Joy in the Journey
April 3, 2026
Photo credit: Deidra Razzaque
Here at the Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership, we are delighted to be hosting the Caregiver Connections Conference on May 9th at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. This conference is meant to connect, inspire, and celebrate Vermont’s kin, foster, and adoptive caregivers, along with those who work with them. We hope to see you there.
Our conference theme is “Joy in the Journey.”
So, what is joy, really? A glance at the dictionary tells us that joy is basically a feeling of happiness. But in Daminanne President’s podcast, Changes Big and Small, she notes that:
Unlike happiness, which can be a temporary reaction to a good situation, joy often arises from a deeper sense of connection and fulfillment. [J]oy is multidimensional. It can be both a general state of being and an emotion sparked by specific moments. While happiness can feel more external—like a response to something that happens to us—joy can feel more internal, connected to who we are and what we value.
When children have experienced trauma, joy, that sense of goodness inside, can sometimes feel out of reach. At the same time, seeking joy is part of the path to healing.
Notice which of these quotes connects YOU to the power of joy:
“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”
– Tom Bodett
“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter.”
– Rumi
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
—Henri Nouwen
“We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.”
—Maya Angelou
Pay attention this week to the small or big things that bring joy to you and to the children and youth in your care.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Caregiver Connections Conference! Register here.
Click here to listen or read about the Damianne Presidents’ podcast on Exploring Joy and Why It Matters.
- Caregiver Training & Resources – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- Podcast Library – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- Trauma Informed Practice/Parenting – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- Adoption – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- RPC + – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- VT-CWTP Publications, Annual Reports, and Newsletters – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- On-Line Learning – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
