Connections Matter: Supporting Birth Family Relationships Within the Adoption Constellation

The Children’s Aid Society of Alabama is proud to present Alabama Pre/Post-Adoption Connections (APAC)‘s latest Trained Therapist Network Training event. Please join us for “Connections Matter: Supporting Birth Family Relationships.” In our continued effort to bring you relevant, trauma-informed training, we’re delighted to offer multiple opportunities for you to participate.

Our first session will meet in Montgomery on July 30th, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, at the Hilton Garden Inn Montgomery-Eastchase Parkway. Residents of the greater Birmingham area are invited to attend our second session on August 1st, also from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, at the Vestavia Civic Center. For all who cannot attend our in-person training events, please register for the livestream virtual option on August 1st. All parents and child-welfare professionals are sure to enjoy this important and engaging training.

Our guest speaker, Tony Hynes, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate, is an author, adoptee, and trainer with the Center for Adoption Support and Education, Inc. (CASE). Tony brings a unique and valuable perspective on the importance of maintaining birth family connections. Mr. Hynes was adopted by his parents, Mary and Janet, in the mid-1990s. He writes about his experiences growing up as both an interracial adoptee and as a child in an LGBTQ-headed household in his compelling memoir, The Son With Two Moms, a text often cited in the family court system to highlight best practices. A passionate advocate for adoptees, Tony designs innovative training curriculums that help families and professionals respond to evaluation and assessment tools that encapsulate holistic pictures of adoptees and foster youth. As a scholar, Mr. Hynes’ work has been featured in The Atlantic, and he is a contributing author to such books as What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption and Adoption Unfiltered. Tony completed his master’s thesis in Sociology on the psychology of children within same-sex-headed households and is now a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. His dissertation focuses on social connectedness among adult and interracial adoptees. In addition to these impressive accomplishments, Tony began the adoptee author series to center adoptee experiences and expertise in public discourse.

Why Birth Family Connections Matter

Maintaining connections with birth families is crucial for children in foster care and those who have been adopted. These relationships help children understand their personal history and build a sense of identity. When children know their birth families, they often feel more secure and loved.

Tony Hynes shares a powerful quote about his experience with his birth and adoptive families:

“My birth mom still guides me, her soft voice echoing in my head, telling me to be kind. My adoptive mother, ‘mama,’ the name I decided to use to differentiate her from my other adoptive mother, is with me in spirit every day, even if she cannot be with me on the physical earth. ‘Mom,’ my other adoptive mother, is still my rock after all these years. She is still helping me be the person I want to be, still showing her son how to be a strong, supportive adult.”

Tony’s lived experience as an adoptee deeply informs this training. Birth relationships help support the development of healthy self-identity, encourage healthy connections, and are essential for the well-being of adoptees.

What You Will Learn at the Training

Tony Hynes will discuss the importance of maintaining birth family connections whenever possible. He’ll share his personal experiences and insights on how these relationships can positively impact the lives of adoptees and children in foster care. Important topics we will explore together include:

• How to honor birth family relationships in open, semi-open, and closed adoptions.
• Processing children’s histories with truth and affirmation.
• Common misconceptions about birth families and their impact on relationships.
• Respecting cultural identities and the dynamics of grief and loss in adoptive, kinship, and foster families within an integrative family model.

Professionals in attendance will earn 5.5 continuing education credits, this LIVE training is NBCC approved. This is not only a great opportunity to enhance your knowledge and skills; it is also a wonderful time to network with Tony and other caregivers and professionals within the adoption constellation.

Visit the Children’s Aid Society of Alabama’s online training site to register for this training and view our ever-growing catalog of quality, on-demand trauma-informed trainings. All of our trainings are free of cost to parents and Alabama DHR staff. Other child-welfare professionals seeking training certifications will be assessed a fee.

Register today to secure your spot. We look forward to seeing you soon!