Adoptive Parents
Pact Provides
Placement
Education
Support
Community

Adolescence is always a volatile, vulnerable time, and it can be especially so for adopted children of color. When we talk to adoptive parents of teens, they ask for groups where they can find other parents in similar situations to talk with about new behaviors and complicated feelings they see in their children. They want to connect with other adoptive parents to share stories, positive parenting moments, strategies, and ideas for how to best support and understand their teens. Learn more about our:

And for teens and tweens themselves, we have:

Feel free to contact Beth Hall, Pact's Director, if you have suggestions about how Pact can better serve adoptive families of teens and tweens.

Online Affinity Group for Adoptive Parents of Teens & Tweens of Color

This is a group where adoptive parents with children of color ages 10 and older can connect with others parenting similarly aged children, to find peer support and new ideas about how to parent their adopted children as they navigate the challenges of identity and independence. Parents of all racial backgrounds are welcome.

Register to join this group » (Pact membership required)

About Online Affinity Groups: You are welcome to join more than one group. Pact staff members monitor but generally do not participate in parents' online discussions (except as parents themselves) unless comments are made that are inflammatory or violate Pact's principles (see Overview &Mission).

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Facilitated Discussion Group for Adoptive Parents of Teens & Tweens of Color

We offer facilitated support groups for adoptive parents of teens and tween of color. Adoptive fathers and mothers or active parenting caregivers of children of color ages 10 to 18 years old are invited to join. Parents will be given the opportunity to share their experiences in a psycho-educational, structured group that will explore topics of interest to all participants. Each session offers parents and caregivers the opportunity to explore their feelings about their current parenting challenges in a safe and nurturing setting. The focus is on developmentally-appropriate approaches to their children's issues and the new struggles that come to light when children begin the challenging process of becoming young adults.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • Understanding your child - what is age-appropriate?
  • Interpreting behavior as the language of youth
  • Birth parent curiosity
  • Risky behaviors
  • Managing anger and intensity
  • Racial/ethnic identity development
  • Whiteness and self-analysis
  • Parenting strategies
  • Sexuality
  • Discipline and independence
  • Being an ally to your child at school and in the world
  • Boundaries and rules: should they be rigid? What happens when they are mushy?
  • Being a multiracial family - knowing when and how to address race and racism
  • Supporting children to be bi-culturally competent

Register here to be notified when the next session begins.

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Pact Teen and Tween Clubs

As adopted children come of age, they need a safe space where they can explore their emerging feelings about adoption with others who share their experiences. Pact Teen Club is a social group especially for adopted and fostered teens of color in the San Francisco Bay Area. The monthly meetings alternate between mentoring sessions that include facilitated discussions about race and being adopted, and social activities and projects. The Tween group meets at the same time as the Teen group, but has its own mentors and activities.

Learn more about Teen Club »

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