As an adult adoptee who has worked in the adoption and foster care field for more than 10 years now, my feelings on National Adoption Month are complex, conflicting, and ever evolving. Adoption and foster care are wonderful and painful, necessary and unnecessary all at the same time.
For this reason, I am so grateful that the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) at the University of Minnesota has chosen to highlight the voices of fosters and adoptees to celebrate National Adoption Month. I am honored to be in the company of these fellow adult adoptees and fosters who are amazing leaders in our field.
I also applaud the Permanency and Adoption Competency Certificate (PACC) program through CASCW for intentionally highlighting the voices of foster and adopted children, youth and adults in their curriculum. As a graduate of PACC, I recommend this opportunity for any mental health or child welfare workers seeking professional development that promotes adoption and permanency competence.
