Arise Family is an NGO based in Cape Town, South Africa.

We believe that every child is created to be part of a thriving family. And our goal is to support families to thrive, however they are formed. In practice, this means we use strength-based and resilience building interventions as we work with children, parents and caregivers to strengthen and equip families so that they can be a place where children feel safe, loved, and find a sense of belonging.

Arise has over 14 years’ experience in programme development, facilitation and adoption support. Our team consists of psychologists, social workers and play therapists; many of whom are also adoptive parents. We bring our education, experience, and skills to provide evidence based and strength building resources to South Africa in ways that promote growth and resilience. LOOKING IN is a stepping stone into helping your family thrive!

Alexa Russell Matthews, Robyn Jacobs & Danielle Moosajie

Senior Social Workers & Clinical Psychologist

Alexa Russell Matthews (Senior Social Worker with a Masters degree in Play Therapy), Robyn Jacobs (Clinical Psychologist) and Danielle Moosajie (Social Worker with Masters in Social Policy and Management) are experienced and accomplished facilitators.  Robyn, Alexa and Danielle have over 50 years of combined experience in the mental health field and have worked in public, private, corporate and education sectors.  Together, they are responsible for the psychosocial programme development at Arise and have written, piloted and run various workshops in multiple schools and groups with great success.

By completing this course, you will be able to:

  • Name 5 activities that you can do to build attachment.

  • Explain the legal process of adoption in South Africa.

  • Know that adoption is about finding families for children and not children for families.

  • Discuss why the child being centred is the WHY behind adoption.

  • Talk about at least 5 signs of grief and loss in adoption.

  • Understand why identity is critically important, particularly in transracial adoption.

  • Select a next step regarding your preparedness for bringing a child of a different race and/or culture into your home.

What others have to say...

5 star rating

Invaluable preparation

Gina Zietsman

Although I been engaging with a lot of adoption-related content, this was different in that it was tailored to South African children and families. It was everything I could have hope for in further preparing me for the journey ahead. I feel like ...

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Although I been engaging with a lot of adoption-related content, this was different in that it was tailored to South African children and families. It was everything I could have hope for in further preparing me for the journey ahead. I feel like the facilitators touch on all the important aspects of adoption in a way that is thorough & opens your eyes, but is not overwhelming or pessimistic. I also appreciated that time was encouraged to reflect and process what you were hearing. I especially loved hearing personal stories of adoptive moms and adoptees. Would highly recommend to anyone on or considering adoption.

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5 star rating

A great start for South African contextualized content!

Sean&Kayla Pattenden

I so appreciate the content being created with our unique context in mind. I was particularly appreciative of the segment on interracial adoption & conspicuous families. The real life stories were very impactful and presented from a variety o...

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I so appreciate the content being created with our unique context in mind. I was particularly appreciative of the segment on interracial adoption & conspicuous families. The real life stories were very impactful and presented from a variety of perspectives. Loved the Adoption Instagram Links- super helpful for current content associated with our journey Appreciate you all and value the work you do!

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5 star rating

Great introduction to all the issues

Jean Luyt

Thanks to the Arise team for once again producing great learning opportunties for adoptive families. Essential for anyone considering adoption.

Thanks to the Arise team for once again producing great learning opportunties for adoptive families. Essential for anyone considering adoption.

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5 star rating

Wonderful course

Mareike Kramper

I can highly recommend the Arise course, as it has helped me to ask myself questions about the different aspects of becoming an adoptive parent. The content was easy to follow, yet challenging at times. I enjoyed the worksheets and the recourse. F...

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I can highly recommend the Arise course, as it has helped me to ask myself questions about the different aspects of becoming an adoptive parent. The content was easy to follow, yet challenging at times. I enjoyed the worksheets and the recourse. Five stars!

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Course curriculum

    1. Meet your Trainers

    2. Why a course like this?

    3. What is adoption & why should we adopt?

    1. Legal process for biological family, child and adoptive family

    1. What is attachment and how do we grow it?

    2. Strategies for reinforcing attachment

    3. Interview with an Adoptive Parent - Rachel O' Rosenberg

    1. Grief and Loss in Adoption

    2. ReMoved Movie Review

    1. Race & Identity in Adoption

    2. Listening to an Adoptee - Thandi Garrett

    1. Conspicuous Families

    2. Listening to an Adoptee - Themba Robin Behrens

About this course

  • $28.00
  • 18 lessons
  • 2 hours of video content

FAQ

The questions people ask before saying “Yes, please!” to Looking In!

  • What's the time investment for doing the course?

    All 18 lessons can be viewed in about 2 hours total. Each lesson is about 10-15 minutes, allowing you to watch in small time increments of time convenient to you.

  • What's the time investment for activities?

    The worksheets, activities and case studies can all be downloaded and completed in your own time. We recommend setting aside 15-20 minutes for each module (there are 4 in total) to work through the activities. The learning really takes place through the interactive reflections and applications and are a vital part of the programme.

  • Can I learn at my own pace?

    Yes, the course is designed for you to go through it as fast or as slow as you would like. Just log in and pick up where you left off, repeat lessons you’ve already watched or watch them all in one sitting. The choice is yours.

  • How long do I have access to the course?

    You will be able to log in and access the Looking In course for the lifetime of the course at Arise Family. There is no expiration date for your access and you can return and re-do the course as often as you need to. In the future event of Arise Family ever retiring the course, you will be given appropriate notice and time to complete any outstanding lessons.

  • Is this course accredited?

    While all our facilitators are accredited professionals with their various professional governing bodies, the Looking In course is not specifically accredited. The course is designed to provide you with introductory information that is relevant and up to date. It works best when used as you prepare to adopt or are starting the journey to adoption with your social worker. Some adoption agencies may recommend or refer to Arise Family and Looking In as part of your preparation, but that does not infer any sort of accreditation to the course itself.

  • Will anyone be able to access information about me?

    All your details and information collected by Arise Family are kept confidential and records are maintained as governed by the POPI Act. Our privacy policy can be accessed on our site. If you are completing this course as part of your preparation and counselling with an accredited adoption agency and were provided a code by them to access the course, please know that your adoption social work team will be able to access details regarding your progress in the course and completion dates.

Our Money-Back Guarantee

We’re so convinced that you will absolutely love our products, that we are willing to offer a 7 day risk-free money back guarantee.  If you are not satisfied with the digital product or e-course for any reason you can get a refund within 7 days of making a purchase.  We would ask that you kindly delete all copies of the downloads or digital products if you do request a refund.  Requesting a refund will also mean you lose access to the course platform and any future updates to the material.  If you request a refund and any physical product was shipped to you as part of the course, you will be required to ship the items in their original packaging and unused back to Arise Family before your refund will be arranged.  Any transaction fees associated with processing your credit card and the refund will be deducted from the amount of the course we refund to you. 

*We stand behind our guarantee. Before you make your purchase, please view our full policy.