Wallerstein at conference honoring the late psychologist Neil Kalter

EDITORS: Photos available on request.

ANN ARBOR&#8212Judith Wallerstein, a leading authority on the effects of divorce on children, will deliver the keynote address on Oct. 6 at a conference on the University of Michigan campus in honor of the late U-M psychologist Neil Kalter. The conference, “For the Sake of a Child,” is sponsored by the U-M Center for the Child and the Family (UCCF).

Workshops include what parents can do to facilitate children’s adjustment to divorce, helping children cope with the death of a parent, and working with traumatized children who are survivors of war, among many other sessions.

“This conference reflects the rich legacy of Prof. Kalter’s influence in the fields of divorce and childhood bereavement and loss,” says Jerry Miller, UCCF director. “Tragically, the topic of the conference is more timely than ever in the wake of the trauma so many families have recently suffered.”

Wallerstein is the author of several national best sellers, including “The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25-Year Landmark Study,” co-authored with Sandra Blakeslee and Julia Lewis. She is the founder of the Judith Wallerstein Center for the Family in Transition, in Marin County, Calif., and a senior lecturer emerita at the University of California at Berkeley.

Prof. Kalter, who died suddenly in October 1999, was the author of the widely acclaimed book, “Growing Up with Divorce,” and the founder of UCCF. “His work was characterized by a deep commitment to children and families, empirical research which did justice to the complexity of people’s lives, outstanding clinical acumen, and a remarkable sense of humor,” says Miller.

To register for the conference, which will be held in East Hall on the U-M Central Campus, call (734) 764-9466. Parents may register for the morning part of the conference, which includes the Wallerstein lecture and a special workshop on helping children cope with divorce, for a $10 donation to the Kalter Memorial Fund.