Workshops for Kids and Adults

SPENCE-CHAPIN OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMS designed to support and nurture all members of the adoption community.

Workshops for Adults

Post-adoption workshops are designed for the adoptive parent and the professional who seeks advice and greater understanding on a variety of adoption issues. Workshops address topics such as the complexity of transracial and transcultural adoption, how to talk to your child when their story is an especially difficult one, and the things adopted kids wish their parents knew.

Groups For School-Age Kids/Groups For Their Parents

Children ages 7 to 12 begin to integrate their understanding of adoption into a sense of self. These groups, facilitated by a Spence-Chapin social worker, provide an opportunity to speak with other adopted kids their age about their feelings towards adoption. Spending time with their peers allows them to express their feelings in a safe and non-judgmental environment. Parents meet separately at the same time.

Playshops For Children And Their Parents

Assisted by social workers, children (ages 6 and up) explore their adoption through tools such as life books and mask-making. The play shops are designed to create an environment where children can express their feeling through imagery and words. Parents, while working with their children, are able to observe and therefore better understand their child’s experience of adoption.

Developmental Playshops For Children Up To 5 Years Of Age^*

Questions often arise about a newly adopted child’s development. Parents of children up to five years of age are encouraged to come to the agency playshops with their child for an informal screening by our team of developmental specialists. Children are assessed for their strengths and weaknesses across a range of domains, including motor, cognitive, communicative and social emotional development. Parents’ questions about early adjustment are also addressed.

*Only open to families who adopt through Spence-Chapin