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Message from Astrid
We the Experts: Adoptee Speaker Series
Conscious Adoption: Parent Education
New! In Community: Teen Adoptee Group
Film Screening Events
AAPI Adopte Resources
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A MESSAGE FROM ASTRID
Director & Found of Adoption Mosaic
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Before diving into all of the exciting news here at Adoption Mosaic, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the recent events of hate crimes, murders, and violence that have been on the rise here in the US. I am feeling so much sadness for all the victims; for all the surviving family members; for my fellow AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) who are afraid for their lives when they leave their homes; for the racially isolated AAPI transracial adoptees who don’t have community; for all of us who are parents trying to find the words to talk with our children; and the list goes on. If you are reading this message and are feeling alone PLEASE reach out to us. We will help you find support. You are NOT alone. Also, please checkout our AAPI adoptee specific resources pdf.
In addition to AAPI adoptee specific resources, you will also find below information about an array of NEW and upcoming programs from Adoption Mosaic, including our next WtE (We the Experts: Adoptee Speaker Series) with a focus on foster care, three new Conscious Adoption parenting courses, and an all new online Teen Adoptee Group!
In March, for the first time ever we hosted two WtE panel discussions. I was and still am so moved by our two events: adoptee authors (March 13th) and our first WtE: Ally Edition: 2nd Generation Adoptees (March 20th). Recordings of these events can be purchased here. I was blown away by the generosity of our authors - not only their time but also for the donations of their books for our adoptee author book giveaway. Congratulations to our winners! The most amazing discussion I have ever witnessed of people who have been raised by an adoptee parents, came from our very first WtE: Ally Edition (2nd Generation Adoptee). It brought me to tears watching and hearing the panelists find commonalities in their experiences as each of them said, “I have never met anyone that I could talk with about my experience who gets it”. Oh, how many times have I personally felt and heard these words from fellow adoptees before we found our adoptee communities.
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We the Experts:
Adoptee Speaker Series
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CONSCIOUS ADOPTION SERIES
Adoptive Parent Education
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Tough Conversations
April 18,25 & May 2,16,23,30
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This six-session course (parent group) meets weekly for 1.5 hours to encourage at-home exploration and sharing of adoption related topics in a fun and familiar structured environment.
Parents will be guided through a specially customized curriculum that includes hands-on activities to support tough conversations with their adoptee.
This group will:
- Cover topics such as, but not limited to: family trees, names, birthdays, adoptee friendships, adoption & school, adoption & media, mother’s/father’s day, race & culture)
- Nurture the parent/child relationship focusing on adoption and communication
- Support conversations and activities that honor the child’s adoption experience at home
- Offers a space to create community and share with other adoptive parents
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Transracial Parenting
April 14,21,29 & May 5,12,19
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This six-session course (parent group) meets weekly for 1.5 hours to focus on different and vital aspects of transracial adoption. Astrid, along with four additional transracial adoptees, will provide participants with in-depth knowledge AND the opportunity to move theory into practice.
In this course we will learn about and examine:
- The HISTORY of race and adoption and why it is essential to understand and know how to talk about with your child(ren)
- Developmental stages of racial identity for non-transracially adopted children vs. transracially adopted children
- Biases and Hesitations when talking about race & racism
- What being a Race Ally REALLY means as a parent of a child of color
- The role race & racism play in your Family and Community
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The Path to Now
May 18,25 & June 1,18,15,22
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Most adoptive parents have not grown up with models of how to successfully talk about the various circumstances that lead them to adopt. For some parents, this may place them in uncharted territory.
Every child deserves to know their origin story and why they came to be part of their adoptive family. In the six-session course we will:
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Create space for parents to practice talking about their decision to adopt
- Integrate their adoption story into the family story
- Dig beneath the surface of the common adoption narrative
*This curriculum has been developed by both an adoptee (Astrid Castro, Director and Founder of Adoption Mosaic) and an adoptive parent (Sujata Soni Wipper, School Psychologist). Our aim is to serve kids and parents in the spirit of openness and understanding.
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NEW! IN COMMUNITY:
TEEN ADOPTEE GROUP
Thursdays: May 6, 13, 20, 27 and June 3, 10
4:00-5:30 pm PST via ZOOM
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For teenage adoptees (12-18) to experience what it means to be in community with their adoptee peers. This group will explore the teen adoption experience through:
- Interpersonal dialogue and discussion about topics such as:
Family trees, names, birthdays, adoptee friendships, adoption and media, mother’s and father’s day
- Modeling by adult adoptees talking about:
Identity, belonging, race, life transitions, relationships, etc.
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A screening and discussion of the documentary film: Blood Memory featuring Sandy White Hawk. Produced and directed by Drew Nicholas.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
4:00-6:00 pm PST
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Battles over blood quantum and 'best interests' resurface the untold history of America's Indian Adoption Era - a time when nearly one-third of children were removed from tribal communities nationwide. As public scrutiny over Indian child welfare increases, an adoption survivor helps others find their way home through song and ceremony.
Official Selection: BIG SKY Doc Fest, Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival, Black Hills Film Fest, Duluth Superior Film Festival, RISE Reconciliation Film Festival.
This event is FREE thanks to the generosity of Sandy White Hawk and Drew Nicholas.
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A screening and discussion of the documentary film: Father Unknown. Produced and directed by David Quint.
Thursday, June 3, 2021
4:00-6:30 pm PST
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Haunted by the story of an abandoned boy, a man sets out with his estranged father on a high-stakes trip to an orphanage in Switzerland. While unlocking secrets surrounding the child’s missing father, the men uncover a stunning truth that transforms their lives.
This uplifting true story was recorded as it happened, capturing all the gripping twists and turns with immediacy and emotion. Honest, heartfelt, and real, FATHER UNKNOWN is an unforgettable front-row experience.
The fee to attend this event is $15/person.
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Adoption Mosaic offers individual consultations with Astrid Castro. Consultations are not therapeutic services. However, these one-on-one sessions with Astrid offer:
- Empathetic, experience, and education based listening
- Time to talk about you/your family’s challenges and successes
- Individualized advice based on you/your family’s situation
- One-on-one time with a caring, knowledgeable, open-minded adoption professional
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Adoption Mosaic
hello@adoptionmosaic.com
971.231.7184
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