Nurturing Children with Difficult Backgrounds

In this talk, Kevin Sensenig draws on personal stories of adopting children from China to illustrate how children from difficult backgrounds can thrive. He grounds his topic in biblical principles from the Good Samaritan and 1 Corinthians 13, emphasizing that compassion and understanding form the essential starting point to working with those who have experienced trauma. Sensenig explains the critical difference between “won’t” and “can’t,” showing how trauma rewires developing brains toward survival mode at the expense of healthy growth. He then offers practical tools, including Karen Purvis’ IDEAL response, awareness of triangulation, and partnership with schools, that can help these children flourish.

“Nurturing Children with Difficult Backgrounds” was presented by Kevin Sensenig at Christian School Administration Institute (CSAI) 2026.