Over the past months Monterey County residents have noticed a cyclist pumping his way along Hwy 68 and River Road to and from Kinship Center’s headquarters in Salinas. That’s Dr. Michael Grand, Kinship Center’s visiting Scholar-in-Residence. Besides being an avid cyclist, Dr. Grand is a world renowned expert in the field of adoption.

A professor in the Graduate Program of Child Clinical Psychology at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Dr. Grand accepted an invitation from Kinship Center to spend his 2009-2010 sabbatical year working with Kinship Center clinical programs for children who come from abuse, neglect and abandonment. With thirty years’ experience, Grand offers a breadth and depth of knowledge to the agency’s work with children and families around the state. [See article "Kinship Center Announces Scholar-in-Residence."]

“It’s exciting to be at an agency that has put into practice the principles I hold dear about how to deliver the best services to adoptive families,” says Grand, who is nearing the end of his one-year stay. “This has been an incredible opportunity for me to work with a diverse professional staff. Their huge range of expertise has helped fine tune the concepts I’m writing about.”