The session is open to anyone touched by adoption. Participants are welcome to share their experiences or just come and listen. White Hawk will lead the discussion on what it was like growing up not having words to describe what adoptees experienced. She states, "We can share our stories and find out we are not alone."
White Hawk is quick to emphasize, "We will not bash our adoptive parents. Coming to terms with our adoption experience does not mean we encourage separation from our adoptive parents or relatives. There are those who are estranged from their adoptive parents, others who are not. And still others suffer from rejection of adoptive parents with whom they would like to have relationship. It is complicated. We support each other in our process, wherever we are within that journey."
Birth mothers, fathers, and other relatives are also encouraged to attend. White Hawk elaborates, "Adoption impacts everyone. Our birth mothers and fathers have often suffered the loss of their children without the benefit of any resource to express the pain, confusion, and guilt associated with relinquishing a child. We want to give them space to tell their stories. There are also birth mothers and fathers who don't experience these negative things, which we are also grateful for and invite their participation too. All are welcome."
To register for our conference, visit www.nicwa.org/conference/
April 13-16, 2014 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Contact
Lauren Shapiro
Events Manager
lauren@nicwa.org
(503) 222-4044 ext. 118
Mail-In Registration Form
In April 2014, child welfare and legal professionals, advocates for children, tribal leaders, families, youth, and grassroots organizers will gather together in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to focus on achieving ICWA’s potential and to celebrate its legacy. This conference will feature expert plenary panels, innovative workshops, networking opportunities, and celebratory events focused on serving the best interests of Native children in children’s mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice. Please join us in our mission to protect Native children!
Conference Goals
- To highlight successful strategies for developing effective services
- To reveal the latest and most innovative child welfare and children’s mental health service delivery practices
- To highlight tactics and strategies for financing and sustaining services that impact children
- To showcase strategies for involving youth and families in developing services and policies that lead to systems change
- To create peer-to-peer networks that will assist each other in the work toward permanency for all American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families
- To share the latest research on the well-being of AI/AN children and effective child welfare and children’s mental health services, practices, and policies.
Who Should Attend?
All individuals who are committed to serving AI/AN children and their families are encouraged to attend. Moreover, many workshop sessions target one or more of these groups specifically:- Child welfare workers, directors, and staff from tribal, state, federal, and private programs
- Tribal leaders
- Substance abuse staff
- Health professionals
- Mental health and psychiatric professionals
- Law enforcement professionals
- Court and legal professionals
- Teachers, counselors, educators, and staff
- Tribal and public school administrators
- Grassroots community organizers
- Court of Indian Offenses judges and attorneys
- BIA and IHS social service staff
- Private providers
- Parents, guardians, elders, and extended family members
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