Description

Caring for children born exposed to various substances or chemicals can be heart wrenching. Knowing what to do and how to respond can be frightening and confusing for caregivers.  These children need more than just “baby care” or traditional infant care, caregivers must know how to respond during those first few days, weeks, and months.  Being able to recognize important cues and responding to a child’s needs is essential in caring for a child born exposed; however, the care doesn’t end there.  Caring for these children also requires an understanding of how a child’s development can be affected as the child grows and understanding the types of lasting effects uterine exposure can have on the child in terms of their physical and cognitive growth. Equally important is the learning and practicing the importance of self-care as a caregiver.  In this session, we’ll discuss how prenatal substance use can affect the child’s growth and development in utero as well as in life after birth. We’ll discuss key factors to look for early on so that seeking intervention early on can provide your child with the most opportunities to be successful and ways that caregivers can practice self-care.

About the Trainer: Dr. Forbes is a nationally recognized expert in the care and improved outcomes of infants and families affected maternal substance use disorder, opioid use in pregnancy and infant withdrawal. Dr. Forbes is board certified in neonatal and perinatal medicine and pediatrics.

Dr. Forbes founded NASCEND to advance better outcomes for infants and their families through education, training, and innovative technology and as a way to share her experience with other health care providers across the country. Dr. Forbes is a practicing neonatologist and provides direct care for substance exposed infants in the hospital and provides opioid-assisted treatment (OAT), counseling and education for pregnant and parenting women. (https://nascend.com/about/)

Please note: Although this LIVE webinar is designed to be an informative, educational, and helpful resource for kinship families caring for relative or fictive kin children, anyone is welcome to attend including foster parents, professionals, students, or community members. It is our hope that by participating in this LIVE webinar, attendees will receive educational and helpful information. However, it is important to note that this webinar is not approved for foster parent training credit or CEU’s as attendance is not monitored during the webinar event.