Building Queer Families: Conception, Emotional & Legal Issues, and Resources

1.5 CEUs

Description:

There are many factors to consider when folks want to grow their families. These issues are compounded for queer (LGBTQIA+) families. This session will discuss the decisions many queer families make in order to grow. While the financial burden can be a deciding factor, the business of creating children when not all families have the biological pieces needed to easily reproduce is often daunting. In addition, the legal challenges once a child has been born complicate the process further.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define conception/family growth methods utilized by queer families. Explore benefits and resources for each method.

2. Discuss legal barriers and challenges to queer family growing

3. Explore the unique struggles that creating queer families can present

4. Identify resources for queer families and folks assisting queer folks

5. Discuss the challenges of donor conception

Presenter Biography:

Ashley Haden-Peaches (she/her) has been working in social services for 11 years with community-based health care being among her priorities. She graduated from KU with a Masters in Social Work in 2013. Ashley has been working at Sam Rodgers Health Center since 2016 where she currently manages the Community Health Worker program. Since starting at Rodgers, she has become a Doula, Lactation Consultant and Child Birth Educator.  She has a passion for lactation and supporting people who want to breast/chest/bodyfeed. Ashley has experience helping queer and/or non-gestational parents to induce lactation so that they may also nurse their baby. When she's not working, doulaing, providing lactation support to families or teaching lactation and childbirth education classes, she is spending time with her wife and 2 young children, exploring Kansas City.