Preparation Courses
IAC runs a range of preparation courses for prospective adopters considering an adoption from overseas.
A three day Preparation Course for first time intercountry adopters
A two day Kinship Preparation Course for intercountry adopters seeking to adopt a related child
A one day Adopting Again Course for those who are adopting for a second or third time.
Leaflets are available to download on all three courses by following the links above. You can also find further information on each course by navigating further down the page.
Why is preparation important?
Parenting an adopted child is not the same as parenting a child born into the family. Intercountry adopted children have had to cope with disruptions in their early lives; some will have spent time in institutions and all will have been uprooted from their country and often their culture of origin. Such events leave legacies sometimes in health and development, sometimes in language and learning and other times in emotions and behaviour. In addition as adoptees they have to learn to understand and make sense of their adoption and their past. It follows therefore that adoptive parents need to be better informed than most other parents. IAC courses are designed to inform and prepare and participants on all courses receive a workbook or workpack to supplement the course experience.
The 3 day preparation course
This course is designed for first time prospective adopters and offers applicants the chance to explore in depth the rewards and challenges involved in parenting
a child from overseas.
The courses run over 3 days, normally one day every two weeks.
The content of the 3-day course includes:
- Process and procedure
- Key parenting tasks
- Attachment and institutionalisation
- Helping children in the transitional phase
- Loss in adoption
- The birth parent perspective
- Health and development of children adopted from overseas
- Resilience
- Managing children’s behaviour positively
- Exploring adoption with children
- Identity, race and culture
- Managing racism
- Personal perspectives of an intercountry adoptee
Courses run regularly throughout the year and take place at the IAC Training Room in Barnet, North London, or in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The 3 days are facilitated by two experienced adoption workers, one of whom is generally a parent of children adopted from overseas. Guest speakers attend the group on days 2 and 3, one of whom is a medical speaker and the other an adopted adult.
A maximum of 18 participants may attend each course.
The Two Day Kinship Course
This course is designed for prospective adopters intending to adopt a related child from overseas. The course runs over two full days and covers the following areas
- Process and procedure
- Immigration
- Key parenting tasks
- Attachment
- Helping children in the transitional phase
- Loss in adoption
- The birth family perspective and contact arrangements
- Health and educational needs of children adopted from overseas
- Exploring adoption with children
- Managing challenging behaviour
- Exploring roots
- The personal perspectives of a kinship adopter.
Courses are facilitated by two experienced intercountry adoption facilitators.
A maximum of 16 participants may attend each course.
The Adopting Again Course
This one day course is designed for experienced adoptive parents seeking to adopt for a second or third time.
The course aims to focus on the different issues which arise in a second or subsequent adoption, to consider the impact of a subsequent adopted child on the family and to give space for the parents to reflect upon their experiences and their adoptive parenting strategies.
The content of the day includes:
- Adopting Again: Same or Different?
- Sibling relationships
- Attachment and bonding with a second child
- Revisiting the Adoption Story
- Planning a new placement
- The intercountry adoption process second time around
- A personal view of adopting again from experienced adopters
The day is facilitated by two experienced adoption workers, one of whom is generally a parent of children adopted from overseas.
The course is limited to 16 participants.
How to book any of the above preparation courses
Please note that it is not possible for prospective adopters to book any of the above courses before a referral has been received from their Local Authority or Voluntary Adoption Agency. If you are considering applying to adopt you must contact your Local Authority and make an application before you can access these courses.
Courses are only available to those prospective adopters whose Local Authority or Voluntary Adoption Agency subscribes to IAC. Please download the Subscriber List to check if your Local Authority or Voluntary Adoption Agency is a subscriber.
Once your Local Authority or Voluntary Adoption Agency have confirmed that you have been referred to IAC please telephone our administration team on 0208 447 4751 to arrange course booking and payment. Please note that all credit card bookings will be subject to a surcharge of 2.6%.
Attachments
Preparation Course Leaflet - pdf (121 KB)
Kinship Course Leaflet - pdf (125 KB)
Adopting Again Course Leaflet - pdf (124 KB)
Price Guide - pdf (21 KB)