[Dr. Art]

Hi, I am Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D. I, along with Nancy Geoghegan, an adoptive parent and, in my opinion, an expert in a wide variety of parenting, school, and other issues regarding adopted and foster children, will be moderating this forum. I am very pleased to be sharing this task with Nancy. I’ve found her warmth, compassion, and breadth of knowledge to be a real asset to families.

I have been a Moderator for a few years now. I have a Master of Social Work degree. I also have a Ph.D., from the University of Maryland’s Institute for Child Study. I have been helping adoptive and foster families for over twenty-five years now. I am the Director of The Center For Family Development, www.Center4FamilyDevelop.com, which specialize in evaluating and treating adopted and foster families and children with attachment disorders. On a personal note, I was adopted as a child, a “kinship” adoption, and am the parent of three children, one of whom was adopted.

I would like to see an open and free ranging discussion on this Forum. I am happy to answer questions and would like to see others contribute their experience and expertise. I hope that, even when the topic generates strong feelings, that everyone will remain respectful and avoid personal comments against others. I will lend my expertise as an expert on attachment, attachment disorders, mental health issues, and about adoptive and foster families. As a licensed mental health professional in several states I will provide information about treatment, effective strategies, and what the professional literature may bring to bear on questions of interest to participants of this Forum.