New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House

Listening to the Stories of Adoption and Foster Care

The California Adoption Conference is a two-day event featuring talks and workshops for adoptive and foster families, adult adoptees and foster alums, birth parents, and adoption professionals. “Adoption is a lifelong journey,” says Beth Hall, Executive Director of Pact, An Adoption Alliance, and one of the conference organizers. “Placement is only the beginning—everyone involved needs ongoing education and support. That’s why programs like the California Adoption Conference are so important. We’re trying to provide something for all members of the constellation—anyone whose life has been touched by adoption or foster care.”

The conference begins on a Friday with a day-long training for professionals who work with adults and/or children touched by adoption or foster care. For the general session on Saturday there will be as well 18 workshop topics, including attachment, transracial adoption, open adoption, searching for birth family, mental health issues, and adopted teens. Panels are scheduled featuring birth/first parents and adopted adults, and there are sessions specifically for prospective adoptive parents, first/birth parents as well as adoption professionals, educators and extended family members.