March 2025, fully virtual
2 full days
25+ presentations
35+ speakers
250+ attendees/day
“As an adoptive mom and as a therapist, this raised my competency.”
— CAC Attendee
CONFERENCE UPDATE
Thank you for your interest in the California Adoption Conference.
CAC is returning to a biannual schedule; the next conference will take place in March 2025.
Please check back for details, or contact cac@pactadopt.org for more information.
WHO ATTENDS?
A GLOBAL AUDIENCE OF:
Adoption professionals, teachers and therapists
Adoptive, foster
and kinship care families
Prospective
adopters
Adult adoptees and
former foster youth
First/birth
parents
“I’m sharing what I've learned with the clinicians on my team…
and with the adoptive parents I work with directly.”
— CAC Attendee
WHO PRESENTS?
Presenters at the California Adoption Conference include academic researchers, activists and advocates, educators, and child welfare professionals.
50%
Adult adoptees and former foster youth
25%
Adoptive parents
10%
First/birth parents
65%
People of color
“I have worked in child welfare for over thirty years and so much of what I heard was important and new.”
— CAC Attendee
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
(Pacific Time)
Day 1
OPENING SESSION
8:45-10:30am
Keynote Speaker 1
MORNING SESSIONS
11:00am-12:30pm
Concurrent Workshop 1A
Concurrent Workshop 1B
Concurrent Workshop 1C
EARLY AFTERNOON SESSIONS
1:30-3:00pm
Concurrent Workshop 1D
Concurrent Workshop 1E
Concurrent Workshop 1F
LATE AFTERNOON SESSIONS
1:30-3:00pm
Concurrent Workshop 1G
Concurrent Workshop 1H
Concurrent Workshop 1I
Day 2
OPENING SESSION
8:45-10:30am
Keynote Speaker 2
MORNING SESSIONS
11:00am-12:30pm
Concurrent Workshop 2A
Concurrent Workshop 2B
Concurrent Workshop 2C
EARLY AFTERNOON SESSIONS
1:30-3:00pm
Concurrent Workshop 2D
Concurrent Workshop 2E
Concurrent Workshop 2F
LATE AFTERNOON SESSIONS
1:30-3:00pm
Concurrent Workshop 2G
Concurrent Workshop 2H
Concurrent Workshop 2I
PAST SPEAKERS
Sydney Jacobs Allen
Beth Hall, Executive Director, Pact, An Adoption Alliance
Meggin Nam Holtz, LMSW
Jill Jacobs, Executive Director, Family Builders
Barb Clark, NACAC
JaeRan Kim, PhD
Dr. Samantha Coleman, Black to the Beginning
Susan Dusza Guerra Leksander, LMFT, Pact, An Adoption Alliance
Zea Malawa, MD
Carly Ellis
Tina Ormrod Fox
Breana Frazier
Sara Cole
Kirstin Nelson
Malaika Parker
Elena Pereira
Gretchen Sisson, PhD
Susan Branco, PhD, LPC (VA), LCPC (MD), NCC, ACS, BC-TMH
Lisa Clark LCSW, Executive Director, Adopt International
Holly van Gulden
Michelle Nobriga, Adoption Connection
Rick Oculto, Our Family Coalition
Carol Passmore, PsyD
Tatenda Perry, LCSW
Deb Schugg, LCSW, Seneca
Sandria Washington, Black to the Beginning
Katie Wynen, MSW, Pact, An Adoption Alliance
“I am going to view this keynote again
once the recording is available.
It was just so profound.”
— CAC Attendee
CONFERENCE CO-SPONSORS
CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS
