American Adoption Congress Conference

Great conference

I am still trying to process the huge amount of information I tried to absorb at The 31st Annual American Adoption Congress Conference held at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento, California, March 18 through 21.

A bit about the trip: Joy Miller, an adoptee and a friend, Adoption Experience Workshop, and I flew from El Paso, Texas to Phoenix, Arizona and from Phoenix to Sacramento. It was a nice trip with the right amount of waiting time to not feel rushed or bored. We were able to walk out of the terminal and take public transportation (bus) to within one block of the hotel ($2 and $1 senior). The Sheraton Grand is beautiful and our room was on the 23rd floor. The meeting rooms were convenient, comfortable, and cold (but I am always cold!). The light breakfast and snacks were just right for me. Everyone was very nice and considerate. Joy and I strolled out to get a sandwich before evening sessions. We did not have the housekeepers clean our room and were given two $5 gift certificates that we used in the restaurant before we left. We walked a couple of blocks to the bus stop in front of the State Capitol Building for the few minutes until the bus arrived to take us to the Airport. This was an excellent choice for the conference.

A bit about the Conference: The American Adoption Congress (AAC) is an all-volunteer organization. They came from several different states and were able to work smoothly together and put on a great conference. Since the conference was about adoption, it should not have surprised me that nearly everyone there was part of the adoption triad---adoptee, birth mother, and adoptive parent. Many were various combinations of the triad and many were also professionals. At least two speakers and three attendees were not part of the triad, which includes me. I was told 160 people attended. I want to thank Joy and my sister, Alta, for making it possible for me to attend.

The 2011 AAC conference will be held in Orlando, Florida April 14 through April 17. For those interested in any phase of adoption, this is a good conference. For professionals that need Continuing Education Units (CEUs), check with your organization (not sure of correct term).

I want to keep these posts short since everyone is busy. Check out both Joy’s blog and the AAC web site.

Until next time,
Alice