National FSA Conference Recap (Adoptive Parent Perspective)

I was very lucky to be able to attend the national FSA conference in Layton, UT this summer. The theme was, "Together by Divine Design." They offered a wide range of classes. I attended the following classes:

1. Raising a multi-racial family
2. FSA leadership training
3. Film: Living on the fault line: where race and family meet
4. Latent racism and racial socialization
5."Whole Story:" A panel that shared their adoption story from the perspective of the adoptive parents, birth parents, birth grandparents, and caseworkers.
6. Communication with birth parents:The Secret to a successful open adoption
7. Transracial adoption panel
8. Birth parent panel

As you can see, I was very anxious to attend every class I could about transracial adoption. I have adopted bi-racial and African American children, and will be teaching the adoption training on transracial adoption in January.

There were so many other classes touching on so many different aspect of adoption. I wish I could have attended them all.

For me, the best parts of the conference were the birth parent panel and the keynote address. Every time I have attended a meeting or conference regarding adoption, there seems to always be at least one moment where the spirit of the Lord is truly tangible and is very sacred. I felt that way during each of these events.

The Keynote address way given by former BYU football player, current BYU quarterbacks coach, and father of four adopted children, Brandon Doman.

His address, as well as some of the other classes and handouts from the conference will be available to view soon on the national FSA website, so if you have not yet officially joined FSA, be sure to do so.

I loved meeting so many wonderful people, finding strength in each other, acquiring so many wonderful new resources to apply to FSA and to my own adoptive family, and I must say, the food was amazing!!!. I was able to learn so much more about everyone in the adoption triad and see in greater detail how the Lord is very much in support of, and so perfectly directing the marvelous work of adoption.

Oh, and I was lucky enough to get to know and spend a lot of the conference with a remarkable woman who was a writer for the church news, so that is how our little chapter got our 15 minutes of fame in this article.

Anyone is welcome to attend the conference, so please mark your calendar for next year. The conference will be at the Davis Conference Center in Layton, UT July 29th-30th, 2011.