Circle of Friends

Adoption Choices of Jewish Family Service of Metrowest 475 Franklin St., Suite 101, Framingham. 800-872-5232.

Oct. 23: Adoptive Parents Group. 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. Meets the fourth Monday monthly. Pre-adoptive families are encouraged to attend all sessions in a series for topics on birth parents, life books, grief and loss, openness in adoption, and more. RSVP 508-875-3100.

Adoptive Families Together/MSPCC 99 Summer St. Boston. 617-587-1563. mspcc.org. E-mail nofarrell@mspcc.org. Parent Group: Parent-run, confidential groups to share personal concerns and needs around adoptive parenting. Provides education, advocacy, support, and more.

Oct. 4: Wellesley Library, 530 Washington St., Wellesley. 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Oct. 10: Assabet Valley Area Family Network, 169 Pleasant St., Marlboro. New time: 10:30 a.m. to noon

Oct. 11: New Location: Framingham Public Library, 49 Lexington St., Framingham. 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21: St. John's Episcopal Church, 116 Holden St., Worcester. 7 to 9 p.m.

Oct. 29: Boys & Girls Club, 19 Campbell Rd., Billerica. 7 to 9 p.m.

Adoption Resources 1430 Main St., Waltham. 781-647-5327. All Workshops are $10pp. Register with Carol Sheingold at 617-614-1999 or e-mail her at csheingold@ jfcsboston.org. Contact Carol for times.

Oct. 10: Talking to your Child and Others about Adoption. Provides parents witha variety of ways to discuss adoption with their children, families, and friends.

Nov. 14: Attachment Disorder: It's All About Fear. Join Peg Kirby, the Co-Director of the Attachment Institute of New England to help understand attachment issues.

Dec. 5: Transracial Families: The Racial Identity Development of White Parents. Ongoing

Oct. 3: Monthly Orientation Meetings. 7 to 9 p.m.

First Tuesday monthly. Provides information about all adoption programs. Free. Contact Mini Whitney at 617-332-2218 or mwhitney@jfcsboston.org.

Center For Family Connections 350 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-547-0909. kinnect.org. E-mail: cffc@kinnect.org

Oct. 25: What's So Radical About Attachment Issues? Presenters: Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao. Discuss how to take away the labels and make the issues understandable and normal in order to heal the children and families affected by them.

Nov. 8: 5th Annual Courage and Curiosity Fundraiser. Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge. 6 to 10 p.m. Silent and live auctions, live music, Courage and Curiosity Awards, food/drink. For information, e-mail katherinew@kinnect.org.

Lutheran Social Services of New England 20 Hamilton St., 2nd Floor, Worcester. 508-791- 4488. adoptlss.org.

Nov. 2: Adoption Classes. 6 to 8 p.m. Learn about domestic and international options. Free. 24-hour advance reservation required.

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) Boston. 617-54-ADOPT, 1-800-882-1776. mareinc.org.

Oct. 15: Adoption Party and Recruitment at Jordan's Furniture, Reading. 9 to 11 a.m. Learn more about foster care adoption. Meet waiting children age 6+. Attend workshops and hear from adoptive families. Breakfast and family fun including face painting, trapeze lessons, Radio Disney, juggling, balloon animals, etc. RSVP to MARE by 10/6. jordans.com.

MAPS International 400 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. RSVP to 617- 267-2222. E-mail: mapsboston@mapsadopt.org

Oct. 18: Info Meeting on International/Domestic Adoption at Morse Institute Library, Natick. 7 p.m. Learn about the adoption process and have your questions answered by the Director. Free. ODS Adoption Community of New England 1750 Washington St., Holliston. Pre-register and RSVP at least 24 hours before events (including free offerings). 508-429-4260.odsacone.org.

Oct. 4: Adoption and the Schools. 7 to 9 p.m. Learn about the educational needs of adoptees and share tips on how to defuse issues that may come up at school. $15pp (NM).

Oct. 7: For the Extended Adoptive Family...Your Extended Role. 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Explores the special role of grandparents, aunts, uncles and other extended family members of adoptive families. Learn how you can embrace and support your family, the language of adoption, issues particular to adopted children placed from the U.S. and abroad, and the unique challenges and joys of adoptive families.Free.

Oct.7: Baby Care for Pre-Adoptive First-Time Parents. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oct. 14: A Look at Adoption. 2 to 5:30 p.m. Covers all of the beginning information you need to make educated decisions about adoption. $25pp(NM).

Oct. 14: Adoption Triad Group. 10 a.m. to noon Share your experiences with and receive support from other adult members of the adoption triad who are not in your immediate triad. Free. Oct. 15: A Support Group for Waiting Parents. 4 to 6 p.m.

Oct. 28: Talking About Adoption with Your Children, Family and Friends. 7 to 9 p.m. Designed for adoptive parents of children up to age 12. Pre-adoptive parents are also invited to participate. $15pp (NM).

Oct. 28: Financial Planning for your Family. 10 a.m. to noon. Learn the important issues that need to be planned for a family. Discuss planning for college education, retirement, protection, and estate. Discuss the cost of raising a child and pre-adoption expenses. Free.

SPACE (Single Parents of Adoptive Children Everywhere)

508-429-4260 or 800-93-ADOPT. E-mail info@odascone.org.

Nov. 4: Issues of Single Parent Adoption. The Hampton Inn, Natick. 20+ workshops and discussion groups, child care, exhibit area, time to meet and network with attendees from across the U.S. and beyond, etc. Contact Sherry at: 617-536-0586 or Betsy at: maspace@aol.com for more info. Also visit geocities.com/odsspace.

St. Mary's Adoptive and Pre-Adoptive Parents and Foster Care Providers Support Group St. Mary's Pastoral Center, 20 Summer St., Shrewsbury.

Ongoing: 7:30 to 9 p.m. All welcome. Generally meets the third Thursday monthly. RSVP to Donna 508-842-2529.

Wide Horizons For Children 38 Edge Hill Rd., 2nd. Floor, Waltham. 781-894-5330. whfc.org. All programs are free. Register by phone or Online. Live Online Presentations require a computer with Internet access and a phone separate from your Internet connection. Ask questions of the program staff and hear questions raised by other families. Fee: the cost of the toll call. Contact: 781-419- 0323 or e-mail rstillman@whfc.org.

Oct. 4: Live Online Presentation - Adopting From China. 7 p.m.

Oct. 10 & 19: Live Online Presentation - Adopting From Kazakhstan. 12:30 & 7 p.m. The following programs are held at 460 Totten Pond Rd. in Waltham from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 12 or 24: Adoption Info Meeting. Oct. 19: Adopting from Ethiopa. Oct. 26: Adopting from Guatemala.

To add your adoption-related event or group to

Circle of Friends, E-mail calendar@baystateparent.com. The deadline for

the November issue is October 10th by 6 p.m.