An AFAA seminar for all inter-country adopters, with special focus on parents and their adopted teenagers and the issues around 'Returning to the Birth Country'.
The AFAA Annual General Meeting will also be held during the day, and there will be the opportunity to relax and chat later over an evening meal in a local restaurant.
Saturday, 21st June 2003, 9.30am - 4.30pm
Queenswood School, Shepherds Way, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Herts AL9 6NS
The seminar offers parallel activities:
For parents - three speakers, each with their own special experience of returning to the birth country:
For teenagers - an ice-breaking, fun morning with tenpin bowling and a 'Teens Talking' afternoon facilitated by Carl Callam (from a trans-racial family) to focus on the issues of those in the group.
A crèche will be available for children from age 3. The school cannot accommodate children under this age and parents are therefore requested not to bring them.
Everyone should bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee will be available.
PROGRAMME
09.30 - Registration and Coffee
10.00 - Introduction to the Day- Teens depart to enjoy tenpin bowling
10.15 - Clive Winstanley - planning and taking a very special exotic holiday- Angela Genders - tracing and reunion- Crystal Dickinson - using the return trip to build long term relationships
11.45 - Parents' Workshops Session 1
13.00 - AGM (those not wishing to attend AGM can start lunch)
13.30 - Lunch - all together
14.30 - Parents' Workshops Session 2- 'Teens Talking'
15.45 - Feedback and discussion - all
16.30 - Finish
PROVISIONAL WORKSHOP TOPICS
Dealing with Racism
The Teenage Years
Exploring and Explaining Adoption with Children
Pre-Adopters' Forum
Returning to the Birth Country
PROFILES OF OUR SPEAKERS
Clive Winstanley - Julia and Clive adopted Helen and Jane in Brazil as babies in 1986, and returned there on a visit in the summer of 1998.
Angela Genders - Rony was born in El Salvador in 1987 and was adopted by Angela and Donald when he was 15 months old. They traced Rony's birth family and returned as a family in 1999 to meet them for the first time.
Crystal Dickinson - Crystal and Alan adopted Janet and Ruth from Sri Lanka in 1990 when they were 5 weeks old. They all went back in 1998.
Carl Callam - Carl was brought up in care initially in a white environment and was then fostered between the ages of 4 and 12 in a white family. Although seen as 'black' by local people and expected to behave in a certain way, he had little in common with black people - even his own birth family. Carl, who now works for a documentary film company, has made a film relating his own experiences and how he has come to terms with his disparate identities.Application Form htm - Application Form Word - Application Form pdf
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Last modified: 12 May, 2003