Adoptive Parents Seminar
Seminar in the Sligo Park Hotel on Saturday 04 October 2008 from 10.00 - 4.00pm. Open to parents of adopted children.
Enter your article here.
In late 2005, two parents, one who had adopted domestically and one with an intercountry adoption came to the Centre enquiring about a support group for adopted parents in the area. They stated that there was no such group in the area and that they would be interested in setting one up with the help of the Centre. It was agreed that the Sligo FRC would provide a venue for these meetings, and that the Sligo FRC co-ordinator would facilitate them. The first meeting was held in December 2005. There were five parents.
At this meeting and subsequent meetings, it was agreed that there was a real need for support for parents who have adopted children or for parents/individuals who are in the process of adopting children in the area. The parents attending agreed that support in the form of information sharing, guest speakers, linking with other adoptive parents’ support groups in the region and nationally, family fun events and networking with each other would address this need.
To date the Group has organised two seminars 2005 and 2006, parties every August and Christmas for adoptive parents and their families as well as occasional information evenings. The group has been funded in the past by the local office of the Department of Social and Family Affairs and at present is in receipt of funding from the HSE.
The group meet on the last Monday of the month in the Sligo Family Resource Centre, 49 the Mall.
Morning :
· Adoption (Irish and International) in a historical context - an overview
· The Irish Study on Outcomes in International Adoption (2007) (Aims of the study, how the study was carried out, children’s developmental outcomes, children’s progress at school)
· Parenting in the context of adoption – initial stages
Questions and Discussion
Lunch
Afternoon
· Talking about adoption and Openness in families
· What the children are telling us about being adopted
· Key messages from Irish and International Research
Questions and Discussion
The Seminar will have relevance to parents who have both intercountry and domestic adoptions.
Ruth Kelly has practised as a social worker in the area of adoption for over ten years. She is currently working with the HSE South as Senior Practitioner, Adoption Service in Wexford. From 2005 to 2007, she was employed by the Children’s Research Centre, Trinity College, Dublin, as Research Fellow as part of a team undertaking a major piece of research on intercountry adoption (A Study of Intercountry Adoption Outcomes in Ireland (2007) : Greene, S., Kelly, R., Nixon, E., Kelly, G., Borska, Z., Murphy, S., Daly, A., Whyte, J., Murphy, C. Adoption Board) which had been commissioned by the Adoption Board. Other publications include : Motherhood Silenced, Reflections of Natural Mothers on Adoption Reunion, (2005) (Liffey Press); Emerging Voices, The Birth Mother’s Perspective in Adoption, (2008) in International Advances for Adoption Research and Practice (2008 in print) Wrobel, G., Neil, E., Haworth Press). Previous experience in various areas of social work, both in Ireland and in Canada, includes fostering, child protection and disability.
For more information: contact Elizabeth King on 071 9146315
Article created by eaking on Monday, September 29th 2008
It was last edited on 9th October 2008
See this users other articles
See this users profile
Add Comment
