Our Address:
12200 Fairhill Road, Floor A3
Fairhill Partners Collaborative Campus
Cleveland, OH 44120

General Discussion Meeting *In-person at Cookout

Sunday, August 14, 2022
12:30 pm2:00 pm
Horseshoe Lake Park
2701 Park Dr
Shaker Heights, OH 44120
US

Meeting Information
This special, in-person meeting will be held directly before the Annual Adoption Network Cleveland Cookout. It is an opportunity for individuals in the Cleveland area to come together in person and participate in a meeting. Please note that this meeting is for adults only. Childcare will be provided during the meeting for children ages 2+. Please indicate during registration if you need childcare. Also, please bring a lawn chair which you can use for the meeting. The meeting will be facilitated by volunteer facilitators Linda and Estes.

You and your family are also encouraged to stay for the cookout after the meeting. Please register separately for the cookout portion of the event here: https://www.adoptionnetwork.org/news-events/our-calendar.html/event/2022/08/14/annual-adoption-network-cleveland-cookout/389427

General Discussion Meetings provide a safe place where people can share their feelings and experiences, get support from their peers, and learn from others’ perspectives. The meetings have an open discussion format and are attended by anyone with a connection to adoption or foster care, including adult adoptees, birth parents, siblings, and adoptive parents, those that have experienced foster or kinship care, or DNA discoveries such as misattributed parentage or donor conception. Professionals are also welcome to come and learn from the shared perspectives of the constellation members.

Why are these groups needed?

We believe adoption is a complex, lifelong, and intergenerational journey for all those whose lives are impacted by it. These meetings connect and empower individuals impacted by adoption, kinship, foster care, and DNA Discoveries and provide a source of healing, understanding, and learning. Recognizing that a unified voice is a strong voice, we advocate for truth and honesty on behalf of adoptees, who wonder where they came from and why they were placed for adoption; for birth families, who have never forgotten the child; and for adoptive families, who deserve to have their questions addressed honestly. We recognize that everyone has a right to know their genetic history. By bringing these groups together, we learn from the experiences of each other and have the opportunity to explore and process our own journeys.

What is the scope of this group?

This peer discussion and support group is not meant to replace conventional therapy but rather serve as additional support on your personal journey to integrate your experience. The focus of this group is the emotional aspects of our journeys. For those involved in the process of search, one on one guidance and support as well as technical expertise and assistance are available through our Search & DNA Assistance Program.