The school environment can present special challenges for children whose families were formed by adoption. Some traditional assignments can have unintended consequences, making students feel excluded and even alienated. Our teams of an adult adopted person and an adoptive parent will work with teachers and staff to raise awareness and explore ways to make your classrooms more inclusive of children from different types of families.
Instructor: Astrid Dabbeni
When: TBA
Where: Portland, Oregon
Cost: $60 per person, $90 per couple
Note: This class is a pre-requisite to the Lifestory Books Come Alive! series that starts January 6, 2011.
Pictures along with age appropriate journaling provide an important connection for children to their unique history of the way they joined their adoptive family. Regardless of the type or amount of background information you have about your child before he or she came to you, it will be essential to create an appropriate record.
Instructor: Astrid Dabbeni
Date: TBA
Time: 9 am to 1 pm
Where: SE UpLift Building, 3534 SE Main Street, Portland, OR 97214
Cost: $60 per person, $90 per couple
“How much did I cost?”
“Why didn’t my birthmother keep me?”
“Will I every get to meet my birthfamily?”
“Did my birthmother love me?”
“Why did you adopt me?”
Have you thought about how you will respond when your child asks such questions?
Homeland Tours: Creating a Positive Experience
A return visit to an adopted child’s homeland can be a very positive and rewarding experience. This workshop for adoptive parents will help them to make the most of this trip for them and their child. This class is not country specific and designed to meet the needs of all internationally adoptive families. Topics to be covered include:
Details
Instructor(s): Mina Bacigalupi
When: TBA
Where: TBA in Portland, Oregon
Cost: $30 per person
This class is also offered on a request basis; contact us for details.
Instructor: Astrid Dabbeni
When: May 5, 2012
Time: 9 am to 4 pm
Where: SE UpLift Building, Portland, OR
Cost: $90 person
The decision to adopt across racial and cultural lines is a lifelong commitment to exploring matters of race, confronting racism in all its forms and constantly developing new skills and aptitudes. This workshop will provide you with information, tools, and resources and create a sense of hope as you explore you and your children’s future as a transracial family. This workshop is appropriate for adoptive parents, waiting parents, and professionals.
Workshop topics will include:
Here are some comments from past participants:
This class is also offered on a request basis; contact us for details.
The decision to adopt across cultural and racial lines is a lifelong commitment to exploring matters of race, confronting racism in all its forms and constantly developing new skills and awareness. This series of three workshops will help you to identify assumptions, provide you with tools and resources, and create a sense of confidence as you explore your future as a transracial family.
When: TBA
Where: TBA
Cost: $30 per person
Facilitator: Astrid Dabbeni
This panel is appropriate for adoptive parents, waiting parents and professionals.
Discussion Topics:
This is a rare opportunity to hear the recommendations and insights first hand of transracial adoptees and an adoptive parent who are willing to share their experiences of raising and being raised in communities with parents, family, friends who were/are of a different race than their own.
Today’s adoptive families and professionals working with them are of a generation who, through education, have the opportunity to mitigate some of the challenges faced by adoptive parents of the past while learning to maneuver new challenges of today. Come listen, engage and learn what it is/was like for them to be adopted into a mixed race family in the United States. This panel of adult adoptees and one adoptive parent will share their experience of living in a transracial family.
This panel is also offered on a request basis; contact us for details.
A 2-Day Preparatory Class for Adoptive Parents
Instructor(s): Mina Bacigalupi and MereAnn Reid, MA
Date: TBA
Time: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm
Location: OHSU, Portland, Oregon
Cost: $250.00 per family (singles are encouraged to bring a support person
View FAQ’s
This comprehensive series is designed to meet most recommended pre-adoption education requirements for international or domestic adoption or to supplement agency trainings. We believe history is important in defining the issues adoptive children face and creating positive outcomes. Successful parenting comes from being fully aware and prepared for potential difficult issues that some families may face. Our goal is to provide participants with tools and resources for the lifelong adventure of being an adoptive family.
This 10 hour class (separated into two workshops) will include:
Here are some comments about this class from past participants:
Adoption Readiness PDF
Cancellation Policy
