Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Session 10.05 Social Conditions
Session Abstract or Summary
Adoption and fostering in Coalfields Appalachia involves unique challenges and hidden rewards. Hear from a behavior health specialist who works with blended families, a foster parent who has adopted children, and a regional professional who
Presentation #1 Title
Adoption in Appalachia: Who, How, Why, and What Love's got to do with It
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Adoption in Appalachia is a hidden element of social structures. Those who adopt tend to have been involved in foster families as children, or be related to people who have given up children. This overview paper sets up the first-hand accounts that follow by giving statistics and stories setting the scene for Coalfields adoptions.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Wendy Welch, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Graduate Medical Education Consortium and an advocate for Southwest Virginia infrastructure and community building. She is the author of THE LITTLE BOOKSTORE OF BIG STONE GAP and PUBLIC HEALTH IN APPALACHIA.
Presentation #2 Title
How I got my Son: My Story
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
A father of adopted children who saw firsthand the gutting of family life due to substance abuse tells the story of how he adopted his son an hour after his birth.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Jon Holmes is the Program Manager offering support and services to adoptive and fostering families in Southwest Virginia. He is an advocate for healthy families and robust community development.
Presentation #3 Title
How I became Someone Else's Son: My Story
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
A Coalfields professional tells the story of how he got adopted and how it changed his teen years and adult life.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Tim Phillips is an adoptive parent with extensive knowledge of the adoption system in culturally specific situations found in Southwest Virginia. He was at the birth of his adoptive son through unique circumstances related to social networks rather than family ties, and has deep insights into how adoptions work in the Coalfields.
Presentation #4 Title
This Ain't No Lifetime Movie: How Adoptions Really Work
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
A professional from Frontier Health who works with facilitating adoptions and providing support to foster and adoptive families dispels fallacies and provides true information about how the process works, and why so many people erroneously fear it (in large part due to entertainment media misinformation).
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
John Doe is the pseudonym of a business professional who was adopted as a young teen. He will tell his story without giving his real name. His story is a microcosm and snapshot of adoption and fostering in Coalfields Appalachia.
Adoption in Appalachia: Who, How, Why, and What Love's got to do with It
Adoption in Appalachia is a hidden element of social structures. Those who adopt tend to have been involved in foster families as children, or be related to people who have given up children. This overview paper sets up the first-hand accounts that follow by giving statistics and stories setting the scene for Coalfields adoptions.
