This workshop will be an opportunity to explore and prepare for the experience of transracial adoption— its joys, challenges, and richness. Topics discussed will include: the unique parenting tasks in transracial adoption; building interracial family identity; supporting healthy racial identity development for children of color; issues of race and racism interracial families formed by adoption face; choosing diversity over convenience; creating cultural competence and building bridges to our children's heritage of origin.

FACILITATOR: Abby Ruder, MFT
Abby Ruder, Marriage & Family Therapist, has been specializing in parenting and adoption for 25 years. She works with all members of the adoption triad
pre & post placement. In addition to working with individuals, couples, and families, Ms. Ruder has led numerous parent groups, taught workshops,
and spoken at conferences nationally. Her areas of expertise include; preadoptive parent preparation; transracial/cross cultural adoption; children’s
developmental understanding of adoption; losses associated with adoption; adoption as a life long experience and living an open adoption. Ms. Ruder
is also a mother by adoption in an interracial family.

$25 fee for families who are not yet affiliated with Open Arms.