The next DCN West Midlands meeting will be on Sunday 7th May, 1pm Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield B74 2YT Meet at Sutton Park Town Gate Visitor Centre at 1pm then we will find a picnic spot nearer the playground. https://maps.app.goo.gl/kXPmRj1bpkuoY2WV8?g_st=ac

You are invited to join us for a conversation for members who are parents to small children aged 0-3 years old. This Chat is open to parents with children in this age group, under the age of 3 (seperated couples are welcome too). DCN Chat is a peer support online get-together. This DCN Chat will be hosted by Rachel, who together with her husband, has two children through donor conception. All our DCN Chat facilitators are members themselves, volunteers, and hosting the chat as individuals. This is not a professionally led or educational event. Join us for a supportive space to talk to others in similar situations. If you find that you need further support, please don’t hesitate to contact the DC Network office on enquiries@dcnetwork.org

This DCN Chat is aimed at discussing the pros and cons of taking steps to identify genetic siblings. We will offer a space to deliberate about the merits and pitfalls of this and what possible implications doing so/or not do so might have on you and your child. The chat will be facilitated by Adrienne, who is a solo mum with a child born in 2020. This forum is for discussing the topic, rather than a ‘how to’. ** Becuase of the nature of the conversation we ask that participants are particularly careful not to share identifying details of their donor.

This DCN Chat is aimed at discussing anonymous donation and how that is experienced for us as donation recipients. The chat will be facilitated by Valentina, DCN member, and mum through egg donation to two children through anonymous donation. Please be aware that the Anonymous donation chat’s purpose is to understand the meaning that is given to the anonymous donation and how it is managed by those who are already parents. Prospective parents can join the call, however the main goal is to offer an opportunity to talk through the meaning that recipient parents give to the anonymous donation, rather than explore whether this is the best route for prospective parents, which would be best done in the thinker/tryer spaces. This DCN Chat is to offer a space to talk about experiences. This is not an educational event and rather, is offered as a peer-support opportunity.

Workshop for parents of donor conceived children aged **10-20 years.** Do you find the idea of your child connecting with their donor or half-siblings a daunting prospect? Perhaps you’re unsure how to raise the topic with them, or you’d value a safe space to explore what it might mean if – or when – they choose to make contact? Our new Continuing the Conversation workshop offers just that: a supportive space to think about the future, consider the possible implications, and build confidence in navigating these conversations with your child. It is suitable regardless of whether you used an anonymous, ID release or known donor, although the conversations might be different, of course. **At this event, you will:** * Think about the future and what might unfold for you and your child if and when they want to make contact with genetic connections * Build confidence in having conversations about the donor and genetic relatives. **The workshop will enable you to:** * Consider the options available to you and your child – gain an understanding of the options available for accessing information about your donor and your child’s half siblings, whether you had treatment in the UK or overseas * Share common hopes and fears that parents experience when their child talks about the donor * Learn about how and when you might raise the topic with your child * Think through what questions your child might have and what support they might need * Connect with other parents of donor conceived children * Be ready for the wide range of feelings your child might have, how they might differ from your own, and how they might change over time. * Gain knowledge and confidence to support you and your child in decision making. **Who is it for?** This workshop is specially designed for parents of donor conceived children aged 10-20 years who have already told their child about being donor conceived. It is suitable for all family types and is equally appropriate whether your treatment took place in the UK or abroad. **Highlights include:** * Small group discussions with others to discuss feelings and experiences * Hear donor conceived people talking about feelings towards genetic connections * Session with practical tips on starting and continuing the conversation with your child * Hosted by three extremely experienced facilitators who are parents of donor conceived people * Session on research findings on donor conceived people connecting with genetic relatives * Brief overview of ways to find information for future self-investigation. **What the workshop won’t do:** * Help you tell for the first time: This workshop is designed for parents who have already told their child about their origins and we therefore do not cover telling your child for the first time. If you have not yet begun that initial conversation, our Telling & Talking pages have information you may find helpful to get started.  * Provide detailed information on ways to find genetic relatives: we will tell you the essentials of what is possible but this workshop is not a how-to guide on connecting with genetic relatives. * Tell you *why* you should look for genetic connections: We are not offering this programme to encourage you to connect with the donor – that is always a decision for you and your family. Rather, we want to help you think about the implications for your child and for yourself if and when they seek to make contact. Some quotes from attendees: *”It was the right approach and level of info. Informal, with structure – not stuffy!”* *”It was really good to be able to take some space to listen to views, hear information and be prodded to think about things that inevitably just become part of the background of wider family life.”* This workshop has been made possible by funding from the European Sperm Bank and the Young Adults Study and we are enormously grateful for their support. We also allocated the money we raised from our 2025 Appeal towards this project, including the match funding from the London Sperm Bank. Thanks go to all our donors and members for contributing and enabling us to support our community in continuing important family conversations.