2013 Camp Directors: Marne Gulley & Candy Pruett
HCAF presents the third year of Domestic Adoption Camp for adoptive families!
FOUR DAYS A SUMMER....IMPACT FOR LIFE!
Join us for the third annual Domestic Adoption Camp to be held July 25-28 at Colorado Heights University in Denver. We welcome families built by domestic adoption, whether through foster care, kinship, and domestic infant or older child adoption. It will be a wonderful weekend in celebration of our adoptive families!
EVERY adopted child comes with a heritage, a background, and an identity that is not the exact same as their adoptive parents. In the 22 years we have been providing Heritage Camps, we have found this difference to be a true gift for families, and one that should be celebrated and explored together. Without question, this camp has revealed how important recognizing and finding ways to talk about and celebrate adoption is vital for adoptive families. As one parent put it, "The impact this camp had on my son was watching him interact with the other kids as if they'd always been best friends, and to see him getting more comfortable with what it means to be adopted."
It is often said, “how can you know where you are going if you don’t know where you came from?” The mission of our Domestic Adoption Camp is to provide an unprecedented place for families to learn, share, gain support, and celebrate adoption with each other. Experts in the field of adoption and adoptive child development are invited to speak with parents, and with older teens. Through art, music, movement, play, team building, outdoor activities, and more, children from the age of 3 to 18 joyfully will explore and celebrate being adopted, therefore building self-esteem and confidence. The HCAF staff and families, counselors, and speakers who have been coming to this camp all agree - this mission was met, and we have tons of great ideas for years to come!
Our theme for this year is "The Family Circle." Children’s programming will be circle themed, with crafts, adoption workshops and plenty of time for outdoor games and friendship building! As always, our children’s counselors will be young adult adoptees. There will also be great workshops for parents on topics such as trauma-informed parenting, birth parent search and reunion, play therapy for adults and plenty of time to meet and talk with families just like yours. Come learn and share with us. We are building a strong, supportive community, and would love to have your family be a part of it. We look forward to seeing your family at camp in July as we explore and celebrate adoption in all its beautiful shapes and sizes.
Registration opens March 11th! Scholarships are available for those who need financial assistance to attend camp. We also are instituting the “Plus One” program this year. Any family (new or previous attendee) who informs another family about our camp, and gets them to register and attend this summer, will receive a gift certificate to our market! So come join us, and bring a friend!
As one of our parents planning camp recently said, “My daughter has talked about this camp ever since it ended last year. Somehow, she just knew it was a good feeling being there.”
If you or your kids are on Facebook please visit the Domestic Adoption Camp page and ask to join. We want this to be a place where we can all have discussions and share interesting topics. It is a wonderful way to stay connected and informed.
We hope to see you at camp in July. For further information, please contact us.
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