Welcome Home Conference

Some details of this conference:

Keynote speaker Deborah Gray
Author, Educator, & Founder of Nurturing Attachments

Deborah Gray (LISW, MPA) specializes in the attachment, grief, and trauma issues of children. She has worked over 25 years as a social worker in foster and adopted children’s therapies and placement, and continues to run her clinical practice, Nurturing Attachments.
Deborah is a core faculty member of the Foster and Adoption Therapy program and Attachment Therapy program at Portland State University. She was the Henry W. Maier Practitioner in Residence at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work in 2008, and received a lifetime achievement award from ATTACh (Association for Training on Trauma and Attachment in Children) in 2015.
She is author of many articles and books, including Attaching with Love, Hugs, and Joy; Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents; Nurturing Adoptions: Creating Resilience after Neglect and Trauma. She is co-author of: Games and Activities for Attaching to Your Child.

Plenary Speakers for Main Sessions

Wendy Kittlitz, VP of Counselling & Care Ministries at Focus on the Family Canada

She leads the “Waiting to Belong” Initiative. Wendy was an adoption professional for over 15 years and is also an adoptive parent.

Managing Stress and Self Care:

We all know that parenting in and of itself is stressful, but add in the dynamics of fostering and/or adoption and the stress multiplies exponentially. Let’s talk about ways to manage the stress as best we can and learn some strategies for taking good care of ourselves so we will be able to care well for the children entrusted to us.

Linda Sheppard, MS, FLE

Linda has 5 grown children (that have made it through the teen years) and 5 teenagers still in the home. Seven of our children joined our family after their previous placements did not work out. They have adopted infants, toddlers, older children, groups of children, altered birth order, artificially twinned (or actually quadruplet), have children with cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, global developmental delay, bipolar, PTSD, RAD, a whole range of behavioral concerns, but they prefer to not get stuck on “labels” for their kids.

Linda is an attachment specialist with Adoption and Family Counseling Services. She is an outstanding speaker and educator within the field of adoption and is passionate about helping families succeed by becoming more therapeutic in their parenting style. Linda holds a masters degree in counseling, a post graduate certificate in Therapy with Adoptive and Foster Families, a post graduate certificate in Attachment Therapy, and is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Educator. She is currently completing her doctorate degrees in Organizational Psychology and Christian Counseling. Along with extensive education training, Linda brings a unique and personal understanding of the needs of adoptive families to her counseling. She and her husband Ron are the proud parents of fourteen children, twelve of whom joined their family through domestic, international, and embryo adoption. Linda and her family currently reside in Haiti as missionaries. She continues her private practice via Skype and conducts workshops and trauma trainings internationally.

Parenting Teens: Finding Peace in the Storm:

Whether adopted as infants or older children, children that join our family through foster care or adoption have unique characteristics that must be considered when we’re parenting through the teen years. There is HOPE in the midst of the storm! A fellow mom that has parented 5 children to adulthood and is currently parenting 5 other teens (along with other younger children), will share practical strategies to help your family thrive through the teen years

What to Expect When Adopting or Fostering Older Children:

Come be encouraged! Put myths aside and delve into the reality of God’s calling in your life. We are all called to help others and care for orphans, but are we prepared for the challenges we will face? Learn important information from an adoptive parent of 14 children share some of the insights she “wishes she had known” in order to prepare you for the journey ahead when adopting or fostering older children.

Dr. William Farrell

Dr. Farrell is both a chiropractor and Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board. He takes special interest in the sensory motor disturbances that often exist with many neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Through the application of a neurosensorimotor integration model, he offers contract neuro rehabilitation services to Child and Family Services in Edmonton Alberta. He enjoys working as part of a multidisciplinary team for pediatric cases with complex sensory, motor, cognitive, and emotional rehabilitation requirements.

A Sensory Motor Approach to Building Better Brains:

This talk aims to impart the importance of appropriate sensory integration and motor function as markers of optimal brain function. Tips for identifying and addressing sensory motor disturbances early in development will be discussed.

A Child’s Hope Information Session – Alberta Government Representative

Learn about becoming a caregiver for Alberta’s waiting children. You’ll get answers about Adoption, Foster Care, and Foster to Adopt programs, the application process and what to expect plus the children who need placements and their special needs.

Schedule

October 23, 2015

7:00pm-10:00pm | Main Session #1

October 24, 2015

7:00pm | Heart Gallery Speakout

Registration is $80 per person

More details and registration are available here.