Workshop Descriptions

“Your expertise, insights and knowledge make your workshops so informative and uplifting. Initial feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. As always, you are a jewel.” Susan Sternberg, Adoptive Parent, Owner, Alphabet Soup Bookstore

Crossing the Bridge from Infertility to Adoption

This workshop is for you if you are just considering adoption or if you are waiting to adopt. This workshop is for people who are making the transition to adoption from infertility, as a single-parent, as a same-sex couple, or as a result of medical or genetic issues that have led them to consider adoption.  The emotional and practical issues involved in the adoption journey will be addressed.  Adoption professionals, Adoptive parents, Birth Parents and Adults who were adopted will share their perspectives on adoption with you.

In this workshop you will learn:

• What to expect emotionally.
• How to resolve issues between yourself and your partner.
• How to begin the adoption process
• How to prepare for Parenthood.
• How to deal with friends and family.

Domestic Adoption: Communicating With Birthparents

This workshop is for anyone adopting domestically, even if you are working with an attorney or an adoption agency. Agencies and attorneys focus on completing adoptions successfully, which is precisely what you want them to focus on. But they may not have the time or counseling experience to focus on training you to really connect with birthparents. This workshop will teach you to feel more confident and to gain the skills necessary for making an adoption situation work not just for now, but for the long term.

In this workshop you will learn:

• The difference between using an Agency or an Attorney to Adopt
• How to enhance your chances of being selected by the birthmother.
• How to talk to a birthmother.
• How to get the most out of the relationship you have with the birthmother, and possibly the birthfather, before, during and after the adoption.
• How to deal with open adoption issues.
• How to get the most background information for your child and for your own comfort level when making the leap of faith inherent in adoption.

International Adoption Workshop

This workshop is for you if you are just considering international adoption, if you are a pre-adoptive parent, or if you are an adoptive parent or adoption professional. In addition, some adoption agencies will accept this workshop as partial fulfillment of your home study requirements (certificates will be issued).

A psychologist, an occupational therapist and a speech specialist will discuss issues and identify specific strategies for easing the transition when adopting younger or older children internationally. An IAC Center counselor will moderate a group of parents who have adopted internationally who will share their travel tips and talk about their experiences meeting and settling their children into routines at home. A panel of adults who were adopted internationally will share some of their personal experiences and their ideas about how to help your child with some of the life cycle adoption issues.

In this workshop you will learn:

• How to help your child with the initial transition from an orphanage or foster care situation to their new home life.
  
• How to transition both younger and older children
  
• The three phases of adjustment and development of trust all children go through: the honeymoon, the testing phase, and the settling in.
  
• How to make this transitional period less stressful for your child and yourselves.
  
• Identify issues unique to International Adoption.
  
• Tips for dealing with being a trans-racial and/or trans-cultural family.
  

How to make an Adoption Lifebook

This workshop is for parents in all stages of adoption; from pre-adopt to post-adopt, and is equally applicable to U.S. and international adoption. An Adoption Lifebook begins with the child’s birth and can serve as a tool so that you and your child can discuss the specific circumstances surrounding your child’s birth and adoption. 

You will learn:

• The basics about creating an Adoption Lifebook for your child.
• The difference between a “baby” book vs. a “travel” book vs. an Adoption Lifebook
• Sample language that can be used in a Lifebook
• Discussion of tools to help make creation of a Lifebook a reality

Making the Decision to Adopt

This workshop is for you if you are considering adoption after infertility, pregnancy loss, medical or genetic factors contraindicating pregnancy or as a single parent.  Making this transition always involves both emotional and practical factors.  The feelings, fears, fantasies and facts involved in making this transition will be addressed.

You will learn:

• How to assess your readiness to pursue adoption.
• What do you do if you feel ready and your partner is reluctant?
• How to take those first steps toward building a family through adoption.

Trans Racial Adoption Issues

This workshop is for you if you are considering adopting a child of a race that is different from yours or if you are a parent or adoptee in a Trans-racial adoptive family. Adults who were adopted into Trans-racial families will share their experiences and ideas about race, identity and adoption with you. Some adoption agencies will accept this workshop as partial fulfillment of your home study requirements (certificates will be issued).

You will learn:

• What it feels like to grow up in a Trans racial family through adoption
• How parents can and cannot help their children with these issues
• What does help with identity development & building of self-esteem?
• About Racial and Gender related racial stereotyping issues.

How to Talk to Children about Adoption: Infancy to Age 6

This workshop is for both adoptive parents of young children and pre-adoptive parents who would like to begin learning about adoptive parenting, in preparation and to meet the home study requirement.
In this workshop you will learn:

• How to begin talking about adoption.
• What your child can understand at these early ages.
• How to help answer your child's earliest questions about adoption.
• How to create a safe, open family atmosphere in which adoption can be discussed.
• Helpful resources and books for children and parents.

How to Talk to Children about Adoption: Ages 6 to 12

This workshop is for adoptive parents and for any professionals who work with children in this age group.

In this workshop you will learn:

• What issues are hard for children these ages to put into words.
• What children think about and how to explore these issues with an adopted child.
• How to help a child answer questions about adoption, and deal with peer or school issues.
• How to keep family communication about adoption open and safe.
• Helpful resources and books for children and parents.

Baby Care for Adoptive Parents

This workshop is for you if you are waiting to adopt domestically or internationally and would like to learn about baby care in a comfortable setting with other prospective adoptive parents. An RN/MSW will lead this workshop and cover both basic childcare and issues specific to adoption.  In addition, some adoption agencies will accept this workshop as partial fulfillment of your home study requirements (certificates will be issued).

In this workshop you will learn about:

• What you really need to buy beforehand
• Basic baby care
• Car Seat Safety
• Expectations for the hospital both medically and emotionally.
• Understanding your infants needs
• How to choose a pediatrician

Baby Care for International Adoptive Parents

This workshop is for you if you are waiting to adopt internationally and would like to learn about baby and child care in a comfortable setting with other prospective adoptive parents. This workshop will cover both basic childcare and issues specific to adoption, particularly tools and strategies to help you adjust your child to their new home life with you. In addition, some adoption agencies will accept this workshop as partial fulfillment of your home study requirements (certificates will be issued).

In this workshop you will learn about:

• What you really need to buy beforehand
• Basic baby care
• Car Seat Safety
• Tips for meeting your child
• Understanding your child's needs
• Strategies for adjusting and transitioning your child at home
• How to choose a pediatrician

Children’s Life Book Workshop

This workshop is for children ages 6 to 10 and their parents. Children will create their own life books with the help of an IAC Center counselor, their peers and parental help at home. This is different than any life book parents may have created for their child. This is the adopted child’s chance to tell his/her own story. The goal is for the adopted child to begin to explore and express feelings and questions about being adopted in a supported setting shared by peers with similar experiences. Working on the book will facilitate the child’s self-expression and family communication. It will also give parents unique insight into what their child understands about being adopted at this point.

While the children meet with a child therapist, parents meet with another therapist to learn more about the kinds of adoption and developmental issues that their children are dealing with at this life stage. Parents will be guided in how to help their child with the life book

W.I.S.E. Up! Workshop

The W.I.S.E. Up! Workshop is for pre-adoptive and adoptive parents, as well as adopted children ages 5-12. Parents will meet with one IAC Center therapist while children meet with a second IAC Center therapist and then the 2 groups will meet together.

This workshop is designed to help adopted children learn tools and strategies for handling awkward moments in public situations, adoption related teasing, inappropriate comments and questions, and to decide the most comfortable way to communicate about their adoption story with others.

The goals of this workshop are:

• To teach children and parents specific tools and strategies to deal with difficult adoption related situations.
• By learning these tools, children will feel empowered to deal with social situations and a greater sense of self esteem.
• For parents to learn how to help their children talk with them about these issues.
• To provide a common language and set of tools for families to improve communication and effectiveness in dealing with difficult social situations.

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