This is a two-day workshop for adoptive families (couples only) who have recently adopted or are planning to adopt a baby up to the age of one. Families adopting domestically, internationally, or through a foster-to-adopt program are strongly encouraged to attend. Research shows that within three years after the arrival of a baby, approximately two of three couples will experience a significant drop in relationship quality and have a dramatic increase in conflict and hostility.
The Bringing Baby Home project combines scientific research and service product delivery in order to improve the quality of life for babies and children by strengthening the the relationships between their parents and families. Gottman launched the program in Washington, and is now being taught across the nation.
The goals of the workshop are for families to: increase friendship in the relationship, deal effectively with conflict, keep both parents involved in infant care and parenting, improve the quality of parent-infant interaction, recognize the psychological and emotional needs of their child, and co-parent effectively. In addition to the standard Bringing Baby Home(TM) curriculum, this workshop includes added discussion about placement challenges, attachment, grief and loss issues, and post-adoption blues and depression.
The adoption-focused workshop will be presented by Katie Stallman, LICSW, CGE and Cindy Bouchard, MSW, CGE.
Following are three videos about the Bringing Baby Home project and the research that led to the development of the workshop:
