The Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition is pleased to be able to announce the 2020’s Annual New York State Foster Care and Adoption Conference theme and open up the Call for Workshop Proposals.

We so appreciate the adult adoptees and former foster youth who talk openly about living adopted or in care in books, blogs, movies, podcasts, plays, and other art forms with intent to educate non adopted people and create more understanding for young adoptees. We have the same goals. We too wish that all children- whether adopted, in foster care or living with relatives-  have the support they need to grow up as best possible. That’s the underlying foundation of all the work we do.

We know the value of the words offered from those with lived experiences. We have been listening and agree; who better than to tell a foster parent what a child wants or needs than a person who has also been through care? The young children of adoptive parents do grow up to be adopted adults and who better than to help parents understand what their children need, then those who walked the path before?

These Voices Have Inspired Our 2020 Conference Theme:

2020 Vision – Through the Eyes of Our Children: Empowering Voices and Elevating the Experts

Collectively, many of “the children” have now grown up.  Some are often professionals in this Child Welfare field, as well as driving new research, creating policy, advancing law, advocating for others and mentoring the youth of today.  As a collective, many are  helping to create an adoption narrative that is more inclusive and accepting of the complexity of the feelings and experiences of all members of the adoption constellation. These are the voices of the past that are much needed for a better future.

For our 2020 New York Foster Care and Adoption Conference, our goal is to have the majority of the  workshop sessions lead by an adopted person, a person who had been in foster care or experienced a kinship placement.

We acknowledge these voices.  We know how vital they are. We seek to raise the bar and provide an example that hopefully other organizations will follow, but we do need your help.

Call for Workshop Proposals is Open

We are seeking workshop presenters for the 31st Annual New York State Foster Care and Adoption Conference.  We have ideas, but we are so open to what you have to say.   Please consider sharing your truth with us in Albany in May.  Please give our families a chance to hear what you have to say. We promise to listen.

CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS!

The Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York is seeking presenters for the organization’s 31st annual conference. We strongly invite and encourage those with direct lived experiences to submit workshop proposals for one or more of our thirty workshops. Others, such as researchers, professionals, therapists, foster parents, birth parents or adoptive parents are also welcome to be presenters. The conference primary audience will still mostly be foster, adoptive and kinship parents and the professionals who work with them. We hope that by hearing these much-needed voices, they will be better able to meet the needs to the children they parent and serve.
SUBMIT A WORKSHOP PROPOSAL