November is National Adoption Month, and a popular time for adoption conferences. The Midwest Adoption Conference is no exception. The Stars of David Chicago Chapter, Adoptive Families Today, and Families with Children from China will host the 2009 Midwest Adoption Conference.

The conference will take place November 1st, 2009 at Trinity University in Deerfield, Illinois, and last from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The keynote speaker, Dr. Jaiya John will speak on identify and heritage in adoptive children.

The day is broken into four different sessions, each packed with informative workshops covering many areas of adoption.

Session one workshops include:

• Questions and Answer with Dr. John
  
• Where to Start in the Adoption Process
  
• International Adoption
  
• Effective Transition Planning for Successful Outcomes
  
• Celebrating Adoption, Meet the Birthparents
  
• Empowering Adoptees to Manage Adoption Discussions

Session two workshops include:

• Domestic Adoption: How to Make a Safe, Legal, Affordable Plan
  
• Adoption-Specific Language Topics of Interest
  
• How the Image of Adoption Changes Throughout Childhood
  
• The Changing Landscape of International Adoption
  
• Post-Adoption Blues and Depression: Awareness and Support
  
• He Never Asks: Creating Opportunities to Talk About Adoption

Session three workshops include:

• From Lifebooks to Facebooks: Traveling Through MySpace
  
• Adoptees Grow Up
  
• Adoption Legislation: Recent Changes and Possible New Initatives in Illinois
  
• FASD 101: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
  
• Foster to Adopt through DCFS
  
• Adoption and the Jewish Family

Session four workshops include :

• White Adoptive Parents Raising White Children to Celebrate Diversity
  
• Options for Family Building: Legal and Ethical Issues in Collaborative Reproduction
  
• The Future of International Adoption
  
• Treating Reactive Attachment Disorder
  
• Understating and Using Special Education Law to Advocate for Your Child
  
• Asian American Racial Reality: Adoptive Parents’ Knowledge
  
• Lesbian and Gay Families—Adoption is an Option!
  
• One Heart, Two Families: Divided Loyalties in Adoption
  
• Tweens, Teens, Identity and Adoption

This conference offers credit hours for attendance. Make sure to mention that you are interested in obtaining a certificate of attendance when you check into the conference. Those interested should confirm with their adoption agency that the credit hours will be approved for their adoption process.

For more information on workshop topics, directions, and registration, visit: 2009 Midwest Adoption Conference