CUB Retreat 2024 Members are $295, non-members $340, and early registration prices end September 1st.  This includes all retreat sessions and 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners, and a Sunday Brunch, and hospitality gatherings Thurs, Fri, Sat evenings.  

Book Your Hotel Room The Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza Hotel!  Rates are 169- per night with our group discount for CUB Retreat attendees when you reserve your room before September 1st. 

Roommate Signups  Need to cut expenses to make this retreat doable?  Sign up to share room expenses and to meet new people.

CUBdonate  We work to keep the cost of attending our annual retreat affordable.  However, we recognize it can still be a significant burden on some individuals.  So every year, we award a few of those individuals a scholarship to ease the financial costs of attending.  When you donate to the Retreat Scholarship Fund, this money goes directly to someone who would not otherwise be able to have the CUB retreat experience.

Identity:  Are We There Yet?

Dr. Abby Hasberry, Kara Rubenstein Dyerin, Melanie Bonner will share the impact of transracial adoption through the lens of a first parent, an adoptee and an NPE.  This panel sheds light on the societal & familial propensity to promote an artificial GPS route to identity. It will offer insights into recognizing and trusting our own internal compasses, rather than following dictates of society and non-genetic relatives.’

Conceiving Christian America/Deceiving Vulnerable Mothers

A review of the historical and political impact of faith-based saviourism in the two largest industries promoting today's family building; adoption and third party technology.    Rev. Dr. Janine Vance, author of Adoption History: An Adoptees Research into Child Trafficking, and her twin, Jenette Vance co founders of Adoption Truth & Transparency Worldwide Network.  Risa Cromer, Purdue University professor and author of Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics along with Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW a therapist specializing in issues impacting families conceived by adoption and 3rd party reproduction,  

Adoption Law Inequities Panel

Lisa Elaine Scott, attorneys Malinda Seymour, Erik Louis Smith, Heather Kuhn

The legal panel addresses the many inequities in adoption law designed to support mother & child separation, versus family preservation..  Lisa Elaine Scott will moderate the discussions with attorneys Malinda Seymour, Erik Louis Smith, and Heather Kuhn, who are each members of the adoption constellation. 

CUB Telling Our Stories Panel of Authors

Rebecca Wellington Who Is A Worthy Mother: An Intimate History of Adoption, Julia MacDonnell (Chang) Hidden Girls: A Birth Mother's Story of Reunion & Reckoning, and Monica Hall Practically Still A Virgin.  These authors share a variety of perspectives through their captivating stories.

Film: SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER With ZARA PHILLIPS

The talented and creative Zara Phillips is a singer and songwriter, actor, author, and activist.   Come along on her emotionally-charged search through England and America for her first family, her roots, to find answers and herself.

Schedule

Thursday Sept. 26

• 1:00p.m. - 4:00 p.m. National CUB Board Meeting

• 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Hospitality Gathering

Friday Sept. 27

• 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Breakfast

• 10:00 a.m - 10:15 a.m. Welcome & Opening Remarks

• 10:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Identity: Are We There Yet? Dr. Abby Hasberry, Melanie Bonner, Kara Rubenstein Deyerin

• 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch On Your Own & Free Time

• 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Conceiving Christian families/Deceiving Vulnerable Mothers: with Risa Cromer: author Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption, and Reproductive Politics, Rev. Dr. Janine (Vance) Mung Ja: author Adoption: What You Should Know: An Adoptees Research, twin sister & co-founder Jenette (Vance) Yamamoto cofounder of Adoption Truth & Transparency Worldwide Network, on IG @AdoptionTruth https://adoptiontruth.org , and Leslie Pate MacKinnon LCSW

• 4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Support Groups

• 6:15 p.m. Hosted Dinner

• 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. CUB Story Hour, with Marilyn Waugh, Candace Cahill, and Amy Seek

• 9:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Hospitality Gathering

Saturday Sept. 28

• 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Breakfast

• 8:45 am - 9:45 am Journaling with Candace Cahill

• 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Adoption Law Inequities: With Lisa Elaine Scott, Malinda Seymour JD, Heather Kuhn JD, Erik Louis Smith JD

• 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch On Your Own & Free Time

• 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Telling Our Stories: with author Julia MacDonnell Chang Hidden Girls: A Birth Mothers Story of Reunion and Reckoning, and author Rebecca Wellington Who Is A Worthy Mother? An intimate history of adoption, author Monica Hall Practically Still a Virgin

• 4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Support Groups

• 6:15 p.m. Hosted Dinner

• 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Film: Somebody’s Daughter by Zara Phillips

• 9:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Hospitality Gathering

  Sunday Sept. 29

• Brunch 9:00-12:00

Hotel & Accommodations

Our venue and hotel for the retreat will be the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza located at 4445 Main St. Kansas City, MO 64111.

Book your room within our block where your rate is $169/per night if you book by September 4, 2024.

Air/Ground Transportation

We know many of you travel from all over to join us for our retreat. The nearest major airport is Kansas City International Airport (MCI) where you are sure to find many direct flights to/from your home.

The hotel is about 30 miles from Kansas City International Airport (MCI) but the hotel does not operate a shuttle service. However, we have here is a page with taxi/rideshare information: Getting To and From MCI.

Scholarships

We are awarding scholarships for the 2024 CUB Retreat. If you would like to attend but think it might not be possible due to financial concerns, consider applying for a scholarship. Funds are limited and will not pay for all expenses, but will help to significantly defray the cost of attending.

Birth/first parents, adoptees, adoption professionals, and all others living with adoption who would not otherwise have the means to attend our annual retreat are eligible to apply for a scholarship.

The application is open now and you can apply here. The deadline to apply is July 30, 2024. Recipients will be notified by August 10, 2024.