Join us this month as we explore "What's in a name?"

Adoption Network Cleveland and Transracial Journeys are joining forces to hold a series of co-hosted monthly support groups for parents who have adopted children outside of their own race. This collaborative effort aims to provide an intentionally structured and supportive space where parents can hear from leaders with lived expertise and come together to share their experiences, challenges, and successes in raising transracially adopted persons.

The support groups will be conducted virtually via Zoom, allowing participants from different geographical locations to connect and engage in meaningful discussions. The sessions will take place from 7-8 pm EST.

Transracial Journeys (TRJ) brings expertise in facilitating conversations on transracial adoption and promoting cultural awareness and competence. With their experience in organizing support groups, creating original content, and hosting a yearly camp, TRJ centers on the best interests of transracially adopted persons to provide practical tools and post adoption support for parents of a different race than the Black and Brown children entrusted to them and fosters supportive relationships for transracially adopted persons of all ages.

Adoption Network Cleveland (ANC) is celebrating 35 years of connecting and empowering individuals, organizations, and communities impacted by adoption, kinship, and foster care. ANC provides a source of healing, through education, advocacy, empowerment, and peer support for those impacted by adoption and family separation. The partnership of Transracial Journeys and Adoption Network Cleveland offers a unique opportunity for parents of both communities to benefit from the shared expertise and knowledge of both organizations.

Together, our two organizations aim to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where parents can build connections, find support, and learn from one another. By offering these co-hosted monthly support groups, Adoption Network Cleveland and Transracial Journeys hope to empower parents to navigate the unique challenges and joys of transracial adoption while promoting understanding and acceptance within their families and communities.

About your facilitators:

April Dinwoodie
After a successful career in corporate marketing, branding, and PR and a lifetime as a Black/bi-racial, transracially adopted person, April is devoted to elevating our shared experiences of family and humanity one conversation at a time. Dinwoodie’s podcast Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World! helps facilitate an open dialogue about identity, relationships and diversity. With the calendar as a universal tool, April guides systems, corporations, individuals and groups on a more purposeful and practical diversity and inclusion journey.

Janelle Poskocil
Janelle brings over 20 years of experience in education and social services. She loves to support families by creating supportive communities that empower and encourage. She is mom to four transracially adopted children who are now young adults. Her journey over the past twenty-two years has taught her that adoption is complex. As Program Coordinator for Families and Youth at Adoption Network Cleveland, Janelle is responsible for implementing responsive support and education opportunities for parents, caregivers, and youth in adoptive, foster and kinship families.