A seminar on foster care, featuring an international expert on the subject, is planned this weekend in Gainesville.
Dr. John DeGarmo is a TEDx Talk presenter and the founder and director of The Foster Care Institute.
As foster parents, he and his wife have had over 60 children come through their home and have received many awards, including the Good Morning America Ultimate Hero Award.
This will be the latest in a series of statewide trainings hosted and led by Dr. DeGarmo as part of an effort to build a support network for foster care parents across Georgia. He will share his extensive personal experience and insights to help caregivers create stable and healing environments for children in care, according to the announcement of the meeting.
Why now for such sessions?
Because Georgia’s foster care system is undergoing a major shift due to the recent Medicaid procurement process, the announcement says. Dr. DeGarmo will be offering free training sessions on trauma-informed care and other topics. The goal is to empower foster parents with knowledge and support to enhance retention and encourage more individuals to consider becoming foster parents.
Other scheduled speakers at the seminar, to be held Saturday 10:00-2:00 at The Element Church on Pine Valley Road, are State Sens. Drew Echols and Bo Hatchett.