Nature and Nurture

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Nature and Nurture and Their Impact on Adopted Children

All adoptive parents eagerly look forward to meeting their child. It is tremendously exciting to meet this new person, and to imagine how they will fit into your family. Most of us spend the pre-adoption months wondering, "Who is she?" or "What is he like?"

This seminar looks at some general factors that may influence who our children are at the time that we bring them home. In very general terms, all children are shaped by a combination of nature (determined by their genetic makeup), and nurture (how they grew and developed as a result of how they were cared for, both before birth and afterwards).

In this seminar we'll discuss how various influences of nature and nurture may influence who your child is at her homecoming. Our topics include:

Impact of genetics.
Potential pre-natal influences, such as alcohol or drug use.
Effects of malnourishment, both pre- and post-natal.
Effects of mistreatment or neglect.
Behaviors that children may show after coming home from an orphanage.
How separation and loss impact your child's adjustment both initially and later in life.
Potential longer-term issues that your child may face as a result of their early experiences.

While this seminar will give parents a chance to start thinking about these issues, it is recommended that parents also follow up by coming to other seminars (such as our seminar on Grief and Loss) or by doing other readings. In particular, if you are planning to adopt an older child, or one with known special needs, we recommend that you contact your social worker so she can provide you with additional resources to help prepare you for parenting your child.

Note Regarding Wisconsin State Training Requirements:

This course is designed to meet the following Wisconsin State Core Competencies:
II. Understanding of Issues for the Child AND
IX. Understanding of Children Coming From an Institutionalized Care Setting

This seminar will count for 3 hours of training.

To receive credit for the hours spent in this seminar, please request a Certificate of Completion from your instructor. The certificate will indicate the class topic, number of hours, and date of training. You are responsible for providing your agency with a copy of your training certificate.

Refer to the Class Schedule for details about when this seminar is scheduled.