FROM STAFF REPORTS

The UAB International Adoption Clinic at Children’s of Alabama will host its Adoption Boot Camp on Saturday, March 3, at Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church, 5080 Cahaba Valley Trace.

The fee to attend is $150 per family (up to four) with a $10 additional cost per family member for any family with more than four participants. Preregistration is required by contacting the IAC at 638-6964 or emailing adoption@peds.uab.edu.

The seminar is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is free, a continental breakfast is provided and there will be an hour lunch break midday.

“This class is ideal for anyone considering international adoption, those in the adoption process and those who have adopted children from international locations,” said Karen Belcher, IAC clinical programs coordinator and a pediatric nurse clinician. “Adopting is not easy, but fortunately we have many who have been down that road and whose experiences can help families who may be adopting in the future – including medical professionals, social workers, teachers and parents.”

In addition to a special adoption parent panel, topics to be covered include:

• Behavioral and emotional needs of adoptees
• International adoption medicine
• Developmental awareness

The mission of the International Adoption Clinic is to serve the initial and ongoing medical, developmental and emotional needs of adoptive parents and their children from around the world. The clinic is staffed with professionals with a love for children who have been orphaned and a desire to see them accepted into loving and well-equipped families.

Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama, 45 other states and six foreign countries last year, representing more than 677,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 2 million square feet, Children’s is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. More information is available at childrensal.org.