Welcome To Heritage Camps For Adoptive Families!
Welcome To Heritage Camps For Adoptive Families!
Camp Registration starts Feb 1, 2023
Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families
Since 1992, Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families has been supporting the healthy development of families formed by adoption. We promote the successful transition of adopted children into healthy, confident, well-grounded adults who are proud of themselves, their families, and their heritage.
Whether your child was adopted internationally or domestically, HCAF helps adoptive families become part of a larger community “just like themselves,” with shared experiences, challenges, and opportunities.
Creating Connections in 2023
Our overarching theme this year across all nine camps is “Creating Connections.” When we share our camp experiences, we build powerful connections with the people we’re closest to, with our community and the world around us, and with ourselves. This overarching theme brings our nine camps together with a common concept over the summer, while each camp will still develop their own programming based around Creating Connections.
More Than An Annual Vacation!
Current research in adoption supports HCAF’s approach to social integration and self-esteem building. More than just an annual vacation, HCAF fosters meaningful connections with other adoptive families and cultural communities.
Family members of all ages benefit from the expertise of professionals in the fields of identity development, complex trauma, art therapy, and more, balanced with fun and engaging activities that support relationship building. Many of our workshop presenters are adoptees who bridge their professional expertise with their personal experiences.
Bridging Culture and Community
While all of our camps include programming about adoption in general, our Heritage Camps have a focus of supporting transcultural/transracial adoptive families. We connect adoptive families with authentic cultural experiences, providing positive representations that affirm the inherent worth of a child’s birth culture through fun, age-appropriate, interactive activities, and cultural/racial “mirrors” — camp counselors and presenters from adoptees’ birth cultures.
What is most valuable to our family about Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families is being able to connect with others who travel the same path in life as our family. There is a sense of wholeness that comes from being a part of the camp experience. Through camp, our child has found a place and community that completely understands and accepts her 100% for who she is. There is a sense of belonging and understanding that doesn’t come from any other community of which we are a part.
I honestly can’t imagine where we’d be without our fellow camp friends, and all the guidance we’ve received from adoption professionals and our cultural community. When we have questions or experience challenges, we have a community we can turn to. Our kids habe been clear from the beginning that camp needs to be a priority for us. It makes that much of a difference.
Learn how you can support Heritage Camps through corporate sponsorship, our annual gala, and more.
Our Camps
African / Caribbean Heritage Camp
In-Person Camp, June 8-11, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Chinese Heritage Camp
In-Person Camp, Sept 1-4, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Chinese Heritage Camp II
In-Person Camp, July 27-30, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Domestic Adoption Camp
In-Person Camp, July 13-16, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Indian/Nepalese Heritage Camp
In-Person Camp, July 6-9, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Korean Heritage Camp
In-Person Camp, June 15-18, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Latin American Heritage Camp
In-Person Camp, June 22-25, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Russian / Eastern European / Central Asian Heritage Camp
In-Person Camp, July 20-23, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Southeast Asian Heritage Camp / Pacific Islander Heritage Camp
In-Person Camp, Aug 3-6, 2023
Registration opens in February 2023!
Domestic Adoption Camp
We welcome families built by domestic adoption, foster care, and kinship. Camp programming is designed to respond to the specific experiences of domestic adoptive/foster families, covering topics such as relationships with birth families, attachment, and trauma.
If your child was adopted domestically but their cultural heritage identifies with one of our other camps, you may choose to attend Domestic Adoption Camp or the camp that corresponds to their ethnic identity.
Heritage Camps
While all of our camps include programming about adoption in general, our Heritage Camps have a focus of supporting transcultural/transracial adoptive families. We connect adoptive families with authentic cultural experiences, providing positive representations that affirm the inherent worth of a child’s birth culture through fun, age-appropriate, interactive activities, and cultural/racial “mirrors” — camp counselors and presenters from adoptees’ birth cultures.
What Is Your Child’s Culture Of Birth?
Volunteer
We believe that parental and community involvement creates meaningful bonds. We strive to have each kids workshop led by a member of that particular cultural community. Find out more about how you can get involved.
Join Our Mailing List
We send out camp registration information in February/March, periodic e-mail newsletters and other pertinent information.
Our Sponsors
Glade Voogt Smith
