Foster + Bloom Attorneys to Speak at the 2026 AAAA Mid-Year Conference in Chicago
The laws and practices shaping adoption and assisted reproduction are constantly evolving, and staying ahead of those changes matters for both professionals and the families they support.
Foster + Bloom attorneys Kelly Dempsey, Tifany Markee, and Catelyn Slattery will bring their experience to the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys’ 2026 Mid-Year Conference, taking place September 27–29 in Chicago.
Their sessions will address some of the issues requiring careful attention in family-building law today, including immigration planning for adopted children, responsible international surrogacy practice, and legislative developments affecting adoption.
About AAAA and the Mid-Year Conference
The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) is a credentialed organization of attorneys focused on the competent and ethical practice of adoption and assisted reproduction law.
Its Mid-Year Conference brings attorneys and other family-building professionals together to share knowledge, discuss developing legal issues, and strengthen practices that protect children, parents, surrogates, and families.
The Foster + Bloom Attorneys Speaking at the Conference
Kelly Dempsey + Michelle Evans — “Permanency, Together: Building Immigration Planning into Every Step of the Process”
Kelly and Michelle will discuss why immigration planning for non-citizen children should begin early in the permanency process and remain part of the plan while the court retains jurisdiction.
The session will also address collaboration between attorneys and departments of social services to identify and address immigration needs before finalization.
A note on immigration matters: Immigration law is federal. That means an attorney handling an immigration matter generally does not need to be licensed in the same state as the client. Foster + Bloom can assist with qualifying immigration matters regardless of where in the United States you are located.
Tifany Markee — “The Future Depends on All of Us: Responsible International Surrogacy Practice”
Tifany will speak about responsible practice in international surrogacy, where parentage, citizenship, immigration, travel, and local surrogacy laws may involve multiple jurisdictions.
The session will explore the role attorneys and other professionals play in creating well-coordinated, ethical family-building arrangements across borders.
Catelyn Slattery — “Staying Ahead of the Curve: Adoption Legislative Updates and Advocacy”
Catelyn will address significant adoption-related legislative and regulatory developments from the past year, along with issues on the horizon.
The session will help practitioners understand how changing state and federal laws, interstate requirements, and intercountry adoption policies may affect their work and the families they support.
Meet the Attorneys Speaking at AAAA
Why These Conversations Matter
The issues on this year’s agenda are the kinds of issues that can change how a family-building plan works in practice. Immigration status can affect permanency.
A cross-border surrogacy arrangement can involve several different legal systems. A legislative change can alter what attorneys, agencies, and families need to do next.
That is why it is valuable to have experienced professionals in the same room talking through what they are seeing, what is changing, and where the harder questions are emerging.
These conversations are not just about keeping up with the law. They are about learning from one another and improving the way the work is done.
Kelly, Tifany, and Catelyn are part of that exchange this year, sharing the perspective they have built through their own work while also learning from colleagues across the field. That kind of ongoing conversation helps everyone involved stay sharper, more thoughtful, and better prepared for the families they support.
Experience Focused on Building and Protecting Families
Foster + Bloom brings decades of focused experience to adoption, surrogacy, assisted reproduction, parentage, and the legal issues that can arise when families, professionals, and jurisdictions intersect.
That depth of experience matters because family-building plans rarely fit into a single legal box. A thoughtful legal strategy may need to account for changing laws, multiple jurisdictions, timing, parentage, immigration, agency requirements, or the rights and responsibilities of several parties.
Foster + Bloom helps clients understand those moving pieces, anticipate potential complications, and build a clearer legal path forward.
Our attorneys also remain closely engaged with the broader family-building legal community.
Speaking at conferences like AAAA’s is one way we contribute to the development of the field while continuing to bring current, practical insight back to the families and professionals we represent.
We currently serve the following jurisdictions:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
- District of Columbia
Your Family-Building Plans Deserve the Right Legal Foundation
When you are building your family, the legal details are not just paperwork. They can shape parentage, timing, travel, rights, responsibilities, and what happens if something unexpected comes up.
Foster + Bloom focuses on this work every day. Whether you are considering adoption, surrogacy, or assisted reproduction—or you are already well into the process—our attorneys can help you understand what needs to happen next and put the right protections in place.
Contact Foster + Bloom to talk with a family-building attorney about your plans and how we can help protect the family you are working to build.