New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House

This workshop provides the opportunity for participants to examine how and why birth family is often critically important to children moving towards permanency and children who have been adopted, and how foster and adoptive parents’ attitudes toward birth family impact their children’s self-concept and identity. We also address age-appropriate communication about birth family, helping children/adolescents come to terms with difficult information, and what parents/professionals need to know about maintaining a relationship with the birth family.  Participants learn both the benefits and challenges involved in these unique relationships, as well as how to successfully navigate the common challenges to ensure permanency.