March Monthly Resources for the Adoption Constellation
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/know-your-rights-4-immigrants/id6740367633 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nakasec.chunk&hl=en_US Is Your Citizenship Status Correct?The Ties Program Emergency Hotline: NAKASEC also has a 24/7 hotline, where you can call and receive live confidential assistance in English or Korean. If you or someone you love is confronted by police/ICE/CBP or has been detained, you can call 1 844 500 3222 for immediate support. For non-emergency calls, such as requesting help determining your immigration status, please contact legal@adoptees4justice.org.
Seeking Research ParticipantsFor adopted women who relinquished childrenYoon, D. B. (2025). Sources of Identity Uncertainty for Adult Adopted Individuals. Adoption Quarterly, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2025.2567961 ABSTRACT Adopted individuals sometimes grapple with questions about how they see themselves, their relational roles, and their understanding of family. Not only are they expected to construct their identity as a part of their adoptive family, but they must also attend to the complexities that adoption adds to their identity construction and management. This study examines narratives of adopted individuals describing the ways in which they experience identity uncertainty and identity gaps. Interviews with 22 adult adopted individuals (yielding from a US based sample) were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results indicated themes reflecting the presence of identity uncertainty for adopted individuals due to: (1) unknown birth family information and birth family ambiguity, (2) differentiation from adoptive family, and (3) the expected self vs. true self. In addition, results indicated that identity gaps reflect inconsistencies or discrepancies in how adopted individuals attempt to balance competing aspects of their identity. This study furthers current literature about adoption and identity to include ways adoption is reflected within every aspect of the adopted individuals’ sense of self. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. — Abdullah, T. (2025). Social stigma, internalised shame and psychological struggles in adopted adolescents: A mediated model. Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759251414171 ABSTRACT This study investigated the psychosocial impact of perceived social stigma on adopted adolescents in Peshawar, Pakistan, focusing on emotional regulation difficulties, identity confusion and internalised shame. Grounded in Goffman’s stigma theory and Erikson’s theory of identity development, the research examined how stigmatising societal attitudes influence adolescents aware of their adoptive status. A total of 709 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years, who had lived with their adoptive families for at least three years and were enrolled in formal education, completed structured questionnaires with newly developed and validated scales measuring stigma, shame, identity confusion and emotional regulation. Using structural equation modelling, findings revealed that perceived social stigma significantly predicted internalised shame, emotional regulation difficulties and identity confusion. Internalised shame acted as a key psychological mechanism in these associations. Adolescents who felt stigmatised were more likely to internalise this negativity as shame, which in turn heightened their struggles with emotional regulation and identity development. These results highlight the psychological toll of stigmatisation on adopted youth and underscore the critical role of shame in shaping their development. The findings provide insights for educators, psychologists and social workers in supporting adopted adolescents and suggest the need for stigma reduction efforts in educational and social settings. — Hickingbotham, M. R., Bell, M., Zoltick, E. S., Platt, D., Leonhard, J. R., Hajek, C., Green, R. C., Smith, H. S., & Christensen, K. D. (2025). A Lack of Information About Family Health History Motivates Adopted Individuals to Pursue Elective Genomic Testing. American journal of medical genetics. Part A, e70005. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmga.70005 ABSTRACT Elective genomic testing (EGT) for medically actionable disease predispositions may help adopted individuals (adoptees) with limited knowledge of family health history (FHH) information understand their inherited risks. In this prospective cohort study, patients who participated in Sanford Health's EGT program were surveyed at the time of enrollment between August 2020 and April 2022 about their motivations for pursuing EGT and perceived risks for three conditions. Data from self-reported adoptees and nonadoptees were analyzed using bivariate analyses. Of the 5799 eligible patients, 197 (3.4%) reported that they were adopted. Adoptees were more likely than nonadoptees to report lack of information about FHH as a very important motivation for pursuing EGT (81% vs. 32%, p < 0.001) and were more likely to rate it as their most important motivation (45% vs. 5%; p < 0.001). Other motivations, including learning about personal disease risk (72% vs. 61%; p = 0.016) and providing disease risk information to children (69% vs. 57%; p = 0.003), were also more likely to be rated as very important by adoptees than by nonadoptees, respectively. No differences in risk perceptions were observed. A lack of FHH information is an important reason why adoptees pursue EGT. Adoptees may hope that EGT will identify inherited risks for disease. Summer CampsAfrican / Caribbean Heritage Camp Camp Dates: June 4-7, 2026 Camp Dates: September 4-7, 2026 Camp Dates: July 23-26, 2026 Camp Dates: July 16-19, 2026 Indian/Nepalese Heritage Camp Camp Dates: June 11-14, 2026 Camp Dates: June 18-21, 2026 Latin American Heritage Camp Camp Dates: June 11-14, 2026 Slavic / Eastern European / Central Asian Heritage Camp Camp Dates: July 23-26, 2026 Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander Heritage Camp Camp Dates; July 9-12, 2026 June 25-28, 2026! , an optional casual camping experience can be added, 24-25th Join us for this 4 day, 3 night Gathering (with an optional additional night/day) set in the picturesque Mt. Hood National Forest, set on the banks of the salmon river! This family-oriented camp experience is open to all Ethiopians, Ethiopian -Americans, and Ethiopian adoptive families and friends. Share a taste of the traditions from the Horn of Africa and come together to celebrate families in all shapes and sizes. Family Camp July 30 - August 2, 2026 July 26 - August 8, 2026 Adopted Kids Sleep-away camp Family Camp July 20-25th, Texas June 19-21, 2026 or September 18-20, 2026, Columbus, IN Hope Family Camp 2026 Location: Pathfinder Farms: 846 Co Rd 30A, Ashland, OH 44805 Overnight Camp Dates: July 20-25, 2026 Family Day Camp Dates: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 CIT Program July 20-25, 2026 On-Demand Webinar ReplayEvents to NoteFor Educators & Therapists June 26-29 Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools conference by ATN, Dallas For Therapists March 24 Adoption Therapy Consultation Group by Brooke Randolph For Therapists & Parents March 4 Transracial Adoption Readiness: An Identity Needs Hierarchy with Chaitra Wirta-Leiker April 9-11 ATTACh conference, San Antonio June 24-26 NCFA conference, Washington DC (proposals accepted through September) First Thursdays PDA 101 For Foster/Adoptive Parents March 8-11 Fullness of Joy SoulCare Retreat by Lisa Qualls, Washington March 11 Citizenship Workshop: Adoptive Parent Guide to Filing an N-600 by Adoptees United March 12-15 Fullness of Joy SoulCare Retreat by Lisa Qualls, Washington Monthly meetings Parenting through Disconnection by BPAR Every other Sunday (additional groups to be scheduled) Adoption/Foster + PDA Support Group by PDANA Wednesday’s 6:30 EST Weekly Parent Self-Care from AFFCNY 3rd Tuesdays Adoptive & Foster Parent Peer Support Group by Adoption Knowledge Affiliates 3rd Tuesdays Helping Children Heal from Sexual Abuse from AFFCNY 3rd Thursdays Transracial Adoptive Parent Support Group by Adoption Network Cleveland and Transracial Journeys 3rd Friday’s Single Parent Support Circle from AFFCNY Fourth Wednesday’s Parents of Young (ages 4-7) Adoptees Group online from Boston Post Adoption Resources Monthly Parents of Kids (ages 8-10) Adoptee Group online from Boston Post Adoption Resources Monthly Parents of Teen Adoptees Group online from Boston Post Adoption Resources Monthly Dad Squad online peer support from AFFCNY Monthly Single Parents of Adoptees Group online from Boston Post Adoption Resources in person trainings available from Adoption Network Cleveland Monthly Foster the Family Support Group meetings live in more than 20 cities For the Constellation March 14 Sex Intimacy, & Adoption We The Experts by Adoption Mosaic March 23 Surprise Siblings by Adoption Network Cleveland April 11 Non-Adoptee Therapists We The Experts by Adoption Mosaic April 17-18 Live Podcast Event with ATMOM & Special Guests, Austin May 7-8 Annual New York State Foster Care and Adoption Conference by AFFCNY, Hyde Park May 9 Adoptees Raised by Queer Parents We The Experts by Adoption Mosaic September 12 The Constellation: Doing the Work We The Experts by Adoption Mosaic October 10 Native Adoptees We The Experts by Adoption Mosaic October 21-22 Families Rising conference, proposals accepted through March 11 November 14 Reunion & Death We The Experts by Adoption Mosaic December 12 Adoptees & ADHD We The Experts by Adoption Mosaic Mondays Better Together Group by Adoption Mosaic Every Tuesday Addiction & Adoption Constellation Support Group by Celia Center Every Friday National Association of Adoptees and Parents Happy Hour 1st Tuesdays DNA Discovery Support Group by Adoption Network Cleveland 2nd Sundays Constellation group by CUB 2nd Thursdays DNA Discoveries Peer Group by Adoption Knowledge Affiliates 3rd Thursdays online Search and Reunion Group by Boston Post Adoption Resources 4th Thursdays Migrating Toward Wholeness: Rewriting Adoption Narratives in the Constellation with Liz DeBetta by NAAP For Children & Teens Every other Thursday Teen Adopt Connect support group with Lesli Johnson and Angela Gee 1st Tuesdays Adoptee Group for Kids Ages 8-10 (online) from Boston Post Adoption Resources 2nd Tuesdays Tween Adoptee Group for Ages 11-12 (online) from Boston Post Adoption Resources 3rd Tuesdays Teen Adoptee Group age 13-15 (online) from Boston Post Adoption Resources 4th Tuesday’s Teen Adoptee Group age 16-18 (online) from Bost Post Adoption Resources For Adoptees March 3 Workshop: Getting a New Certificate of Citizenship by Adoptees United May 23-24 Un-M-Othered: A Revolution in Adoptee Healing, Idaho July 23-26 VOICES conference by BIPOC Adoptees, Portland (proposals accepted through March 15) Periodic Mondays Adoptee Processing Group with Katy Perkins Coveney 1st Monday’s Adult Adoptee Group (online) from Boston Post Adoption Resources 1st Thursday Adoptee Support Group with Marie Dolfi 1st Friday Adoptee Peer Support Group by AKA 2nd Monday In-person Women Adoptees Peer Support Group by AKA, North Austin 2nd Tuesdays Transnational Adoptee Support Group by Adoption Network Cleveland 2nd & 4th Fridays By Us For Us Young Adults Adoptees of Color Community Connections with Angela Gee and Robyn Park Every other Tuesday Adoptee Paths to Recovery addiction support group by NAAP Bimonthly LGBTQ Adult Adoptee Support Group by Boston Post Adoption Resources Bimonthly People of Color Adult Adoptee Support Group by Boston Post Adoption Resources 3rd Wednesdays Men’s Adoptee Peer Support Group by Adoption Knowledge Affiliates 3rd Wednesdays Adult Adoptee Only Support Group by Celia Center 3rd Wednesdays Professional Adoptees Networking by AFFCNY 4th Tuesdays Intersecting Identities: Adopted persons who are (or who identify as) Autistic, ADHD, and/or otherwise neurodivergent by Jenna Cacciola & Jodi Moore 4th Thursdays Multicultural Adoptee Women’s Peer Support Group by Adoption Knowledge Affiliates Final Tuesdays Women Adoptee Peer Support Group by Adoption Knowledge Affiliates Final Thursdays Adoptees United community talk Monthly College/University Adoptee Virtual Group details through DM Enneagram for Adoptees virtual group for ages 25+ by Adoption Connection Adoptees Connect groups can be found globally For Birth Parents 18th of each month Birth First Parents Only Support Group by Celia Center 1st Sundays Birthparent Book Club by On Your Feet Foundation 1st Tuesdays Birthmoms Connect support call from On Your Feet Foundation 1st Wednesdays Birth Mother Support Group by Adoption Network Cleveland 2nd Tuesdays Birth/First Parent Peer Support Group by Adoption Knowledge Affiliates 2nd Thursdays Birthmoms Connect support call from On Your Feet Foundation 3rd Wednesdays Navigating Closed/Reunion Adoption support call from On Your Feet Foundation 3rd Saturday CUB Support Group via Zoom 3rd Sunday CUB Monthly Writer’s Group 4th Mondays Birth/First Parent Peer Support Group by Adoption Knowledge Affiliates 4th Tuesdays Birthmoms Connect support call from On Your Feet Foundation On Your Feet Foundation has monthly support calls available Concerned United Birthparents message boards Thank you for your commitment to practicing excellence! Brooke Randolph, LMHC, LIMHP, LPC, LPCC-S
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