 |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
2008 Conference Sessions Pre-Conference Sessions NACAC and ACC are offering two pre-conference sessions this year. Each will be held on Wednesday, July 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Westin and is approved for .7 CEUs. Because these trainings are not part of the regular conference (and do not require full conference registration), there is a separate registration and fee. Space is limited, so register early. Sessions are $110 per person. Lunch is on your own. Session check-in will begin at 8:00 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Westin, and CEU registration will be held when the session ends. Adoption Competency for Mental Health Practitioners Adoptive families need adoption-competent mental health professionals who can see beyond troubling diagnoses. This session offers models, approaches, and strategies that are adoption competent. Come and talk about what really works for adoptive and foster parents. Diane Martin-Hushman, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota • Gregory Keck, Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio • Deena McMahon, McMahon Counseling and Consultation Services, Minnesota Recruiting Families Workers for youth who have waited the longest for permanence need effective recruitment techniques to forge enduring connections. Come and learn about strategies such as case-mining, recruitment teams, customized media, and youth engagement. Be ready to discuss your waiting youth’s situation and prepare to leave with a plan! Denise Goodman, trainer, Ohio
General Sessions Thursday Reconciliation as a Pathway to Address Disproportionality and to Improve Outcomes for Children Terry Cross, Executive Director, National Indian Child Welfare Association, Portland, Oregon Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario Presenters will share the history of Aboriginal child welfare and identify the touchstones necessary to build a foundation for an improved child welfare system. These principles and steps toward reconciliation will be identified, and participants will be engaged to work toward individual and collective action that will reduce disproportionality and improve outcomes for Aboriginal youth. Friday Celebrate Diversity Dr. Joseph Crumbley, author and family therapist, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania The children we parent, work with, and advocate for have diverse backgrounds and identities. In his keynote address, Dr. Crumbley will distinguish the various types and sources of their diverse identities; discuss the role, function, and importance of their identities; and offer strategies for helping our children celebrate their diversity, develop positive identities, and value and accept their differences. Dr. Crumbley’s keynote is made possible by the 2008 Sara Berman Memorial Children’s Fund award—an annual award in honor of Sara Berman’s lifelong commitment to children. Sara was chief of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services’ Adoption Division from 1989 until her tragic death in early 1998. Family and friends created the Sara Berman Memorial Children’s Fund to keep her legacy alive. Saturday Awards Presentations and Closing Ceremony Following the awards presentations, First Nations children and youth will lead a closing ceremony featuring dance and other Aboriginal traditions.
Workshops and Institutes
Workshop Period 1 1A “Miss, It Hurts”—Thoughts and Words of First Nations Children “If we don’t stand up for children, then we don’t stand for much,” Marian Wright Edelman once said. For many years the presenter had the honour and privilege to teach First Nations children. During this session, she will share words, poems, and statements from the heart of the children. The presentation will explore the following questions: Who are we as First Nations people? What is our call, our destiny? Vera Tourangeau, Treaty Four Education, Saskatchewan 1B Sexual Safety in Adoption and Foster Care: A Prerequisite to Healing In this session, adoption workers will develop knowledge to help parents address the needs of adopted children who have been sexually abused. Discover how to help adoptive parents create a healing milieu to counteract the negative impact of past trauma on a child’s psychosocial and cognitive development and to enhance positive self-esteem. Learn how to enable adoptive families to become the central ingredient in the recovery of these children. Wayne Duehn, School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington • Sherry Anderson, Three Rivers Adoption Council, Pennsylvania • Kirsti Adkins, Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania 1C (translated into French) Parenting from the Trenches See your kids in a whole new light! This workshop will offer a toolbox of strategies and techniques needed to parent children and teens. Topics include: (1) developing trust and attachment while helping children learn to manage their own behaviors, (2) building self-esteem, and (3) maintaining your sanity. The presenter will give special attention to the unique world of teens. Denise Goodman, trainer, Ohio 1D The Canadian Clinic for Adopted Children This workshop will describe an interdisciplinary clinic operating out of a large community hospital in southern Ontario intended to enhance adoptive experiences for families. In this framework, medicine, early intervention, and service coordination combine to support parents and children. Angelo Simone, Canadian Clinic for Adopted Children, Ontario • Susan O’Quinn, infant development consultant, Ontario 1E Rising to the Challenge: Mothering Adopted Children with ADHD and Related Disabilities Adopted children are more likely to have disruptive (but invisible) disorders. Based on results of a Canadian study about mothering children with ADHD, this workshop presents adoptive mothers’ perspectives on challenges and rewards, along with their views on needed supports. Practice, parenting, and policy implications will be discussed. Alice Home, University of Ottawa, Ontario 1F International Adoption in Canada—Promise and Pitfalls Lack of familiarity with the international adoption process and its inherent pitfalls may lead to serious consequences for parents and potential adoptees. The presenters will share sample pre-adoption profiles, discuss potentially confusing and misleading information, and address medical issues. The session will cover four major areas of post-adoption assessment and highlight common diagnoses and how to interpret results. Cecilia Baxter, Ambulatory Care Clinic, Royal Alexander Hospital, Alberta • Chuck Hui & Heather MacDonnell, International Adoption Clinic, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario 1G Creating Cultural Bridges for Transracial Adoptive Families We will share practical strategies and lessons learned from two parent-led programs—one in Canada, one in the U.S.—that help transracial families connect to their children’s cultural communities in meaningful ways. The session will cover start-up challenges, sustaining programs, funding, and working with diverse families. Deb Reisner, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota • Nicole Nel & Karyn Bakelaar, Families with Children from South Africa, Ontario 1H A Journey of Honour: Cowichan Tribes’ Journey to Reclaim Their Inherent Right in Adoption Planning Lalum’utul’ Smun’eem Child and Family Services is a First Nations agency that provides the whole range of child welfare services. This workshop will outline the agency’s journey within the Cowichan community, as well as partnerships with both federal and provincial governments, to reclaim its inherent right to promote permanency planning and adoption services for its children, families, and community. Lise Erikson & Lise Haddock, Child and Family Services, Cowichan Tribes, British Columbia 1I Ontario’s Adoption Resource Exchange: The Personal Touch in Matching Children with Families Twice a year, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services holds the Adoption Resource Exchange in Toronto. For more than 50 years, Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies have presented videos of available children to approved waiting families. Many families have indicated that watching videos and talking to practitioners were the reasons they submitted their name for a child. Come learn more about the personal touch in finding families for children. Marnie Dickout, Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex, Ontario • Jan Feduck, adoption practitioner, Ontario • Heather Owens, Hastings Children’s Aid Society, Ontario 1J The Importance of Advocacy: One Child at a Time Parent groups across Canada are linking together to advocate for post-adoption support. Learn about some successful initiatives as well as the challenges of effective advocacy—whether it is for one child, a whole community, or broad legislative change. We’ll talk about current projects in Canada, U.S. models, using the media, and how parents (and youth) can develop advocacy skills. Bring your own stories, and prepare to brainstorm. Laura Eggertson, Ottawa Adoptive Families, Ontario • Paula Schuck, London Coalition of Adoptive Families, Ontario 1K Truth in Adoption: What You See Is What You Get The presenter will discuss the good news about older youth adoptions, the hurdles both youth and parents must pass through, involving youth in adoption decisions, and policies and practices that help youth find permanency earlier. Ashley Rhodes-Courter, former foster youth, Florida 1L Everything You Wanted to Know about Search and Reunion but Were Afraid to Ask Adoptive parents play an important role in the process of search and reunion, and can either facilitate or complicate the emotional experience of their adult adopted children finding birth relatives. This workshop will explore the various roles that adoptive parents may play and the effect reunion has on adoptive family life. Michael Grand, University of Guelph, Ontario • Monica Byrne, registrar, Ontario 1M They Spoke, We Listened: How to Prepare Teens for Adoption This workshop shares evidence-based lessons learned through Project Teen Plus, an innovative teen adoption program with a success rate of over 75 percent. Based on lessons learned from teens in this program, the workshop will describe how to prepare youth for adoption and how to empower youth in foster care. Sheila Suderwalla, Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition, Missouri
Institutes INST-1 Similarities and Differences between U.S. and Canadian Native/Aboriginal Policies In this session, the presenters will discuss the similarities and differences in broad policies affecting native peoples in the U.S. and Canada, including how those differences affect strategies for working with families and communities successfully. Discussion from the audience is encouraged. Joan Glode, Mi’kmaw Family & Children’s Services of Nova Scotia • William Thorne, Court of Appeals, Utah INST-2 Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens Teens use masks to hide themselves, protect themselves, and forget the pain. In this institute, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of adolescence for the adopted teen and how adolescence affects personal and family development. Therapists and clinicians will discover the six most common adoption “stuck spots,” clinical intervention strategies, and therapy tools. Debbie Riley, The Center for Adoption Support and Education, Maryland INST-3 (translated into French) Parenting Children and Youth with Attachment Issues Attachment issues have their roots in the first few years of life but are often undiagnosed and therefore untreated until much later. This institute will address how attachment issues affect younger children and adolescents. Parents will learn specific strategies for parenting children of different ages who have attachment difficulties. Regina Kupecky & Gregory Keck, Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio INST-4 Making Connections: Post-Adoption Supports Parent-to-parent connection is critical for adoptive families. Through sharing experiences, resources, and support, families are strengthened, informed, and maintained. Developing parent-to-parent connections decreases isolation and empowers parents to feel confident and able. This institute will discuss the development and implementation of three programs that promote successful adoptive families. Debbie Jamieson & Karen Taylor, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Ontario • Kim Stevens, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Massachusetts • Ginny Blade, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota INST-5 Surviving the Trauma Drama: Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Children’s Developing Brains Chronic stress, deprivation, fear, and trauma affect children’s development at the neuro-logical, physiological. and psychological levels. Using the latest research into the relationship between trauma and brain growth, this institute provides a new model for parents and professionals to better understand the cognitive and emotional challenges facing traumatized children, as well as more effective interventions and treatment for parenting these children at home and teaching them at school. Dee Paddock, Families With A Difference, Iowa INST-6 Preventing Developmental and Behavioral Complications in Internationally Adopted Children: The Medical Perspective Bilingual social workers and an international adoption physician will discuss educational, psychological, and medical aspects of school-related issues related to international adoptions. Topics will include initial school placement, teachers’ in-service training needs, and monitoring progress of formerly institutionalized children. Alla Gordina, Global Pediatrics, New Jersey • Lydia Shifrin, licensed clinical social worker, New Jersey • Heather MacDonnell, International Adoption Clinic, Ontario INST-7 What My White Parents Didn’t Know and Why I Am OK in Spite of It Transracially adopted co-presenters offer firsthand experiences and practical ideas to address the inevitable race and diversity challenges in adoption and foster care. Issues will include dating, dealing with racial jokes, and other everyday issues that transracial adoptees face. April Dinwoodie, Doris Laurenceau, & Barry Chaffkin, CT WOCAT—Changing the World One Child at a Time, New York INST-8 Turning an Emergency Move into a Successful Adoption Agencies dread emergency moves, when a child can no longer stay in an adoptive family before adoption. This institute looks at some of the reasons for disruptions, whether there is a way to forestall them, and how to help a child move into a new family that will not let go. Both agency philosophies and practical advice will be offered, based on more than 21 years of successful adoptions of foster children and teens. Maris Blechner, Family Focus Adoption Services, New York INST-9 Let’s Not Settle for Second Best: Why We Must Recruit Parents for Teens There are many people these days taking the “parent” out of “permanent”—leaving us with M.N.E. or Mostly Not Enough. Second best answers such as significant connections, mentors, and volunteers for foster teens are good things, but none of these will prevent homelessness upon aging out. This workshop makes the case that parents are the only answer for teens as they age out of care. Pat O’Brien, You Gotta Believe!, New York INST-10 Innovative Adoption and Foster Parent Support Groups and Associations Come and hear what parent groups are doing from Montreal to Puerto Rico to New York! This institute will look at specific programs, how they have grown and changed over the years, and how they stay vibrant and proactive while assessing the group’s needs and activities. Diane Martin-Hushman, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota • Félix Correa-Romero, Asociación Puertorriqueña de Padres Adoptivos, Puerto Rico • John Sobraske, adoption psychotherapist, New York • Lisa Maynard, Adoption Resource Network at Hillside Children’s Center, New York • Kathleen Neault, APAQ—Association de parents pour l’adoption quebecoise, Quebec INST-11 Sharing Personal Stories to Advocate for System Change This workshop will describe how to help former foster youth, relative caregivers, adoptive families, and others share their experiences to effect changes in foster care. Come learn from experienced organizers how to pair personal stories with child welfare reform strategies that will better serve children and families. Joe Kroll & Janet Jerve, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota • Kim Stevens, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Massachusetts INST-12 Kinship Care Policies and Programs in Ontario In 2006 the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services introduced kinship policies that are being implemented throughout the province. This institute will examine how these policies have been implemented and interpreted by service providers and agencies. It will also identify the types of programs and services that have evolved. Moderator: Joe Crumbley, therapist, Pennsylvania • Panel: Staff from the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, Dilico Ojibway Children’s and Family Services, Sudbury-Manitoulin Children’s Aid Society, Chatham-Kent Integrated Children’s Service, and Toronto Children’s Aid Society, Ontario INST-13 Post-Adoption Depression Syndrome Post-adoption depression syndrome (PADS) is rarely discussed in preparing and assessing applicants for adoption. If such depression occurs and is not dealt with appropriately, it may lead to placement breakdown or worse. This workshop will help participants recognize and understand the potential for post-adoption depression, as well as how to identify signs after placement. The workshop will also provide ideas on how to help parents suffering from PADS. Robin May & Debbie Hoffman, Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, Ontario
Workshop Period 2 2A A Model of Practice Supporting the Adoption of Aboriginal Children This presentation will discuss recruitment, training, cultural ceremonies, and support for families following adoption and guardianship. This practice model encompasses working with the Aboriginal community, agency partners, and elders. Working closely with the Aboriginal community, the model program supports returning children safely to their birth families or achieving permanency with other permanent families. Sue Poupart, Calgary and Area Child and Family Services Authority, Alberta 2B (translated into French) Managing Multiple Diagnoses: Strategies to Differentiate, Identify, and Intervene Effectively Parents and professionals frequently find themselves perplexed by the number of diagnoses their children have. How do we treat each one, what is primary? What about FASD/RAD? What do we do with a depressed child who is oppositional? This workshop will offer a basic understanding of how these labels are viewed, medicated, and managed from a practical perspective. Deena McMahon, McMahon Counseling & Consultation Services, Minnesota 2C Parenting under the Influence: Using Talent Education to Relate to Our Children Suzuki talent education is best known as a method for teaching music to young children. Dr. Suzuki’s primary goal was not to produce musicians but to help create noble human beings. In this session, the presenter will demonstrate specific tools that help instill self-esteem, consideration for others, joy of learning, and trust. Examples will show how the Suzuki philosophy can be applied to common parenting concerns, especially when working with children at risk. Joan Harrison, adoptive parent/Suzuki music specialist, Ontario 2D Canadian Subsidy and Other Support Services Parents who adopt children with special needs from the provinces or Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies may be eligible for one-time and ongoing financial assistance and other services. This workshop will cover eligibility and benefits that children may receive. Jeanette Wiedemeier Bower, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota • Sandra Scarth, Adoption Council of Canada, British Columbia 2E The Effects on Children Who Witness Domestic Violence Domestic or family violence not only affects the victim, but also has a major impact on all family members, especially children and youth. Come learn the effects of violence at various developmental stages and how violence affects relationships within foster and adoptive families. We will also discuss what signs to look for in children and youth in your care. Mary M. McGowan, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota 2F The Outcomes of Intercountry Adoptions: What They Tell Us about Resilience and Intervention This presenter will summarize key studies on the outcomes of intercountry adoption from Canada and beyond, including data from a new study of intercountry adoption in Ireland. These studies give important information on the nature of childhood resilience and the kind of interventions needed to bring about dramatic change in the life trajectories of severely disadvantaged children. Sheila Greene, Children’s Research Center, Trinity College, Ireland 2G Living on the Fault Line: Where Race and Family Meet Join the producer of this documentary for a screening and discussion. Living on the Fault Line explores the intersection of familial love and racial injustice in the experience of transracial adoptive families. An unflinching look at race in America, the film reveals the difficulties transracial families face as children of color grow up in communities where racism and white privilege are unspoken and undeniable realities. Jeff Farber, filmmaker, Vermont 2H Adoption across Boundaries: Making Interjurisdictional Placements Work Connecting waiting children with families who are hundreds of miles away can seem intimidating. This workshop will help private agency staff become equipped to successfully manage these long-distance placements. The need to develop this expertise is vital, as families are increasingly aware of children available across state lines and should be able to pursue these adoptions without barriers. Ramona Hoyle, Diakon Adoption Services, Maryland • Susan Myers, Lutheran Adoption Network, Connecticut 2I Recruiting African American Families Currently 36 percent of the 114,000 U.S. children awaiting adoption are African American, and data suggest that these children and youth often wait much longer than other children. MEPA/IEAP explicitly requires diligent recruitment of families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of these children, and this workshop will identify ways to implement this requirement. The presenters will also discuss barriers to permanency for African American children and effective child-specific and general recruitment and retention strategies. Ruth McRoy, University of Texas at Austin, California • Tanya Williams-Bell, Rejoice! Inc., Pennsylvania 2J Providing Post-Adoptive Services through the World Wide Web We all know that post-adoption services are not a luxury for adoptive families—they are a need. This workshop will demonstrate how a carefully designed web site can provide affordable support and resources to adoptive, foster, and kinship families in their own community. Phyllis Stevens, Together as Adoptive Parents, Pennsylvania • Derek Stevens, adoptive parent, Pennsylvania 2K How a Parent Can Change the World—One Mind at a Time Do you want to revamp your child’s family tree assignment? Fix provincial legislation or policies? Learn how you, as a parent and an advocate, can organize your thoughts, rally other parents and advocates, and sell your ideas to the people in power. Paula Schuck, London Coalition of Adoptive Families, Ontario
2L The MIAs (Missing in Adoption): Unaddressed Issues of Loss in Adoption — REPLACEMENT SESSION Adoption workers have been hampered in serving pregnant women who seek help by too close adherence to a patronizing “elusive ideal” of what the woman is like and how she can be helped. Such an ideal ignores the wide range of personality characteristics and family situations as well as differences among women in their attitudes about unplanned pregnancy and the extent of their capacity to cope with stress. This workshop will educate and demonstrate how workers can help birth and perspective parents understand the complex issues involved of loss and unwanted pregnancy. Wayne Duehn, School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington • Bob Rooks, Florida’s Adoption Information Center
2M Adopting Older Children and Siblings: Effects on the Adoptee and the Family The presenter will address some of the key adoption myths from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. She will cover the straight facts on adopting older children and siblings. Donna Spalding, author, New Brunswick
Workshop Period 3 3A REACHing Out to Find Native American/ First Nations Families In many tribal communities, adoption is a negative concept. Historical experiences and tribal traditions are not adequately addressed in standard adoption processes, yet many Native children need permanent families. This workshop shares the REACH project’s experiences in developing collaborative tribal relationships, recruiting Native foster and adoptive parents, and supporting customary adoption. The lead presenter offers tribal perspectives based on child welfare in both Canada and the U.S. Joanne M. Fielding & Janice Hoppe, PATH, Inc., Minnesota 3B The Big Picture in Adoption: A Systems Look at Family Culture, Values, Norms, and Practices Cultural differences between children and adoptive or foster families can create extreme stress for the child and frustration for the caregivers. Adoptive and foster parents need to be aware of the issues related to the child’s culture so they, too, can be culturally competent parents. This workshop will look at the big picture of family culture, values, norms, and practices from a systemic perspective. By embracing such a perspective, workers can better prepare parents, expand and recruit placement resources, and preserve cultural continuity for each child. Wayne Duehn, School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington 3C Making Effective Placement Decisions What are the qualities and characteristics to look for in families who are seeking to adopt? Whether from the child welfare system or institutional care, children with complicated histories bring a new dimension to their adopting families. How can we help families hear us in pre-adoption training and in making placement decisions? What have we learned over the years as professionals and parents to guide us in helping families and children thrive? Deena McMahon, McMahon Counseling & Consultation Services, Minnesota • Wendylee Raun, Minnesota Adoption Resource Network 3D Adoption Subsidies in the U.S. Parents and social workers will learn the basics of Title IV-E adoption assistance and other supplemental services such as SSI and Medicaid available for children with special needs. Topics include eligibility, benefits, administrative hearings, taxes, and more. Participants should bring specific questions. Jeanette Wiedemeier Bower, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota 3E Taking Universal Precautions: Integrating Trauma-Informed Care into Family Preparation and Support This workshop will provide an overview of trauma-informed care from the point of view of those who help parents and support hurt children in permanent families. Sherry Anderson, Three Rivers Adoption Council, Pennsylvania • Kirsti Adkins, Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania 3F Abroad and Back: Parenting and International Adoption Come learn about Abroad and Back: Parenting and International Adoption, a curriculum designed to educate adoptive parents. Its three modules—Orphanage Life; Attachment: It Takes Time; and Adoption: Bringing Your Child Home Is Just the Beginning—help prepare parents to face the challenges of adopting internationally. Developed in response to workers’ desires to decrease disruption and fulfill pre-adoption training, the curriculum is also a useful tool for training staff. Regina Kupecky, Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio 3G Struggle for Identity: A Conversation 10 Years Later Featuring a new 20-minute follow-up to the acclaimed film Struggle for Identity: Issues in Transracial Adoption, this workshop will present the voices, experiences, and insights of cast members 10 years later. Their lifelong journeys will inform a discussion of race, racism, and the tools for successful transracial/transcultural adoption. John Raible, University of Nebraska 3H Where Have All the Fathers Gone? This workshop will focus on the importance of involving fathers in decision-making in adoption and foster care. The presenter will discuss the implications of father absence and the effects of father involvement on children’s well-being. Perceptions of fathers and their lack of involvement in child welfare based on race, culture, and poverty will also be explored. Pierre V. Cooper, Rejoice! Inc, Pennsylvania 3I Overcoming Barriers to Adoption: Recruiting and Retaining Foster and Adoptive Families Although many families respond to advertisements seeking adoptive families, many also encounter barriers as they go through the process of adopting. This workshop presents a review of research on barriers to adoption and identifies best practices in recruiting and retaining adoptive families. Since 60 percent of all adopters are foster parents, the presenters will also address increasing the number of foster parents. Ruth McRoy, University of Texas at Austin, California • Adam Pertman, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, New York 3J (presented only in French) Adoption through the “Banque Mixte” Program: Who Are the Parents Able to Overcome These Obstacles? First developed in Quebec in the 1980s, the “banque mixte” adoption program has now come of age. (Banque mixte adoptions are adoptions where children are placed before their parental rights are terminated.) Experience has shown that the program offers applicants a perilous journey before achieving the long-awaited dream of becoming a parent. Who are the parents ready to receive these children? What competence should they possess? This presentation will describe the profile of applicants who have lived the Banque-mixte experience in the most compatible way possible while taking into account the risks associated with the program. Michel Carignan, Centre Jeunesse de Montréal—Institut universitaire, Quebec 3K Concurrent Permanency Planning: Foster to Adopt Required by the Adoption and Safe Families Act, concurrent planning helps children find permanency more quickly and with fewer moves. For this method of permanency planning to succeed, workers, administrators, and potential parents all need comprehensive training, a new mindset, and tools for understanding and supporting foster-to-adopt placements. Come learn more about characteristics of successful families, how to prepare resource families, and how to implement concurrent planning in your agency. Mary M. McGowan, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota 3L She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not Open adoption typically brings two women together—one who gives birth to a child and another who parents the child. The often-misunderstood relationship between a birth mother and adoptive mother is examined by tracing the relationship’s developmental stages, exploring challenges, and identifying strategies to build a positive, respectful relationship between two women who love the same child. Jennie Painter, Adoption Resource and Counseling Services, Ontario • Stacey Check Drumm, adoptive mother, Ontario • Laura Wood, birth mother, Ontario 3M Warrior Lessons: Bully-Proofing Adopted Kids against Adoptism, Racism, and Attacks on Their Siblings In her work with thousands of adopted youngsters and their non-adopted siblings, the presenter has heard many personal stories about an adoption-ignorant society. Participants will examine this problem and look at effective strategies for preparing youngsters in adoptive families. Jane Brown, Arizona Adoptive Families Support Group
Workshop Period 4 4A A Place Between: The Story of an Adoption A Place Between is a riveting film that tells a personal account of culture, family, and identity. The film explores how these elements provide a sense of meaning and continuity that ultimately make up a person’s life. Join us for a discussion after the film is shown. Curtis Kaltenbaugh, filmmaker, Winnipeg (invited) 4B Meeting the Needs of Complex, Hurting Families and Children through Play Therapy This workshop will describe the course of therapy with two adopted children who had poor attachment, difficulty with peer relationships—one silent, the other aggressive—problems at school, and other serious issues. The parents were exhausted, suffered from post-traumatic stress, and were at their wit’s end. The presenters will talk about the importance of being flexible and creative in therapy when families have multiple, complex problems. Sandra Webb, Sandra Webb Counselling, Ontario • Larry Gaitskell, adoptive parent, Ontario 4C (translated into French) Laughter for the Mental Health of It: Laughing through the Stresses, Tensions, and Pains of Parenting Laughing is one of the healthiest things one can do when facing the deep stresses, tensions, and pains of everyday life, and parenting in particular. This workshop will highlight how you can bring more laughter into both your home life and life in general. The presenter will make the case that humor is an essential ingredient in preventing parent burnout for those raising even the most difficult of children. Pat O’Brien, You Gotta Believe!, New York 4D Evaluating Outcomes of Post-Adoption Programs This interactive session offers an overview of how logic models are used to link services to outcomes for effective program evaluations. The presenters will introduce an online logic model builder that staff can use to create unique logic models to support effective evaluation of their post-adoption programs required by federal, state, and other grants. Phyllis Charles, Child Welfare Information Gateway, Virginia • Kelly Delany, Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center • Susan Livingston Smith, Even B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, North Carolina 4E Inducement: Understanding the Acting-Out Behavior of Your Adopted Child In a world where disruption looms too often, this workshop offers a positive approach for workers and families. Come learn how to make sense of some of the negative feelings that adopted children can make their parents feel. Understanding key parent/child interactions that are unique to adopted children and their families can help turn a crisis into an opportunity for commu-nication and strengthened commitment. Maris Blechner, Family Focus Adoption Services, New York 4F The New Hague World The Hague Convention produced momentous changes in the intercountry adoption process to benefit children, adoptive parents, and birth parents. What have these changes been and what impact have they had? The panel will highlight how the Hague has affected the way adoption service providers work and relate with foreign service providers. Lori Roxbury, Colorado Department of Human Services • Mikiko Stebbing & Richard Klarberg, U.S. Department of State, District of Columbia • Patricia Paul-Carlson, Intercountry Adoption Services, Ontario 4G Developing and Implementing Effective Strategies for Nurturing Healthy Racial Identity Racial identity in transracially placed child and youth is more confusing and complicated than identity issues for those with same-race parents. To raise children with healthy racial identities who can resist societal stereotyping and racism and stand up against white standards of beauty, adoptive parents need to develop specialized knowledge and skills. Jane Brown, Arizona Adoptive Families Support Group 4H Ten Years in the Making: Innovative Public/Private Adoption Partnerships Ontario has two pathways through which children can achieve adoption—the child welfare system and the private or international adoption system. Historically, there was limited integration between the systems, and thus missed opportunities for permanency. This workshop will describe the innovative alliance of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the private sector, and the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies that resulted in the development of common standards and best-practices approaches to improve permanency outcomes for children. Maureen Jones, Adoption Council of Ontario • Patricia Gamble, Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies 4I Untapped Resources: Recruiting Foster and Adoptive Families in the LGBTQ Community If only 4 percent of the lesbian, gay, and bi-sexual population were allowed and encouraged to foster and adopt, there would no longer be any waiting children, and understanding the community is critical for successful recruitment. Come to this interactive workshop and learn about grassroots recruitment and successful strategies for agencies in the LBGTQ communities. Transform your practice by learning how to ask appropriate questions, be supportive, and use targeted recruitment. Mary M. McGowan, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota • Ellen Kahn, Human Rights Campaign, District of Columbia 4J NACAC Parent Group Assembly All conference attendees are invited to join NACAC staff and board members to discuss our current activities and future projects. Diane Martin-Hushman, North American Council on Adoptable Children, Minnesota 4K Adoption and Other Options for Teens This workshop explores a model of teen permanence that includes dealing with ambivalence toward a permanent family, locating families, making the strongest placements, and supporting placements. Reassessing birth parents, relatives, and past connections is the focus, even when a TPR has taken place. In this interactive workshop, the presenters will also discuss other recruitment activities and participants’ own challenging cases. Barry Chaffkin, April Dinwoodie, & Doris Laurenceau, CT WOCAT—Changing the World One Child at a Time, New York 4L Open International Adoption: One Family’s Experience with Lifelong Connections to Birth and Foster Families A mother and daughter will discuss their personal experiences of connecting to first families in Guatemala and Colombia. They will also share the voices of foster families and birth family members. Leceta Guibault, Adoption Council of Canada, Nova Scotia • Kahleah Maria de Lourdes Guibault, adoptee, Nova Scotia 4M Working Together to Transition Children to Adoption This interactive workshop is designed to help foster and adoptive parents understand the importance of building a relationship and working together to help children transition smoothly from foster care to adoption. The session will offer practical tips for preparing kids and strategies for talking to kids about foster care and adoption. Anne Melcombe, Adoptive Families Association of British Columbia
Workshop Period 5 5A The Talking Together Program: The Road Back Home The Talking Together Program is an innovative child protection alternative dispute resolution program based on traditional circles held in First Nations. The program uses the circle process to bring people together in a non-judgmental way to develop a plan that has community support. With its less intrusive method of dealing with family issues, the program can alleviate the need for the often costly and adversarial family law court system. Ellaree Metz, Sue Chokomolin, & Jennifer Davis, Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Service Corporation, Ontario 5B Interdependence Theory: A Vital Context for Attachment-Focused Treatment How many times have myriad adoptive family issues stopped your treatment dead in its tracks? Interdependence and exchange theories are frameworks for successful treatment, and this session will explore how these approaches bring to light the unique dynamics of adoptive parent/child relationships. Participants will be introduced to novel therapeutic techniques and practice skills supported by these theories that can address attachment issues, reduce fear responses and family conflict, and improve the parent/child relationship. Katharine Leslie, Brand New Day Consulting, North Carolina 5C Loss, Language, Listening, and Learning: The Impact of Previous Losses on a Child at School In the past, foster and adopted children seemed to be the only ones who could not easily complete certain school assignments because they lacked information or pictures. Learn about other children for whom these assignments present a challenge and about ways to better communicate with schools. Joan Clark, adoption educator/advocate, Massachusetts 5D Putting the Pieces Together: Lifebook Work with Children Lifebooks are essential tools that help abused or neglected children understand the narrative of their lives and the meaning of challenges they have experienced. Many children who have been in care have fragmented memories and little understanding of their histories. Using new video-based training and support materials, this workshop helps workers and parents construct and adapt lifebooks with children. Jeanne A. Howard, Center for Adoption Studies, Illinois State University • Monica Johnson, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois 5E Surviving Adolescence: A Workshop for Parents Raising Challenging Teens Children who are adopted at older ages often settle in well during the late childhood stage, only to erupt in their teens. This eruption may combine with the typical ups and downs experienced by all adolescents to create havoc and conflict within the family. This workshop will help parents understand why this happens and will present simple, straightforward strategies to get through these years. Brenda McCreight, consultant/trainer, British Columbia 5F Profile of an Adult Intercountry Adoptee After this session presented by an adult intercountry adoptee, you’ll have a greater understanding of children adopted internationally and how their adoption may affect their feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and development. You’ll explore thought-provoking issues and take home practical suggestions and strategies to consider in raising your children. Analee Matthews, adoptee, Ireland 5G Seeking Sacred Ground: Inspiring Cultural Identity in Aboriginal Children Participants will gain a basic understanding of the various issues and problems that non-Aboriginal parents face when adopting Aboriginal children. In addition, participants will learn about cultural needs that are imperative to supporting a child’s identity and strategies for increasing the child’s connection to the Aboriginal community. Katelyn Lucas, Sacred Pipe Consultations, Ecuador 5H When Staff Want to Adopt: Issues to Consider Children are most likely to be adopted by adults who already know them. While for many children this is the foster parents, for some children their best chance for a family may be a staff member from the agency charged with their care. Whether it is foster care, group home, or residential facility staff, the question of staff adoption raises unique opportunities and challenges. How can agencies work through these concerns while keeping children’s need for permanence paramount? Sue Badeau, Philadelphia Children’s Commission, Pennsylvania 5I Adoption Exchange Association Standards for Recruitment The Adoption Exchange Association (AEA) recently published new standards for agencies recruiting adoptive families for waiting children. Led by AEA’s CEO and member organizations responsible for drafting the standards, this workshop gives participants an opportunity to engage in a dialogue about increasing permanency for children through full implementation of the standards nationwide. Rachel Pratt, Adoption Exchange Association, New York • Maryjane K. Link, Children Awaiting Parents, New York • Colleen Ellingson, Adoption Resources of Wisconsin 5J (translated into French) Supporting GLBTQ Foster and Adoptive Parents and Families Professionals are beginning to recognize that the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) community is a largely untapped resource for children in need of families. What are the specific needs of GLBTQ adoptive and foster families? How can social workers and others best support them? This panel discussion will answer these questions and highlight ways of working with GLBTQ parents and families. Moderator: Andrea Van Liew, Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services 5K Legislative Advocacy 101: Making Your Voice Count The legislative process can be confusing and overwhelming. Yet it is the voices of real people—foster and adoptive parents and young people themselves—that have shaped some of the most significant legislation in recent years, including the Adoption and Safe Families Act. Learn how to make your voice count, receive a valuable toolkit of contacts in Washington, D.C., and get an overview of the adoption and foster care issues currently on the table in Congress. Mary Lee Allen, Children’s Defense Fund, District of Columbia • Alicia Groh, Voice for Adoption, District of Columbia • Sue Badeau, Philadelphia Children’s Commission, Pennsylvania • Courteney Holden, The Pew Charitable Trusts, District of Columbia 5L Finding the Best Home: Kinship Versus Foster Care Placements This presentation will present preliminary findings from a doctoral dissertation study that seeks to compare and contrast kinship and foster care placements in the Canadian child welfare system. Katherine Dill, University of Toronto, Ontario 5M An Adoptee’s Perspective: Top 10 Ways to Support You and Your Adopted Child Adult adoptees working in adoption, the presenters have a unique perspective in working with adoptive families. They will share with participants the tools, resources, and post-adoption services offered by their agency to provide lifelong support to adoptive families. Jenni Edwards & Suzanne Witte, Children’s Home Society and Family Services, Minnesota Workshop Period 6 6A Cultural Planning for Aboriginal Children Adopted in Non-Aboriginal Homes This workshop will present the findings from a research study on the outcomes of the cultural planning policy in British Columbia for Aboriginal children adopted into non-Aboriginal families. The presenters will discuss the study’s findings and highlight recommendations from the research report as they explore cultural planning in adoption. Jeannine Carriere, University of Victoria, British Columbia • Anne Clayton, Ministry of Children and Family Development, British Columbia 6B The Limit of Talk! A Clinician’s Guide to Trauma-Competent Therapy with Adoptive and Foster Families This workshop challenges the monopoly of traditional talking psychotherapy and explores the quest for new and more effective nonverbal interventions to alleviate the pain of grief, loss, and trauma. The presenter will offer new clinical models and skills, based on the theory that the body remembers, from studies by Bessel van der Kolk, Bruce Perry, and others. Dee Paddock, Families With A Difference, Iowa 6C PACE: Parenting Adopted Children Effectively Effective parenting depends as much or more on philosophy, posture, and perspective than on specific techniques. With the right attitude, techniques work; otherwise they don’t. This approach—drawing heavily from such diverse areas as Asian philosophy, Native American culture, and others—helps parents and workers become grounded, powerful, present, and flowing. John Sobraske, adoption psychotherapist, New York 6D Emerging Challenges after Adoption or Guardianship Understanding the needs of adoptive or guardianship families is of utmost importance. In Illinois, the number of children in state-subsidized adoptive and guardian homes exceeded the number of children in foster care, and the rest of the country is expected to reach this milestone in 2008. Learn how families do after the case managers are gone, and how Illinois is using these findings to develop innovative support programs. Leslie Cohen & Nancy Rolock, Children and Family Research Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne 6E (translated into French) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: The Long-Term Impact In this two-hour workshop, you will learn about the long-term impact of neglect and abuse on behaviour and how this com-pounds characteristics of FASD. The presenter will also give a brief overview of FASD, and discuss how ADHD, attachment, and loss and grief interact with FASD. Participants will learn strategies for managing the challenges faced by their loved one or client with FASD. Brenda McCreight, consultant/trainer, British Columbia 6F White Parents of Asian Children: Parenting Approaches Responsive to Issues of Race, Racism, and Racial Identity This workshop is based on the results of research conducted in Canada with white parents of Asian children. The study explored the families’ experiences of racism and discrimination, the parents’ awareness and conceptualization of race being created through transracial adoption, and the strategies employed by parents to combat racism and promote their children’s healthy racial identity. Sonya Corbin Dwyer, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Newfoundland • Lynn Gidluck, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Saskatchewan 6G Pathways and Possibilities: Comparing Efforts in the U.S. and Canada to Expand Opportunities for Adoption by GLBT Parents This workshop will explore U.S. and Canadian initiatives aimed at creating fair policies and welcoming agencies for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) adoptive parents. The presenters will compare the legal and political framework in both countries, and discuss policies, research, and organizational positions on GLBT adoption. The session will also identify best practices for GLBT families including policies, recruitment, preparation and assessment, placement, and post-permanency support. Ellen Kahn, Human Rights Campaign, District of Columbia • Rachel Epstein, Sherburne Health Center, Ontario 6H The Funding Adventure Finding funding for small not-for-profit agencies or parent groups is always a challenge, but there are many creative avenues that can be explored along this adventure trail. Come learn some tricks from an organization that has 36 years of experience in serving children, and share your ideas as well. Maryjane K. Link, Children Awaiting Parents, New York 6I Overcoming Misconceptions (Ours and Theirs) to Recruit Families Following a survey conducted by Adoption Today, the presenters embarked upon an initiative to craft adoption recruitment messages that spoke to the misconceptions identified by families in the survey. Copies of the presenters’ campaign ads, strategies, and outcomes will be shared. Dixie van de Flier Davis, The Adoption Exchange, Colorado • Richard Fischer, Fostering Families Today, Colorado 6J Supporting Adoptive Families: A Continuum of Care The Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex runs several groups for current and prospective adoptive parents and provides access to training and other resources. This workshop will provide an overview of the agency’s support services, offer practical suggestions for developing and running groups for adoptive families, and explore the benefits and challenges of each group. Marnie Dickout, Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex, Ontario 6K It’s Not Too Late: Adopting Youth Who Are Over 18 When youth in care turn 18, we too often begin looking for “permanency” options for them that lead to their homelessness. This workshop will stress that we should never stop looking for a parent for any youth still in care. In this panel, four parents and the youth over 18 that they adopted will share their perspectives about how necessary parents are even for youth over the age of majority. Moderator: Chester Jackson, You Gotta Believe!, New York 6L Openness in Older Child Adoption Using her own journey as the adoptive parent of a child placed from foster care at age nine, the presenter discusses how her extended family has grown, the benefits of open adoption, how openness evolved at different stages of her child’s development, and how openness can be successful even when birth parents have significant challenges. Jane Welton, Ministry of Children and Family Development, British Columbia 6M Critical Connections: First Relationships and the Developing Child Healthy outcomes tomorrow require building healthy social functioning today. This presentation will explain social development in young children and the critical role early caregiving relationships play in shaping attachment and social functioning. The presenter will highlight the impact neglect, multiple caregivers, and early trauma can have on a child’s development, and will share parenting strategies and practices to enhance social skills and long-term well-being. Susan O’Quinn, infant development consultant, Ontario
|
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
970 Raymond Avenue, Suite 106
St. Paul, MN 55114
phone: 651-644-3036
fax: 651-644-9848
e-mail: info@nacac.org
Feedback