About the Conference "Linking Promises to Possibilities," the theme of the 13th annual statewide adoption conference, refers to the promises we implicitly make as caseworkers, adoptive and foster parents, judges, law guardians--anyone who has an influence on or can positively impact a child's life and secure their right to a permanent, loving family. This conference will focus on ways to keep the promises by presenting new possibilities for meeting adoption challenges. The conference will address the essential concerns and most important topics in adoption today. For the second year, the conference will feature a half-day Institute for parents and professionals. The topic, "Becoming a Love and Logic Parent," presented by nationally-known trainer Francesca Muscari, will provide an in-depth look at behavior management and strategies for raising responsible children. The conference will open with an original play, "Breaking the Cycle," presented by The Family Theater Company of St. Christopher's Institute for Leadership and Change. Plenary addresses will be by two outstanding speakers: Ken Watson and Dee Paddock. Attendees can choose among 30 workshops presented by experts in child welfare and related fields. On Friday evening, Phil Bertelsen, award-winning filmmaker and transracial adoptee, will present his new film, "Outside Looking In: Transracial Adoption in America." This conference is for you if you are an adoptive or foster parent, birthparent, adoptee, child welfare, mental health, legal, education, or mediation professional or volunteer, public policymaker, or other children's advocate. The conference will provide you with renewed energy, up-to-date information, and tools to better serve adoptive and foster children and families. Accommodations The conference will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Albany, NY. To make your reservation, use the reservation form included, or telephone the hotel. If you call for reservations, be sure to identify yourself as part of the CCC Adoption Conference so that you will receive the special conference rate of $95 plus applicable taxes. This rate is available May 7-11. The Marriott Hotel is adjacent to Interstate 87 near Exit 4, two minutes from the I-87/I-90 interchange, and six miles from downtown Albany. We urge you to make reservations immediately! Reservations must be received by the hotel no later that April 17, 2002. Reservations made after April 17 are subject to availability only. Albany Marriott Hotel 189 Wolf Road • Albany, NY 12205 518-458-8444 • 800-443-8952

Useful Information • Extra copies of the conference program are available from the Coalition office or online at <www.nysccc.org>. • If you attend the conference with a friend, spouse or colleague, consider attending different workshops in order to multiply conference benefits. • Temperature in conference rooms can vary, so be sure to bring a light sweater or jacket to ensure your comfort. • A limited number of exhibit tables are available at $50 for CCC member groups or agencies (not for profits), $75 for non-members (not for profits), $100 (for profits). There will also be tables for conference participants to distribute free resource materials. Contact the Coalition office for details. • The conference will feature an adoption and foster care bookstore plus sales of many popular CCC items. VISA, MasterCharge, and American Express credit cards are welcome. • Continuing Education credit is available for $15. See the Registration Form for details. • Audiotapes of all of the conference proceedings, courtesy of Egami A/V of Ft. Worth, TX. This provides a wonderful opportunity to "attend" all of the workshops and to share them with others. • Door Prizes will be awarded at the closing session About the Coalition The New York State Citizens' Coalition for Children is an advocacy organization of concerned individuals, agencies, and over 150 adoptive and foster parent groups and associations throughout the state. We represent the citizen's viewpoint and speak for the children who have no voice. We believe every child has the right to a permanent, loving family. Our activities include: • adoption and foster care reform • administrative and legislative advocacy • parent group development and support • information and referral services • education and training   NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc. Judith Ashton, Executive Director 306 East State Street, #220 • Ithaca, NY 14850 607-272-0034 • Fax 607-272-0035 office@nysccc.org • www.nysccc.org

 

Schedule at a Glance

1:00 p.m. Institute
                Francesca Muscari
                Becoming a Love and
                Logic Parent
7:30 p.m. NYS CCC Quarterly
                Meeting - For Parent
                Group Representatives
                and CCC members

8:00 a.m. Registration/Exhibits
9:00 a.m. Opening Session
                Welcome
                Stewart Blechner
                President, NYS CCC
                Keynote Presentation
                The Family Theater
                Company
                 "Breaking the Cycle"

         
         
         
10:00 a.m. Beverage Break
10:30 a.m. Workshop Period 1
12:15 p.m. Lunch
                  Plenary Address
                  Ken Watson
                  Re-Forming Adoption
1:45 p.m.  Workshop Period 2
3:15 p.m.  Beverage Break
3:35 p.m.  Workshop Period 3
5:15 p.m.  Reception
6:15 p.m.  Dinner on your own
8:00 p.m.   A Film by
                  Phil Bertlesen
                  "Outside Looking In:
                  Transracial Adoption
                  In America" 

8:00 a.m.  Registration/Exhibits
8:30 a.m.  Workshop Period 4
9:50 a.m.  Beverage Break
10:05 a.m. Workshop Period 5
11:40 a.m. Workshop Period 6
1:00 p.m.   Lunch
                  Closing Session
                  Judith Ashton
                  Executive Director
                  NYS CCC

                  Closing Address
                  Dee Paddock
                  Fulfilling the Promise
 
         
         
         

“Breaking the Cycle,” by The Family Theater Company of Survivors, from St. Christopher’s Institute for Leadership and Change, is a dramatization of relationships among caseworkers and parents and foster/adoptive parents. The professionally-directed cast of seven includes foster and adoptive parents and parents whose children were previously in foster care.“

Breaking the Cycle” has been highly-praised by enthusiastic audiences at national Child Welfare League of America and Casey Family Services conferences. The play is a program of St. Christopher’s, a multi-service agency serving children and families and based in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Led by Executive Director Luis Medina, St. Christopher’s is one of the oldest non-profit, non-sectarian agencies in the United States and has received national acclaim for its innovative programs and practices. This presentation of “Breaking the Cycle” is sponsored by the concurrent planning project of The Salvation Army of Syracuse.

Ken Watson, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, is an internationally-known consultant, trainer, and author. Until his retirement in 1994, he was assistant director of the Chicago Child Care Society. A social worker for over 45 years, Ken received the Child Advocate of the Year award from the North American Council on Adoptable Children in 1992. He served on the boards of NACAC and the American Adoption Congress and chaired the National Adoption Task Force of the Child Welfare League of America. His extensive publications include the influential book, Adoption and the Family System.

Dee Paddock, MA, NCC is a psychotherapist, consultant, and speaker who specializes in adoption and foster care and other “families with a difference.” She received a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in theology. Dee speaks with great humor, compassion, and insight to national and international groups. She has a private psychotherapy and consultation practice in Denver, CO. Dee and her husband are parents of three children adopted from Korea.

Institute "Becoming a Love and Logic Parent" Thursday, May 9, 2002 • 1:00-5:00 p.m. Presented by Francesca Muscari The "Love and Logic" approach to parenting is a unique way to raise responsible children, using a win/win philosophy. Parents provide limits in a loving way and establish control while taking good care of themselves. Children learn responsibility, solve their own problems, and acquire tools for coping with the real world. Topics will include: teaching children the four steps to responsibility; neutralizing arguments and manipulation; limit-setting and how to say "no;" dealing with school problems and negative behavior. Francesca Muscari has worked in child welfare for 25 years, focusing primarily on special needs adoption. An independent trainer for the Institute for Human Services in Ohio, Francesca provides training for child welfare professionals and foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers nationally. Francesca trained directly under Foster Cline and Jim Fay, the developers of the "Parenting with Love and Logic" curriculum. Her personal and professional experience as a former foster parent, caseworker, and administrator contribute greatly to the effectiveness of her highly rated presentations. Special Event "Outside Looking In: Transracial Adoption in America" Written, Directed, and Presented by Phil Bertelsen Friday, May 10, 2002 • 8:00-9:30 p.m. All conference attendees are invited to a screening of a new film and a discussion with filmmaker Phil Bertelsen. This powerful and illuminating one-hour film provides an inside look at three American families of three different generations who are brought together--and at times pushed apart--by transracial adoption. As a black foster child adopted by white parents in the 1970's and raised in a predominantly white suburb, Phil's adolescence was shaped by fond memories of a loving family as well as by difficult periods of self-examination and self-doubt. Phil draws from his personal experiences as he films his family and other families who are following a similar path. "The tension between an internal and external identity, between a cultural legacy and a family history, inspired me to make this documentary." Phil has an MFA from New York University where he was a Johnson Scholar and Spike Lee Fellow. His films have won many prestigious awards in New York and nationally.

Registration Information Registration fees include all instructional materials and refreshment break for the Institute. For the two-day conference (Friday and Saturday), registration fees include all instructional materials, refreshment breaks, two lunches, reception, "Outside Looking In," and any other scheduled conference activities. Continuing Education Credit it available for anadditional fee of $15. A certificate granting 1 continuing education credit (10 contact hours equal 1 CEU) will be awarded by Tompkins Cortland Community College to those attending the full 2-day conference on Friday and Saturday. For those attending the Institute, an additional.4 credit will be awarded. A Certificate of Attendance will be available after the conference, at no charge, upon request only. Cancellation Policy: A $35 administrative fee will be charged on all cancellations. The balance of the registration fee will be refunded if written cancellation is received by April 24, 2002. Refunds will be issued after the conference. Any registration may be transferred to another person with advance notice to the Coalition. No refunds will be given for cancellations after April 24, 2002. No-Shows will be billed. Agencies are responsible for paying purchase orders for any No-Shows. Team Discount: Groups of three or more from the same organization or agency may take a 10% discount on each registration if all registrations are received before April 17, 2002, and all are registering for both days. There is no team discount on membership fees. CCC Members are those who currently hold a 2002 membership or those who join CCC when registering for the conference. Important: Parent groups and agencies that are 2002 members are entitled to send only one representative at the CCC member price. All other representatives from the same parent group or agency must either join as individuals or pay the non-member rate. Please calculate registration fees carefully. Do not use the member rate unless you are certain you are a paid-up member for 2002. To verify membership status, contact the Coalition office, office@nysccc.org or 607-272-0034.      Save the Dates! Next Year: May 8-10, 2003 14th Annual NYSCCC Adoption Conference Albany, NY