Amerigroup Georgia is bringing its foster parents support series to Valdosta from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 1.

The program is set for Necco Foster Care, 120 N. Oak St. in Valdosta.

It is latest in a series of statewide trainings hosted by Amerigroup Georgia and led by foster care expert Dr. John DeGarmo as part of an effort to build a support network for foster care parents across Georgia. 

DeGarmo will share his extensive personal experience and insights to help caregivers create stable and healing environments for children in care. He also will speak on compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress.   

The program is important with Georgia’s foster care system undergoing a major shift due to the recent Medicaid procurement process. 

DeGarmo and Amerigroup 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.  

As a leading Medicaid managed care organization in Georgia, Amerigroup supports foster care and adoption services as it provides access to quality healthcare for more than 600,000 low-income Georgians.