Children need caring families. Families need caring societies. Caring societies need a caring world. Who cares for those who welcome foster or adopted children into their families?
To fill that need, there is a new organization called Adoption Perspectives, founded by Patricia Jones and Marcella Moslow. They are both licensed social workers who have experienced adoption personally. Jones is an adoptive parent and Moslow is an adoptee. Both adoption experiences were through FANA, an orphanage in Bogota, Colombia. Both know first-hand the importance of support for children and families. For them, the work is personal, professional and instrumental in shaping journeys.
To introduce their services, Adoption Perspectives is presenting a workshop called “Core Issues in Adoption and Foster Care” on Friday, November 8th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. The workshop will include lecture and stories as well as experiential learning during small group sessions. It is intended for adoptive and foster parents, adult adoptees (18+), grandparents, siblings, extended family and friends. The whole village is invited.
For professionals in the field, there is a seminar called “Core Issues in Adoption and Foster Care” on Thursday, November 21st from 8:00 until 4:30 p.m.. The target audience for this event is social workers, psychologists, family therapists, psychiatrists, school counselors, educators, case workers, and graduate students. Professional development credits are available; information about hours and fees is available on their website.
The presenters have experience and extensive training in supporting families. Both use play therapy and attachment-based as well as trauma resolution practices. According to Jones, “Shooing away the pain doesn’t cut it. The only way is through. Having the courage to be vulnerable, to find compassion for yourself and your story, makes all the difference.”
Moslow is equally passionate about addressing trauma and advocates education at all stages of the adoption/foster care journey. In her words, “the goal is to educate to reduce fear and discomfort of the unknown. The only way to do that – is to listen. Positive changes come through the voices whose stories shake us to our core and cause us to look at things from a different perspective.”
It is a gift to receive a child as an adoptive or foster parent; a gift for both the parents and child. To negotiate the challenges successfully, information is key. Support is important. Adoption Perspectives is ready and willing to step in to help.
Both Jones and Moslow bring extensive knowledge, experience, and what’s more, heart to their work. There is a Turkish saying, “Peace at home, Peace in the world.” Imagine that.