Many topics in adoption can be incredibly challenging alone. How do I talk to my child about their journey through adoption? How do I begin to look for my Birth/First family? How do I talk to my children about race and racism? Many of these topics we cover in our workshops, and sometimes you really need someone to give you one-on-one focus around a topic that you, or your family, are struggling with. In times like these we suggest choosing a package like the ones listed below, so that you have an opportunity to dive deeper into the topics that you need the most support around.

While Astrid Castro Consulting has a heavy focus on adoption, we also offer consultations around race and racism for parents and educators! Each of these topics address a unique need, and we will customize a package that is uniquely tailored for the topic that you (your family, or school) are addressing. You can expect high quality, empathy based, non-therapeutic, active listening from someone who has over 25 years experience in the adoption field, as well as an adoptee herself. You can find Astrid’s story here.

Each of these packages comes…

• Thirty minute initial intake meeting to discuss you & your family’s needs
• Minimum of three (1) hour one-on-one consultations with Astrid
• After Care: Three month (30 minute) wellness check up

Your initial intake meeting gives you an opportunity to give a summary of the topic (or topics) that you would like to address, as well as any logistical questions you may have. In the week following your consultation, you will receive a phone call (or email) to schedule your first consultation with Astrid.

Consultation Packages

Race and Racism: Talking With Children (Educators & PTA’s)

This package is for educators & parents who are ready to talk to their students (and children) about race and racism, and may be unsure where to start, how to craft age appropriate dialogue suited to their child(ren) and their school’s specific needs. This package is also appropriate for school administrators who are looking for guidance on how to start school wide conversations with their faculty about race and racism, and how to take a proactive approach.

Package Options Include:

• Understanding Race & Racism in the School Setting 
• Building Age Appropriate & Ethical Curriculum For Students
• Building Race & Racism Awareness Curriculum For Faculty
• Building Race & Racism Awareness: For PTA’s

Exploring Adoption: For Pre-Adoptive Parents

These options are a great start for individuals and couples who are in the beginnings stages of deciding if adoption is right for their family! Questions many couples and individuals face include: what type of adoption (international vs. domestic, open vs, closed, infant vs older, DHS vs. private, sibling groups, transracial,  etc…),  family structure changes, navigating life as a blended family (birth children and adopted children).. as well as many many more questions and factors that families may want and need to address as they decide if expanding their family through adoption is right for them.

Package Options  Include:

•  Is Adoption Right For Our Family?
• What Type of Adoption Is Right For You?
• How To Choose An Agency: Ethical Practices
• When Things Don’t Go As Planned
• In On It: Talking with Extended Family (and Community) About Adoption

Life As An Adoptive Family:

When do you begin to have those conversations with your child(ren) about adoption? No one has ever handed out books on the right way to open dialogue with children about their connections, feelings, and emotions about their birth/ first families.  This package is a wonderful opportunity ask questions about age appropriate language, handling the hard questions, and digging deep into all of the layers around search and reunification for children who have been adopted, and their families.

Package Options  Include:

• What & When: Talking with your child about adoption in Developmental stages (what to share and when)
• What & When: Talking with your child about adoption: Sharing YOUR (adoptive parent’s) journey to decide to adopt age appropriately
• What & When: Talking with your child about adoption: The Unexpected and Lifelong: Explaining and Reacting to Others About Adoption. 
• Transracial Adoption: Talking with Children about Race & Racism
• Transracial Adoption: Understanding Racial Identity
• Transracial Adoption: Navigating Resources and Support
• Navigating a Healthy Relationship with Birth/ First Families
• When to visit your child’s birth country and what should you do/visit (orphanage, foster family, “finding site”, hospital, birth/first family…)?
• Preparing to Returning to Birth Country for the 1st time: How to prepare yourself AND your child
• Search & Reunion: Contemplation & Conversation To Search or Not to Search
• Search & Reunion: Expectation Vs. Reality 
• Search & Reunion: Zoom Video Support For Families While Travelling To Child’s Birth Country
• Life After Reunion: Reshaping & Expanding The Definition Of Family
• When Adoption Is NOT Going as Planned

In The Life of an Adult Adoptee

Being an adult adoptee often means that life has unique challenges, whether that means you are just coming to terms with your adoption and how it has impacted your life, you are deciding if and when you want to seek out your birth family, or maybe you have sought them out and it did (or didn’t go well), Astrid Castro Consulting has developed several consultation options with you in mind. Each consultation package comes with the following…

• Special invitation to join our adult adoptee community, with opportunities to meet and greet at our social gatherings!

Package Options Include

• Coming Out of The Fog 
• Navigating a Healthy Relationship With Your Adoptive Family
• Racial Identity as an Adult
• Getting your Non-Adoptee Spouse to Understand Adoption
• Supporting Your Adopted Spouse/Partner
• Parenting As Adoptees
  • POC Adoptees ~ Raising Your Children to be racially conscience when your not sure you have figured it out for yourself
  • Having your child(ren) understand your adoption (it’s their history too)
• Search & Reunion: Expectation Vs. Reality
• To Search or Not to Search
• Search & Reunion: What’s Lost, But Not Found (Coping With Not Finding Your Birth Family)
• Search & Reunion: Secondary Rejections (Denied Reunion By Birth Family)
• A Blended Recreation: Recreating & Redefining Your Family After Reunion
• Navigating a Healthy Relationship With Birth/ First Families