A free online conference offering experience-informed ways to advocate for adopted children is taking place this Wednesday.
It has been organised by Simon Benn, the founder of Thriving Adoptees, a project which helps adoptees negatively impacted by their adoptions to heal.
Ben’s website offers some background about his own personal experience of adoption: “I was adopted at 5 weeks old and so young I don’t ever remember not knowing. All went well until I found out that my teddy bear was a gift from my birth mother when I was 40. That unleashed an eruption of anger, feeling rejected and unloved. That led to a quest to heal, healing and a desire to help others. 15 years later I work with others who want to support adoptees through my podcast, consulting, webinars and any other way I can.”
The description below for the conference is from its EventBrite page:
Whether you are advocating for young adoptees’ rights, mental health or something else, this event is for you…
And it’s designed to help you take your advocacy to the next level by drawing upon a panel of adoptees and adoptive parents.
Join us to hear insights, tips and learnings from Allison Olson, Beth Syverson, Damon Davis and Mike Thorne
Ask the panel questions on how to make your advocacy more effective.
Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and grow as an advocate. Register now!
Allison Olson is an adoptee, adoptive parent, and a children’s adoption book author. Her mission is to change the adoption narrative from the “lucky” child to the “loved” child.
Beth Syverson is an adoptive mom, wife, musician, and as of 2021 a podcaster, activist, and public speaker. Her podcast is Unravelling Adoption.
Damon Davis is an adoptee and host of the Who Am I Really Podcast. He has adopted his niece and nephew and also has a son.
Mike Thorne is a parent and an adoptee whose mission is restore people’s sense of dignity to unleash their greatness.
You can also register for the event even if you can’t attend on the day so that you can receive a recording of the webinar.
The conference takes place on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 5pm UK time, and will last approximately one hour.
You can book your ticket here.
Many thanks to Moses Farrow for alerting us to this event. You can follow Moses on X at @MosesFarrow.
This post was first published on our site on 6 May, 2024.
Researching Reform 
90% of adoptions in UK are contested unsuccessfully by parents desperate to keep the babies or young children that they love . Who will advocate for them? I’m only asking…………………..
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I imagine some adults who were adopted as babies or very young children may not be aware of the real reasons for their adoption, maybe their parents might not be either as Social Services are very good at misrepresenting the truth. Forced adoption is a reality.
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Couldnt have said it better myself.
There is no doubt in my mind that once they have stopped contact (for no reason) and cut the parents off, they lie to both sides. they are truely Evil people who should be jailed for crimes against humanity. nothing but perpetrators of serious mental health problems.
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RE Care leavers.
my Son was in council foster care for 4 years. he is now 22 and working towards becoming an actor. over the past 12 months he was on Universal credit but didnt like UC pushing him to take a job that would make him depressed within a week or two. So in March he decided to come off UC to pursue his dream. the council re-evaluated his council tax claim and decided to increase the total household yearly bill by £207. even though he has no job and no income at all. how can that be fare on a care leaver ?
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ENFORCED SECRECY ALWAYS = Tyranny Why do we put up with it in UK? Yes some things appear to be secret and should be ,voting for example but though your vote is secret you yourself can choose to tell anyone you like how you voted!
Similarly in the family courts proceedings are secret from the public but those concerned ,parents and children ,should be free to tell anyone they like what happened to them ! So should adoptees and their birth parents.
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