On Saturday October 28th from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm the American Adoption Congress (AAC) will present an all day conference titled “Family Connections: the Evolving Face of Adoption”. The keynote speaker at this conference is Executive Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, author of Adoption Nation – How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming America and adoptive father Adam Pertman. He will present “Welcome to the Revolution: 10 Things Everyone Should Know About Adoption”.

Following the keynote will be three conference tracks: “Forming the Adoptive Family”, “Ready to Search?” and “Reunion Dynamics”. There will be speakers for each of nine workshops who will be able to give informative and useful information on topics such as Relationships Post– Reunion, International Adoption, Search Tips and Tools and Open Adoption. There will be a legislative update at this conference on upcoming adoption reform legislation for North Carolina

On Friday October 27 the AAC along with other conference sponsors will host a reception Saturday evening from 7-10pm at the Best Western – Windsor Suites in Greensboro. There will be a viewing of the movie, Vital Records by Jean Strauss during the reception. There is also a block of rooms available at the Best Western for people traveling to attend the conference.

The AAC will bring together adoptees, natural parents, adoptive families, social work professionals and others to learn from this informative conference. Registration is available online at www.chsnc.org or by calling. Early bird registration is available until Oct 1st.

I am sure that this conference will be an excellent opportunity for those whose lives are touched by adoption to learn and connect with others who feel the same way as you do. These conferences are always a validating experience whether it is your first conference or if you have attended many. The workshops are always a wealth of information as well as an excellent opportunity for healing and growth. I hope you all will consider attending.