Expert Support for Adoptive Families Facing Challenging Behaviors

Facing challenges with your adopted child? Our specialized services help families overcome behavioral issues and prevent disruption. Parent Cooperative Community offers evidence-based support for families struggling with difficult behaviors, addressing the root causes to create lasting change.

When Challenging Behaviors Threaten Family Stability

Many adoptive families face behavioral challenges that can put tremendous strain on relationships and family functioning.

These behaviors often stem from trauma, attachment disruption, and other adoption-related experiences. Without appropriate intervention, these challenges can escalate to crisis levels.

Our post-adoption behavioral support services provide specialized intervention for families dealing with challenging behaviors. Our trauma-informed approach helps families understand the root causes of behaviors, develop effective management strategies, and rebuild relationships damaged by ongoing conflict.

"Most families that come to PCC are in absolute crisis. They are absolutely desperate and they are terrified that their child is either going to be pulled from their home or they're gonna have to place their child outside of their home, which is not what they imagined."

- Helene Timpone

Brandon & Milena’s Story: From Crisis to Connection

Brandon and Milena’s journey with their adopted daughter highlights the transformative impact of receiving specialized behavioral support. Watch as they share their experience of moving from crisis to connection with PCC's help.

"Helene asked us what we wanted and he said, 'I want a relationship with my daughter,' and I said, 'I want to not be afraid. I want a relationship but I don't want to be afraid of always having conflict.'"

- Milena, Adoptive Parent

Our Behavioral Support Approach

Rebuilding Family Relationships

Many families experience relationship damage after prolonged behavioral challenges. Our team helps rebuild trust, communication, and connection between family members, creating the foundation for healing and growth.

Developing Effective Management Strategies

We provide parents with practical, trauma-informed strategies to address challenging behaviors in the moment. These approaches focus on maintaining safety, de-escalating situations, and teaching alternative behaviors while preserving relationships.

Creating a Therapeutic Home Environment

We work with parents to create an environment that supports healing and positive behavior. This includes establishing routines, setting appropriate expectations, and implementing consistent responses that meet your child's unique needs.

Preventing Placement Disruption

For families in crisis, our services can prevent adoption dissolution or placement disruption. We provide intensive support during critical periods to stabilize the situation and develop long-term solutions for family preservation.

"When you actually do the healing of the trauma underneath, the behaviors go away. Families have felt really hopeless, not thinking that there was going to be a difference, and I was that last-ditch effort."

- Helene Timpone

Common Behavioral Challenges We Address

Our behavioral support services help families address a wide range of challenging behaviors, including:

Emotional Regulation Difficulties

Children with trauma histories often struggle to manage their emotions, resulting in meltdowns, explosive outbursts, or emotional shutdown. Our approach helps children develop regulation skills while teaching parents how to co-regulate and support emotional development.

Aggression & Defiance

Many adopted children struggle with aggressive behaviors, defiance, and opposition to authority. These behaviors often reflect past experiences of powerlessness or the need to protect themselves. We help families understand and address these behaviors while maintaining safety and connection.

High-Risk Behaviors

Some adopted teens engage in dangerous activities, including substance use, running away, self-harm, or risky sexual behavior. Our specialists address these high-risk behaviors through crisis intervention, safety planning, and therapeutic support for both teens and parents.

School-Related Challenges

Many adopted children struggle in educational settings due to learning differences, social challenges, or behavioral issues. We help families advocate for appropriate school support while developing strategies that work at home and in the classroom.

Attachment & Trust Issues

Difficulty forming secure attachments is common in adopted children, especially those with early trauma or multiple placements. Our attachment-focused approaches help children develop trust and security while teaching parents how to respond to attachment-related behaviors.

Our Four-Stage Behavioral Support Process

Our behavioral support services follow a structured process designed to create lasting positive change:

Stage 1: Crisis Stabilization & Assessment

  • Immediate intervention for crisis situations

  • Comprehensive behavioral and family assessment

  • Development of a customized support plan

  • Education about trauma, behavior, and adoption

  • Implementation of initial safety and management strategies

1-3 Months

Stage 2: Intensive Intervention

  • Regular home-based support sessions

  • Skill development for parents and children

  • Implementation of behavior management strategies

  • Progress monitoring and plan adjustments

  • Therapeutic interventions addressing underlying trauma

9 Months

Stage 3: Consolidation & Growth

  • Reinforcement of effective strategies

  • Deeper healing of underlying trauma

  • Building family resilience and coping skills

  • Strengthening of positive family relationships

  • Preparation for reduction in formal support

3-6 Months

Stage 4: Maintenance & Transition

  • Development of long-term management strategies

  • Planning for potential future challenges

  • Connection with ongoing support resources

  • Celebration of progress and achievements

  • Gradual transition to independence

3 Months

"One of the girls that I work with, she's 15 and she's really shut down. She's independent, doesn't want anybody to do anything for her. I've worked with her almost a year and she's finally opening up."

- Family Support Coach at PCC

Do I Qualify for Behavioral Support Services?

Our services are available through Senate Bill 163 (SB 163) funding, designed to prevent adoption disruption through comprehensive family support.

You may qualify for our family support programs if:

  • Your child is under the age of 18

  • Your child was adopted from California

  • You currently reside in California

  • You receive or are eligible for the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP)

  • Your child is displaying significant behavioral challenges

  • Your child has received a diagnosis

  • Your child is currently placed outside the home OR has been placed outside your home OR is at risk of placement outside the home

  • You're considering adoption dissolution due to behavioral challenges

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We work with families experiencing a wide range of behavioral challenges, from persistent difficulties that are straining family relationships to severe crisis situations threatening placement stability. If behavioral issues are impacting your family's functioning and well-being, we encourage you to contact us for an assessment.

  • Yes. Many children resist traditional therapy, especially those with trauma histories. Our approach often begins by working with parents to create environmental changes and new response patterns. As trust builds, children typically become more engaged in the process.

  • Our services differ from traditional therapy in several important ways:

    • We work in your home environment, where behaviors actually occur

    • We provide practical, hands-on coaching for parents in real situations

    • Our approach addresses the needs of the entire family system

    • Services are more intensive and comprehensive than weekly therapy sessions

    • We focus specifically on adoption-related trauma and challenges

    "We sought help from our church and the psychiatrist over and over again with doctors and medication. Five years of just not getting any better..." - Brandon, Adoptive Parent

  • We prioritize rapid response, especially for families in crisis. Many families begin receiving services within days of making contact. Our initial assessment process is streamlined to ensure prompt support.

    "For the program to be there, I'm talking immediately. I signed up and that next week somebody was out." - Angela, Adoptive Parent

  • While we coordinate with medical providers when medication is part of a child's care, our approach focuses primarily on therapeutic interventions, environmental modifications, and relationship-based strategies. Many families find that effective behavioral support reduces the need for medication over time.


    Our trauma-informed specialists help families in crisis find stability and rebuild connections. When your adoptive family feels overwhelmed, we're here to help. Our services address the root causes of challenging behaviors.

Contact Us To Learn More About Our Family Support Programs & Begin The Qualification Process.

(707) 997-8858

info@pccprograms.org

1601 Response Rd #230, Sacramento, CA 95815

"I am here to tell you that healing is absolutely possible. There is a path forward and there is hope."

- Helene Timpone