During the adolescent years, children who were adopted may struggle with issues relating to peers, adoptive family, or birth family. A wonderful resource for parents during this time is Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. Parents may find themselves at a loss for words or may even be working through some issues of their own and desire some outside resources for their teens, yet they can be difficult to find.
The Barker Foundation is a wonderful agency that provides ongoing adoption support & resources to the adoption community. Their staff are professional, knowledgeable, and equipped to provide support throughout various stages of the adoption journey. Their 7th Annual Teen Weekend is scheduled for April 9-10, 2011 at the 4H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and is designed for adopted teens, ages 14-18, who are in high school or high school eligible. Participation is open to teens who were adopted domestically or internationally, through any agency, and provides an opportunity for adopted teenagers to spend a weekend with peers who were also adopted.
The staff for this special weekend will be Social Workers and Professional Counselors who were, themselves, adopted and they will provide fun activities and sports as well as opportunities to explore and discuss topics such as birth parents, grief and loss, identity, and peer/social issues.
The weekend begins at 9:00 a.m. on April 9th, participants spend the night at the center, and close at 3:00 p.m. on April 10th with a time for parents to hear a summary of the weekend's events. The cost is $225 (financial assistance is available) and there is a link to the registration form on the Barker Foundation Website. I would encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity, if possible. You can contact Abbe Levine, Director of Family & Post-Adoption Services at Barker Foundation at 301-664-9664 or alevine@barkerfoundation.org with any questions.
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