I’m headed off to the Chicago area for the Midwest Adoption Conference.

Here are the summaries for my presentations:

Ethical Considerations in Adoption
Because the rights of first parents, children and adoptive parents are inherently a conflict of interest, ethics are important to consider throughout the process. Ethics must also be a consideration for adoption agencies and government officials which may also have conflicts with a child’s best interests. How do we resolve ethical dilemmas? How do we maintain and enforce ethical standards for adoptive parents, agencies and our governments?

Racial Identity and Adoption
The importance of racial identity is often discussed with regard to children of color. However, understanding racial identity is important for our families whether they are white, of color, or multiracial. How does racial identity form and what are the stages? How can we support others racial identity development while working on our own? And why does it matter?