2005: Nothing is Impossible!
Workshop Period 1 • 10:30-12:00 Noon
1. Family to Family: Tools for Rebuilding Foster Care – The designer of “Family to Family,” one of the most important initiatives in foster care, speaks about goals, strategies, outcomes, and lessons learned. John Mattingly, New York City Administration for Children’s Services
Annie E. Casey Foundation Family to Family Tools for Rebuilding Foster Care
2. The Power of Sibling Connection – The challenges faced by siblings who are separated in foster care and adoption and the need to honor their relationships. Illustrated by personal stories, literature, and law. Lynn Price, Camp to Belong
3. Concurrent Planning: Implementation in NYS – An assessment of concurrent planning in NYS. How parents, caseworkers, and foster parents are affected, and recommendations for best practice. Sarah Gerstenzang, Children’s Rights, Inc.
4. Whom Do You Trust? Attachment in Adoptive Families – A discussion of attachment as issues of trust and mistrust. The importance of parent/professional collaborations to develop strategies for building trusting relationships. Linda Grillo and Lori Santana, Adoptive Families Together
5. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and How We Can Help – An OASAS specialist and an adoptive parent discuss the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral issues of FASD and successful interventions. Margo Singer and Dianne O’Connor, NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services
The Fetal Alcohol Disorders Center for Excellence
Fetal Alchohol Syndrome Effects (FAS/E) and Neurobehavioural Problems
Friday, May 6, 2005 – Workshop Period 2 • 1:45-3:15 p.m.
6. Listening to Parents: A “Customer Satisfaction Survey” – Hear the results of the largest study ever conducted of parents adopting from foster care. How the process works, where it is frustrating, and how to make it work better. Jeff Katz, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
“The Waiting Game “- The Kennedy School Bulletin
7. Transracial Adoptees: Three Layers of Identity – Understanding the unique experiences of transracial adoptees and which layers of identity–cultural, racial, adoptive–are most important, when, and why. Amanda Baden, Montclair State University
8. You Can’t Control the Wind, But You Can Adjust the Sail! – How to identify, monitor, and manage levels of stress. Some strategies to help you be more effective at home and at work. Barry Chaffkin, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center for Children and Family Services
9. Obtaining Services for Children with Special Needs – A health law attorney discusses how to work with and obtain services from state agencies for mentally ill, mentally retarded, or developmentally disabled children. Joan Siegel, NYC Administration for Children’s Services
10. Permanent Homes for Teens: The Saving F.A.C.E. Approach Part I – How to find unconditionally committed permanent parent(s) for every teen using this three-pronged recruitment approach: Friends, Acquaintances, and Community Education. Pat O’Brien, You Gotta Believe!
Friday, May 6, 2005 – Workshop Period 3 • 3:35-5:05 p.m.
11. Life Changes in Adoptive Families – Adoptive families, like all families, confront changes through the years–death of loved ones, moves, new schools, divorce. How can adoptive parents prepare to help their children? Maris Blechner, Family Focus Adoption Services
12. The Truth about Teamwork – Foster parents and agency program managers discuss barriers and solutions to developing honest and effective foster parent/caseworker relationships. Susan Collins, NYS Citizens’ Coalition for Children, Moderator
Guidelines for Sharing Information
13. The 3-5-7 Model: Preparing Children for Permanency -How to help foster children clarify who they are, what happened to them, where they are going, and how they will belong in their permanent family. Darla Henry, Family Design Resources, Inc.
14. Kaleidoscope Eyes: Viewing Behavior through a Different Lens – Shifting the focus from children’s behavior to the feelings and causes of the behavior to establish healthy relationships and better communication. Linda Grillo and Lori Santana, Adoptive Families Together
15. Permanent Homes for Teens: The Saving F.A.C.E. Approach Part II – Continuation of Workshop #10. How to find unconditionally committed permanent parent(s) for every teen using this three-pronged recruitment approach: Friends, Acquaintances, and Community Education. Pat O’Brien, You Gotta Believe!
Workshop Period 4 • 8:30-9:50 a.m.
16. Where Did I Come From? Where Am I Going? – A developmental map for the child’s adoption or foster care journey to identity and wholeness. Dee Paddock, Families With A Difference
17. Seeking Permanent Outcomes for Foster Children – The views of adoptive parents, birth parents and young adults formerly in foster care on what is and is not working to ensure that all foster children are connected with caring families. Madelyn Freundlich, Children’s Rights, Inc.
18. Resilient Children: Building on Their Strengths – How abused/neglected children develop coping behaviors to survive trauma. How to help them build on inner strengths and work towards reconciliation of losses. Darla Henry, Family Design Resources, Inc.
19. Feathers and Stones: Taking Care of Ourselves – As parents of or providers for challenging children, we need to pay attention to our own feelings of loss, grief, rejection. Ways to help ourselves and each other. Linda Grillo and Lori Santana, Adoptive Families Together
20. What Every Foster Parent Needs to Know – Participation in permanency hearings, advocating for children in court, options when a child is not free for adoption, and other rights and responsibilities of foster parents. Margaret Burt
See Foster Care Legal Issues for 2008 articles on issues addressed in Atty Burt’s workshop
Saturday, May 7, 2005 – Workshop Period 5 • 10:05-11:25 a.m.
21. Each Child Has an Oar – Empowering traumatized children to change course and survive transitions in adoption and foster care. Dee Paddock, Families With a Difference
22. Race Matters: White Parents of Children of Color – Understanding white identity development and how to listen and speak to your child about race and racism. Deborah Haynor and Lorie Miller, Diversity Matters
23. Youth In Progress: Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders – Foster care youth speak about how to build youth partnerships into agency practice and translate commitment to youth into action. Joanne Trinkle, Youth In Progress, Moderator
24. The Invisible Presence of Birth Family – Adoptive families need to know from the beginning that the birth family needs to be a recognized part of adoptive family life. Confronting the fears and realities. Maris Blechner, Family Focus Adoption Services
25. Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) and Adoption – Requirements to file and grounds for TPR, timing of petitions, and the legal process from TPR to adoption, including expedited adoptions. Margaret Burt
See Foster Care Legal Issues for 2008 articles on issues addressed in Atty Burt’s workshop
Saturday, May 7, 2005 – Workshop Period 6 • 11:40-1:00 p.m.
26. Can We Fix This Child? – Transforming “great expectations” into “real expectations” in adoptive and foster families. Dee Paddock, Families With a Difference
27. Foster Parents Speak: Crossing Bridges & Fostering Change – An award winning new video is featured in a discussion of the challenges of foster parenting today and building shared parenting relationships. Susan Collins, NYS Citizens’ Coalition for Children
28. Post Adoption Services: What Do Parents Want? – Outcomes of a three-year state funded program. The post adoption services parents requested and used the most, rated highest, and cost the least to provide. Priscillia Gore, NY Council on Adoptable Children; Carol Hirsch, New Alternatives for Children; Suzanne d’Aversa, Parsons Child and Family Center
29. I’ll Tell Them When They’re Older Because… - This workshop will help you learn to talk about any topic with a child at any age. Bring your most difficult situations to share and discuss. Barry Chaffkin, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center for Children and Family Services
30. Conditional Surrenders and Open Adoptions – Issues concerning post adoption enforcement and problems with conditions that go wrong. Ways to avoid potential pitfalls. Margaret Burt
See Foster Care Legal Issues for 2008 articles on issues addressed in Atty Burt’s workshop
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