivers.
Love & AcceptanceVisit siteEmpowered to Connect
A community resource rooted in TBRI, offering online courses and a podcast for caregivers raising children with trauma histories.
Love & AcceptanceVisit site
A note on outside links
These organizations are independent. We link to them because we trust their work, not because they sponsor us. If you encounter a broken link or outdated information, let us know so we can tend the directory.