Conference Breakout Sessions
Keynote Address
Trust-Based Relational Intervention ®
Adoption 101
Do you want to adopt a child, but don't know where to start?
Maybe you are considering adoption, but you are faced with questions or fears.
This presentation will help you think about the different kinds of adoption.
We will look at adoption finances, the home study, and living as an adoptive family.
The presentation will also show how to bring along friends and family through
your adoption journey and how you can give back to other families on their
adoption journey.
Domestic Adoption 101
In this session, learn about domestic adoption from two couples
who've been through the process. We'll discuss finding the right
agency, meeting the birth family, legal requirements, and common
issues and misconceptions associated with domestic adoption.
International Adoption 101
This session will be facilitated by an International Adoptive
couple and will provide an overview of the most common intercountry
adoption programs offered. We will discuss some of the differences
in each program and some items to consider such as agencies, home
studies, timeframe, travel, expenses, etc. There will be highlights
of some of the major programs and a question and answer time.
Foster Parenting 101
God calls some families to welcome a child into their home as a foster family.
Many families consider foster parenting, but don't know how to get started.
We'll present the initial CPS information meeting, telephone screening,
and the application process. The home study process will be covered, as
well as the PRIDE classes and additional training necessary to become a foster parent.
Adopting Children From the Foster Care System
Is your adoption path centered around adopting a child who is currently
in the foster care system and able to be adopted? This session will
provide you with information about the children currently available
to be adopted from the foster care system. It will also cover how
families are matched with children and provide an overview of the adoption
process for these children.
Life As a Foster Family
Foster families are making a lasting positive impact,
but what does fostering look like on a day to day basis?
They have opened up their home and lives to many. They have weekly
visits with birth patents that wreack havoc with the emotions.
They are often required to go to court. They do the job of a nurse by logging
medicine. They take detailed daily notes, and are required to attend
numerous training classes every year. They must communicate with and love
very imperfect people in a very imperfect system.
They need to look beyond inappropriate and extreme behavior
into the heart of a child. They are guaranteed to experience loss.
They learn fist hand what drugs and alcohol, neglect, and abuse
do to a child later in life. They need to love these unloved and
unwanted children as their own children, or more importantly
as God's children.
Financing Adoption
One of the major roadblocks in making the decision whether to
adopt a child is the cost of adoption. Adoption fees vary greatly
and sometimes depend on whether you adopt an infant or an older
child, use a private or public agency, etc. We will discuss the
many sources of help for adoption costs and numerous factors to
consider.
Infertility & Adoption
After the vast emotional toil, hormonal changes, and physical challenges
associated with infertility treatment & procedures, it is difficult to
look at options beyond pregnancy. However, the choice of adoption is a
way that dreams of building a family can go from a vague possibility
to a reality of wonder and joy. Please join us for a panel discussion
with questions and answers of how to overcome infertility grief, opt
out of further medical treatments, and proceed confidently with adoption.
Will My Child Attach?
When a child is brought into an adoptive family, sometimes
parents think that all they have to do is love their child, and
they will develop healthy attachment to the parents. However,
the reality is that many adopted children experience attachment
issues due to being raised in an institutional setting or because
of neglect, abuse, or instability. This presentation covers
many of the techniques and strategies that parents can use to
overcome these issues and develop healthy bonds between parent,
adopted child, and other children in the family. A must for
adoptive families!
The Home Study
A home study is a necessary part of adopting
and becoming foster parents. But it doesn't have to be scary or
intimidating. Your social worker is looking for whether your
family is going to provide a safe environment where a child will thrive.
This session will take the mystery out of the home study process
so that you can understand and be prepared for your home study.
Empowering, Connecting, and Correcting
Tragically, children who have been harmed, neglected,
or abused are at dramatically increased risk for behavioral problems.
All too often, parents are mystified by these behaviors and struggle
to find effective interventions. In this workshop, participants will
develop an understanding of Empowering, Connecting, and Correcting Principles
and how to apply these principles to children of all ages and all
levels of risk. Parents and professionals will find powerful insights
for creating a healing environment for their children.
International Adoption Medical Concerns
When families adopt internationally, they must
consider many health factors for their child. This session will
address such potential issues as infectious disease and
immunizations. We will also discuss the topic of evaluating
a child's referral paperwork to understand growth and medical
risk factors that may evident.
Introduction to Sensory Integration
Your child's ability to process and interpret
the information he receives from his senses is something that
parents take for granted. However, for children who come
from sensory-deprived backgrounds, they may have difficulty
processing sensory information, which is known as Sensory
Integration Dysfunction. For adopted and foster children
who have difficulties with Sensory Integration, their senses
create a major barrier between the child and the world around them.
This breakout session will introduce parents to the topic of
Sensory Integration and to recognize the sensory needs of their child.
Sensory Integration Strategies
In order to help children overcome Sensory
Integration Dysfunction and develop healthy
processing of their sensory input, specific strategies
must be employed. This breakout session will present
some specific techniques to develop a positive "sensory diet"
to improve your child's integration of his or her senses.
Adopting an Older Child - Panel Discussion
Whether God is calling you to adopt domestically or internationally,
the biggest need for orphans worldwide is to adopt older child,
who in most cases are already waiting to be adopted. Adopting
older children can be a blessing, but it may bring unique
challenges to parenting those children. This panel will be
composed of families who have adopted older children and how
they have tackled some of these challenges with good parenting
practices and a good portion of God's grace.
Preparing Your Heart and Your Family for Adoption
Adoption is a big step for a family and the
information can be overwhelming. This session will take it back
to the heart with suggestions on how to prepare your
heart and family for the blessings and challenges of
adoption. Topics will include suggestions on prayer, scriptures
to meditate on, how to talk to extended family and friends
about adoption, and how to talk with your children about adoption.
Your Adopted Child's Identity - Panel Discussion
This panel-led session will present the unique
ways our panel participants prepared their families and
children for identity formation. Panel participants include
domestic and international adoptive families. This session will also
include time for questions and answers. Intended for both
pre- and post-adoptive families, this session will help
you become more intentional in helping your child
form a positive self identity.
Home Schooling Your Adopted and Foster Children
In recent years, homeschooling has become recognized
as a viable and effective mode of education for millions of
children. But, have you considered how educating your
adopted child at home might aid in his or her attachment
and transition to your family or how it might serve to connect
and provide stability to your foster child? Cyndi Krawietz,
former public school teacher and veteran homeschooler, will
share her family's homeschooling journey, particularly as it
pertains to the special circumstances surrounding the adoption
of their 9 year old son from Ethiopia three years ago.
Join us for heartfelt discussion, gather resource suggestions,
and consider whether homeschooling might be the best option for your family!
Living as a Multi-racial Family
God's calling to build a family through
adoption does not pay attention to racial differences. Many
times, an adoptive family will be build from two or
more races, which presents certain questions and challenges
that a parent should be prepared for. From questions about
identity from the child as it relates to family and friendships
to being prepared to face discrimination from the world, these
topics will be explored to help equip families in parenting
their children.
Launching an Orphan Ministry in Your Church
Do you ever wish your church could have a ministry to help
adoptive and foster families, but you don't know how to start? This
session gives the principles and practical tools needed to launch
an effective adoption and foster care ministry. We start with
strategies for approaching your church leadership with a
ministry plan and cover a variety of topics to help you
develop your vision for informing, encouraging and supporting .
You will also hear ideas from existing church ministries around the country.
Supporting Adoptive and Foster Families in Your Church
When a family decides to adopt or become a foster
family, they need a community of believers to help them during
the ups and downs. There are practical needs, emotional
needs, and spiritual needs that these families will face.
The church - your church - is God's plan for providing
that support. In this session you will gain an understanding
of how your church ministry can surround adoptive and foster
families with love and support. This session is a must
for those who are seeking to launch an adoption or foster
care ministry in your church!
Foster Care Redesign in Texas
There are significant changes in work for
foster care in the State of Texas. These will be some of
the most significant changes in decades, affecting how
foster families interact with agencies and the Texas DFPS.
They will affect how agencies work with the DFPS.
This session will cover those changes and is open to
foster families, potential foster families, and
foster care agency representatives. This session will be
led by experts in the field who are actually participating
in the redesign effort. You will definitely gain
useful insights into what is coming.
Establishing a Church Adoption Fund
Adopting a child usually comes at a significant
financial cost. Even with the generous tax credit available to
adoptive families, many times the cost of adopting presents a
roadblock to adoptive families. In this session, we will
discuss some thoughts and considerations for a church
ministry providing financial assistance to adoptive
families. Two models of church-provided adoption financial
assistance will be addressed with pointers to follow up information.
- Informal Q&A
- Adoption agency presentations
- Information on waiting children
- Connecting with adoptive families