First-of-its-Kind Gathering of LGBTQ People and Foster/Adoption Recruitment Professionals Held in Syracuse
Click here to view the slideshow
A groundbreaking gathering of foster/adoption agency personnel, and LGBTQ* parents and prospective parents took place at the Q Center in Syracuse on November 9th. More than 50 attended the Foster Care and Adoption Information Session for LGBTQ People, including public and private agency representatives looking to recruit new families, LGBTQ foster/adoptive parents and prospective parents, an adoption attorney, and students from Ithaca College and Syracuse University. While such networking and informational sessions have taken place in New York City for many years, this meeting was the first-of-its-kind in Central New York.
The lively 2-hour session featured a resource fair, an introduction to the child welfare system, information on the steps in the process of becoming a certified foster parent, and an example activity on grief and loss, which is a part of the foster parent certification curriculum. The highlight of the program, however, was the parents’ panel, during which 6 local LGBTQ foster/adoptive families told their own stories. The panel concluded with an extensive question and answer period. There was also plenty of time for informal networking and information gathering before and after the formal presentation.
The Foster Care and Adoption Information Session for LGBTQ People in Syracuse was the first in a series of four such programs to be held in Upstate New York. Next up in the Spring of 2012 are Albany, Binghamton, and Ithaca. Sponsors of the series are A Thousand Moms (www.athousandmoms.org), Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth (www.berkshirefarm.org), and the Lesbian and Gay Family Building Project/Pride and Joy (www.prideandjoyfamilies.org). We are grateful to the Q Center @ ACR for hosting and cosponsoring this time around.
Join Us!
Wednesday Webinars:
Gender in LGBTQ Families
Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Join Ari Istar Lev, family therapist, educator and writer, for the first of two LGBTQ parent education programs in early 2012. This live online program is an opportunity to discuss gender in our LGBTQ families, including gender identity, trans parenting, raising gender-variant children, as well as roles within same-sex couples. Please save the date! Register now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/388099078
Talking with Children about their Origins
Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Join Ari Istar Lev, family therapist, educator and writer, for the second of two LGBTQ parent education programs. This live online program will examine "normative" developmental stages of childhood and how to talk with children as they mature about their origins, and their inclusion in LGBTQ families. Please save the date! Register now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/525099678
Upcoming Family Programs:
Binghamton Pride and Joy Parents' Night Out
Friday, January 13, 2012, 7:30pm – 10:00pm
At the home of Lorraine and Betsy, Vestal, NY
Leave the kids with a sitter and connect with other LGBTQ parents for a movie and grown-up discussion. Please save the date. We will watch the short independent film “Hens and Chicks,” directed by Ithaca resident, Becky Lane. Film synopsis: Raised by her two moms, Hanna has always known that there are all types of families. But she’s never really thought about the logistics of it all until her friend Marco explains the process of creating chicks from eggs. Soon after, an educational trip through cyberspace has Hanna asking, “Who’s MY rooster?” The film explores the meaning of family and the finding of self.
Please bring a snack to share and your favorite beverage. To RSVP, please respond to Heather at hauerross98@yahoo.com or 607.724.4308.
LGBTQ Family Gathering, Syracuse
Saturday, January 21, 2012, 3pm – 5pm
At the Q Center, 617 West Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY
See some old friends and meet new ones as LGBTQ families with kids of all ages gather for cocoa, cookies, games and conversation. Older children and youth will have their own program on the premises. Please save the date! To RSVP, please contact Heather at hauerross98@yahoo.com or 607.724.4308.
LGBTQ Family Valentine's Day Dance, Binghamton
Sunday, February 12, 2012, 1pm – 4pm
At Merlin's, 201 State Street, Binghamton, NY
Come dance and celebrate with those you love! Kid- and family-friendly activities, music and refreshments! Participate in the “Love Makes a Family Project.” Come dance and celebrate with those you love! Please RSVP to Heather at hauerross98@yahoo.com or 607.724.4308.
Congratulations, New York!
The Lesbian and Gay Family Building Project knows that relationship security matters to LGBTQ*-headed families, and we celebrate the fact that we New York State residents now have the opportunity to participate equally in the institution of marriage. We honor and offer our thanks to the hard-working advocates for our civil rights, the courageous decision-makers, family members, friends, and other outspoken allies who helped achieve this exhilarating moment in our history.
*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer
More than 350 people attended the 2011 Pride and Joy Families Weekend Conference, April 8-10, and pre-conference professional training day, Straight Talk about LGBTQ Lives, April 8, in Rochester, NY. Thank you to our partners and volunteers who helped make these events a success!
Click below to view the slideshow
Special thanks to Mary Ferrigno, volunteer photographer at the Conference, who took most of these photos.
www.lgbthealthinitiative.com
LGBT families are created in many unique ways. Our identified families share history, traditions and values, and common medical back grounds. This website was created to help LGBT families to understand how health, family history, health beliefs, healthy living and genetic background are an important part of future health.