October 15 – 16, 2007
Conference Highlights & Meet the Bloggers Update
Reserve Hotel Now – Discounts end
Sept 14th!
Ethics Conference Draws Prominent Speakers,
Presenters and Attendees from Around the World
NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2007 – The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption
Institute and Ethica, Inc. are delighted to announce today that
nearly 200 adoption experts, researchers, mental-health
professionals, practitioners, triad members, media
representatives, and policy and practice professionals from
around the U.S. and internationally will participate in the
upcoming conference, Adoption Ethics & Accountability:
Getting it Right Makes a Lifetime of Difference.” Both
national and international registrations have been received.
This timely, important event takes place Oct. 15-16 at the
Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel in Arlington, Va., outside
Washington, D.C. Space is limited, so we strongly urge anyone
who has not yet registered to do so on the conference website,
www.ethicsconference.net. Updated information about speakers,
CEU’s, travel and hotel arrangements, and other materials are
also available on the site.
The event will offer a unique opportunity for anyone with a
professional or personal interest in adoption (international or
domestic) and foster care to increase their knowledge about the
vital issues affecting children and agencies — and the professionals who
serve them. And it will offer an even more-rare opportunity, too: to
provide input that will help shape real, positive change.
This is the second national ethics conference sponsored by the
Adoption Institute; the first took place in 1999, and its impact is
still being felt.
Conference Highlights: Keynote Addresses and
Speakers
Madelyn Freundlich, who will open the conference on
Monday morning, is one of the most highly respected researchers,
trainers, authors and speakers in the field. Freundlich, who is a
Senior Research Fellow of the Adoption Institute, has more than
15 years of experience in child welfare practice, program
development and implementation, policy and research. She has
written extensively on child welfare issues in books and
professional periodicals, and has given scores of trainings,
workshops and other presentations across the United States and
in other countries. Freundlich formerly served as General
Counsel and Director of Child Welfare Services for the Child
Welfare League of America, Associate Director of Planning for the
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children,
Executive Director for the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute,
and Policy Director for Children’s Rights Inc. In all these
capacities, she worked with public and private child welfare
agencies and child welfare organizations nationwide, providing
consultation and training as well as developing practice, program,
policy and research initiatives that have gained wide recognition.
Freundlich holds master’s degrees in social work and public
health, as well as two degrees in law.
Adam Pertman is Executive Director of the Adoption Institute,
Associate Editor of Adoption Quarterly (the premier research
journal in its field) and author of Adoption Nation: How the
Adoption Revolution is Transforming America (which has been
reviewed as “the most important book ever written on the
subject”). Pertman, a former journalist who was nominated for a
Pulitzer Prize for his writing about adoption, is also the author of
many additional commentaries, book chapters and articles in
books, scholarly journals and mass-market publications. He has
given hundreds of keynotes, trainings and presentations in the
U.S. and abroad, is widely quoted in the media, and has appeared
on programs including “Oprah,” the “Today” show, and
“Nightline.” His honors include an Angel in Adoption Award from
the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, a Special Friend of
Children Award from the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry; the President’s Award from the African
American Cultural Council of Virginia; and the Dave Thomas
Center for Adoption Law’s first award for “the nation’s greatest
contributor to public understanding about adoption and
permanency placement issues.”
Linh Song,the Executive Director of Ethica, Inc., will round out
the first morning’s speakers. Song, an articulate advocate for
ethical policies and practices, comes from a background in social
work and nonprofit administration within the Vietnamese-
American and adoption communities. Most recently, she founded
and served as executive director of the Mam Non Organization, a
group providing post-adoption support for families that have
adopted Vietnamese children. She holds a B.A. and M.S.W. from
the University of Michigan, and is a Rockefeller Fellow at the
JoinerCenter for War and Social Consequences. Her career has
been dedicated to social justice issues such as equal access to
health care for underprivileged minorities at the University of
Michigan School of Nursing Healthy Asian Americans Project,
humanitarian work in Vietnam, research on the experiences of
Vietnamese birthmothers, and the fostering of positive racial
identities and cultural awareness within the transracial adoption
community.
Barbara A. Holtan, who will provide a keynote address during
the lunch on October 16th, is a highly sought-after speaker,
trainer and expert who has worked professionally in the field of
adoption since 1980. Holtan, MA, MSW, has worked as an
adoption caseworker, program director, and Executive Director at
a private agency working exclusively to find families for children
with special needs. In 2002, she assumed the role of
AdoptUsKids Project Director of the Adoption Exchange
Association, the organization directing the Collaboration to
AdoptUSKids, a multi-faceted, five-year initiative of the
Children’s Bureau. She is an international trainer on adoption
and child welfare issues and has been quoted extensively in print
and broadcast media. Holtan is the recipient of numerous
professional honors, including the Adoption Activist Award from
the North American Council on Adoptable Children, and a
Department of Health & Human Services Adoption Excellence
Award. She and her husband are the parents of five children,
three of whom joined the family by adoption and two by birth.
Regina Reeves-Solomon, who will also address participants during the
lunch presentation on October 16th, is a mother who is currently
involved in custody proceedings for her son. Since 2004,
Solomon has fought for the right to raise her child, raising issues
regarding the irregular processes of the initial “entrustment
agreement.” She uses her case to illustrate the loopholes and
practices that can result in de facto adoptions. In an
unprecedented decision, a California judge ordered joint custody
between Solomon and the son’s adoptive parents. Solomon
moved to Johnson City, TN, in 2005, by order of the court, to
have access to her child. She lives and works there as a high
school math teacher.
Meet the Bloggers NOTE FROM CLAUD: Here’s where it gets interesting!!
During the Reception on Monday evening, October 15th, you will
have the opportunity to “Meet the Bloggers”. The bloggers will
also cover the conference on their blogs, sharing observations and
interviews with the online community. Be sure to check out their
sites before, during, and after the conference.
So what is a blog and who are bloggers?
A blog is a form of internet social networking, i.e., a digital community. Blogs
provide commentary or news on a particular subject such as food,
politics, or local news; some function as more personal online
diaries . A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other
blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability
for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an
important part of many blogs.
Okay, so what do blogs have to do with a conference
addressing ethical issues in adoption?
Blogging is a popular and increasingly important way of building communities
online, mobilizing for action, educating readers about issues,initiating grassroots policy, overcoming geographic boundaries, etc. If you’ve read an adoption related blog, you may wonder whothe person behind the text may be. No more guessing!
In this casual session we have an exciting opportunity for
conference attendees to meet bloggers who are making waves in
the adoption community. The blogosphere has become the new
platform for adoption activists and a way to inform the community, allowing triad
members and professionals to organize and build upon the
adoption experience. Join us as we meet the people behind the blogs and learn how they’ve revitalized the community.
David Kruchkow: www.adoptionagencychecklist.com
David’s website paved the way for bloggers seeking information
on how to assess adoption agencies and avoid adoption fraud.
His personal experience, subsequent community organizing, and
continued advocacy for transparency brings thousands of visitors
to his website.
Desiree and David Smolin: http://www.fleasbiting.blogspot.com,
The Smolin family’s blog details adoption fraud, corruption, and
other unethical practices and has proven to be a vital resource for
prospective adoptive families. A critical voice, the blog advocates
that there is no room for injustice in international adoption.
Jennifer Hemsley: http://chew.typepad.com/
Jennifer is an adoptive mother with a painful experience of
attempting to adopt a child from China. Her story has motivated
her to inform the community of the intricacies and possible
pitfalls in international adoption.
Elizabeth Case: http://www.bewareofbbas.org/
Elizabeth’s site pre-dated blogs but inspired other families to
share their experiences with adoption fraud as well as help
families navigate the structure of international adoption.
Margie Perscheid: thirdmom.blogspot.com/
Margie’s blog chronicles her experience as an adoptive Mother to
two Korean children as well as her insights to the adoption
process, how it has changed, and what the future holds for the
community. YEAH MARGIE!!!!
Claudia Corrigan D’Arcy: http://musingsofthelame
.blogspot.com/
HOLY HEADLINER, BATMAN! That’s ME!!!!
Claudia is a domestic first mother who has lent her writing and
community organization talents to her blog as well as Origins
USA. She has rallied the triad against injustices against
vulnerable parents as well as covered issues on open records and
informed consent.
OMG. Man, I thought there would be a crapload of us. I really did..and I sure as hell did not expect to be sent out like its a DRAW to come to this thing..and man, I sure don’t feel like I have a right to hang out with all these big names..on the same page no less! Geez, there is only SIX of us!! Thank goodess Margie will be there!
But the cool thing is..we get wireless internet access, and can cover the conference…which of course you all know I suck at. I never remember to take pictures of stuff. But there are perks….besides being kinda scared out of my pants.
I guess in this chapter of my life we call it Mrs. D’Arcy goes to Washington?
Yay! “Mrs. D’Arcy goes to Washington” by So Not Jane Austin.
I’d love to be able to be there. But will rely on you to report back.
OMG!! congrats Claud!!!!!!!!!
Will try to get there… but Monday and Tuesday??? Yuck! why not the good ole’ sat / sun like normal activists??? 😉
Claud!!!! This is so exciting!!! Looking forward to reading all about it!
Jenn
Claud – Write or call me. I am likely going to go. Curious how you are travelling there, where you are staying, etc.
It’s going to be great, but there is so, so much to do. I get faint thinking about it!
“So Not Jane Austen” love it!!!
Damn, why can’t I be Jane Austin??
poopy
Stay strong, Claud. Hugs!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Check out the EBD report
(http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/publications/2007_01_Birthparent_Stu
dy_All.pdf) p. 58 for their advice that the victims should take responsibility for what was done to them. There is NO evidence at all that counseling of this nature works for mothers, yet it’s put forth as “pivotal” in this report.
“Pivotal” for agencies, maybe, as a way to avoid lawsuits as you get the mother to blame herself instead for what you did to her.
by analogy, how ethical would it be to counsel a rape victim that she was not raped, that it was consensual sex and she should “take responsibility” for it??
so, the fact that EBD is sponsoring a conference on ethics is ironic, considering what they promote and they are pro-adoption (which comes down to “get the baby at almost all costs”)
that conference is also top-heavy with baby brokers and adoption promoters. natural moms (and i see that the term isn’t even used for any of the moms there — has it been edited out?) are there as a minority to give credence to it.
“Damn, why can’t I be Jane Austen??”
Maybe ‘cos Jane’s already been there, done that?
The 21st century Mrs. Darcy, OTOH, is writing her own plot 🙂
Go, Claud, go.
Anonygripe, I think you have a point when it comes to those women who were/are given NO (as in zilch, nada, zero) input into the decision making process.
But I think most would assume that “taking ownership of one’s responsibility for the decision” is meant to apply only to those who’d had at least SOME input. One would naturally suppose it wasn’t intended to apply to those who hadn’t. Unless one was very much on the defensive, that is.
And as far as “appears to be pivotal” goes, “appears to be” means something very different from “is”. It’s a hypothesis, a way of conceding that “taking ownership” may not in fact be a necessary condition for acceptance for all.
That’s my take anyway.
PS.
I mis-spelled “Austen”. My bad.
Kippa, “some input” into a decision isn’t the same as informed consent, a freely-made decision. same as with rape.
do you counsel a woman that as she “chose to” wear a short skirt or a halter top, or smiled at the guy, that she “played a role in” the rape she then suffered? it would be unethical.
she could have said “yes yes yes, NO!” at the last minute and it would still have been rape if the perpetrator had continued. that would be having “some input” right? but a rape counselor would never try to make her “take ownership of” “her role in” the subsequent assault.
it’s easy to blame the victim, especially if you gain something from it like absolving yourself of guilt.
The rape analogy is tired. It doesn’t help any.
If you were to apply it to the actual separation of mother and child I’d be entirely in sync with you. It’s a brutal and violent thing and to be avoided in all but the most extreme situations.
But you don’t seem to be doing that. You seem to be saying that mothers who’ve lost a child to adoption should not under any circumstances hold themselves accountable for anything, because they are all, without exception, total victims.
My feeling is that that’s something that should to be left up to the individual woman to decide.
I think it’s a decision that should be freely-made.
Claud,
I got your back at the conference, don’tr worry. They’ll make us feel important.
David K
kippa, i am saying that it is unethical to counsel a woman to “take responsibility for” or “take ownership of” the event if she was in any way coerced.
just as with sexual acts, coercion should never enter into it, as the end result is trauma and violation.
what EBD is advocating amounts to “blaming the victim.” they advocate this as a blanket statement.
further brainwashing that it was “her choice” when in many cases it wasn’t a freely made choice at all.
sure, some mothers HAVE surrendered willingly after taking home and nurture their babies (the only way she can possibly make an informed decision) — with no financial, social, legal or psychological coercion playing a part. my bet is that these mothers are as rare as hens’ teeth.
I’ve re-read the material and I do agree that in these particular pages the EBD report seems to assume a freedom of choice that’s rarely if ever the case. It is clearly is wrong to pressure women into feeling responsible for something for which they in large part aren’t (and some, not at all). But I don’t think that’s over-all message of the report.
Nevertheless, the pages you cite don’t reflect the reality of all women who’ve relinquished and that’s something that needs to be addressed. I think it need to be revised and rewritten with a less judgmental touch.
It may even be that the conference would be a good place to make such a recommendation (Claud?)
That said, I disagree with your position that if a woman has been in ANY WAY coerced it should never (apparently under any circumstances) be suggested to her that she take responsibility for whatever part, if any, she might have played in the action. That’s just the other side of the coin, IMO.
I think it’s insulting to those who do have reason to believe they shared in the responsibility, even if only minimally, and who want to lay claim to that.
I just wanted to clarify that there was a lot of effort made to make sure that we had representation across all fronts of the triad. It’s not obvious in the conference program but our keynote luncheon speaker is a woman that Ethica had counseled. She did not give consent for her child to be adopted and ended up with shared custody. Obviously she does not want to be called a birth mother and was forced into a triad situation. Our hope is that conference attendees, blogger fans following the conference proceedings from home, and other policymakers will understand that domestic adoption laws need serious attention. So please come to the conference with an open mind. You’ll be surprised at what we have in store!
I look forward to meeting you, Claud!
Sincerely,
Linh Song, MSW
Executive Director
Ethica, Inc.
again, it is ironic that an unethical organization should try to sponsor a conference on ethics.
clean up your own act first and stop denigrating natural mothers as being nothing more than incubators (i.e. ‘birth mothers’) and stop offloading the blame onto the victims. telling us to “take responsibility for” an act we were coerced into (and thus was NOT a freely-made choice and informed decision) is frankly very wrong.
no, i will not attend any conference where the promotional material tells me that i’m nothing more than an incubation device, no longer a mother, as that is what the b-word means in its entirety.
– a MOTHER, not a “birthmother”
btw, there IS no such thing as a triad.
there are those who held power and choice: adopters and brokers, one one side. there are those without power or choice, vulnerable mothers and their babies, on the other side.
4 unequal parties does not equal a triad. a 4-party transaction, yes. a triad, no.
Dear Anonymous –
The Adoption Ethics and Accountability Conference is co-hosted by Ethica AND the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. I think you’re confusing both organizations with each other. We are in fact two separate organizations with different objectives. I encourage you to visit our website at http://www.ethicanet.org .
As you can see, with a name like Ethica, we really can’t be, well, unethical.
Also, please note that the organizers have, in respect to natural mothers, changed all references to birth family and birth mothers on our conference program.
http://ethicsconference.net/conference-schedule/october-15-2007/
Again, I encourage everyone to come to the conference and make your voices heard. It does make a difference to be active offline. There are policymakers and activists who are eager to make ethics, accountability, and transparency the foundation of adoption.
Sincerely,
Linh Song, MSW
Executive Director
Ethica, Inc.
In reference to Ms. Reeves-Solomon’s speaking at your conference. I know this is after the fact, but perhaps you didn’t get the whole and truthful story from her. I know that she chose to give her child up for adoption. The adoptive parents were approached by Ms. Reeves-Solomon’s father and asked if they were interested in adopting a child. He stated and I quote my daugher and her husband do not wish to keep their baby as they wish to continue their education. I am a member of the adoptive family, not the parents or grandparents, by the way. Perhaps she needs to clarify things before she spouts off about how she has been hoodwinked. No on forced her to sign custody papers. She did so willingly and apparently had no thoughts about doing so. She is selfish and self-centered and thinks of this child as a possession.