CONFERENCES AND TRAININGS

We have been very busy this year- learning and speaking at various adoption legal and social work conferences. We have also gotten much more sophisticated with our own bimonthly review headed by social work supervisor, Patricia Buck, LSW. In June, one of our contract workers, Cynthia Metraux will give us training on tools that she uses to train adoptive families on transracial adoption.

We are also planning our own mandatory training for adoptive parents in the Spring of 2007 at our Cherry Hill, New Jersey office. We hope to cover such "hot topics, as open adoption and even have some birth families speak about their experiences over the years, We will also speak about transracial and transcultural adoption and our new Guatemala program. Any prospective and current families are invited to attend. There will be a $25 per person registration fee. We also hope to have social workers present to receive on -going education credits. Please check out web site for further details as the time gets closer.

In March, 2006, Tara and Patience traveled to Washington, DC to attend the meeting at the State Department on the Final Rules on the the Accredidation Rules and Preservation of Records. This was a meeting which discussed the approved regulations which the United States will implement in regard to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect to Inter country Adoption. This meeting was an incredible opportunity for us to ask questions directly to the Bureau of Consular Affairs to clarify regulations and determine how they will take effect. The United States has not yet implemented the Convention but it has been approved and will be in effect over the next few years. This effects the placement of all children outside of the country as well as the placement of all foreign children within the United States.

In February,2006, the ARC team headed up to Northern new Jersey where we participated in the annual Resolve Conference headed by social worker Joanie Mandell, MSW and attorney Robin Fleischner. We spoke about domestic adoption and the benefits of openness and even performed a little skit. We also had a table of information available. ARC was represented by Patricia Buck, Jodi Houlon,Patience Lee, Kamra Scott and Tara Gutterman.

In December,2005, Patience and Tara headed up to New York City for a legal conference on issues such as international law, assisted reproductive technology, and changes in practice. It was nice to meet with colleagues and hear the experts speak!

November, 2005 brought us to New Jersey again. This time, we were in New Brunswick, New Jersey for the "Let Talk Adoption" conference which was extremely well organized and very interesting. It is held every year at the Rutger's University campus and explores such issues as birth parents, race and culture in regard to adoption, openness, difficult birth histories, and adoption searches. I recommend it for both novices and also the experienced professional. ARC staff Tara Gutterman, Patience Lee, Kanra Scott, Janine Nathan-Pawlowsky, and Rita Toliver were in attendance.

In October, 2005, we appeared at the "Mother's Charm" adoption conference at the Convention Center in Philadephia, Pa. It was a small event and we had an opportunity to network with other professionals around the country who do adoption work. We also presented a class on counseling and the legal process.

Earlier in August, 2006 , we had our annual licensing visit with Ms. Victoria Thompson of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. She is always so knowledgeable and professional and was very proud of our work.

In 2007, we also hope to present classes at Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) Resolve and New Jersey Resolve once again

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