Podcasts about adoptive

Join us to celebrate... Mothers! New mothers. Grand mothers. Young mothers. Old mothers. Single mothers. Future mothers. Spiritual mothers. Joyful mothers. Expectant mothers. Disappointed mothers. Step mothers. Foster mothers. Playful mothers. Working mothers. Stay-at-home mothers. Bonus mothers. Bereaved mothers. Adoptive mothers. Tired mothers. Prayerful mothers. Waiting mothers. Grieving mothers. Hopeful mothers. Faithful mothers. In all seasons of motherhood, God is and will be faithful. Let's celebrate that together.

Dr. Susan McConnell, Executive Director and Founder of Let It Be Us, joins Karen Conti on Mother’s Day to highlight the organization which works to provide solutions for children in adoptive and foster care.

A lot of times, adopted children find it difficult to open up to their parents about the struggles they face regarding their adoption. Why is that? Hi Neighbor, Adoptive parenting isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Understanding the hidden struggles of adopted kids can transform how we support and connect with them. Here are some powerful insights you NEED to hear. Today's segment, Understanding the Hidden Struggles of Adopted Children, comes from Episode 183. I want to encourage you to listen, take notes, and sit with the idea or ideas that speak to you. Adoptive parents, this is hard! If you weren't adopted, you might not “get it,” and that's okay. The key isn't having all the answers; it's keeping the door open. Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim P.S. You're not alone in this journey. If you haven't joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It's a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through. Listen to today's episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now. Contact Jane: • Phone Number: (256) 353-8528 • Email: jbaker@adoption-associates.com • Website: Adoption Associates

Merci à Isabelle Nanty d'être venue nous voir sur Legend. Elle est revenue sur ses 35 ans de carrière et ses rôles les plus marquants comme dans Asterix et Obélix : Mission Cléopatre ou encore Les Tuches. Elle a aussi mis en scène des spectacles de Dany Boon et Gad Elmaleh. Elle s'est livré sur sa vie privée notamment sa dyslexie, le fait qu'elle ne peut pas avoir d'enfant ou qu'on ne l'a jamais demandé en mariage de sa vie.Regardez la bande-annonce de Doux Jésus, une comédie de Frédéric Quiring, avec Marilou Berry ➡️: https://urls.fr/9R-TL7Retrouvez l'interview complète sur YouTube ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tLJQPsFypQPour toutes demandes de partenariats : legend@influxcrew.comRetrouvez-nous sur tous les réseaux LEGEND !Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/legendmediafrInstagram : https://www.instagram.com/legendmedia/TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@legendTwitter : https://twitter.com/legendmediafrSnapchat : https://t.snapchat.com/CgEvsbWV Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

When parents get the call about a baby ready for adoption, they don't often expect it to be accompanied with a NICU stay. Adoptive mom, Shannon Donnelly, shares how life changed for her and her husband, how they navigated an out-of-state adoption and NICU stay and how they found peace with her daughter's birth parents.  

Si vous aimez "Dans les yeux d'Olivier", le podcast qui donne la parole à ceux qui ne l'ont jamais, laissez des étoiles et des commentaires sur votre plateforme d'écoute préférée !Olivier Delacroix part à la rencontre d'Anne-Valérie et de Philippe, qui ont adopté deux bébés handicapés. Lorsqu'ils décident d'agrandir leur famille, ils sont déjà parents de quatre enfants. Travaillant tous deux dans le milieu médical, ils désirent adopter un bébé porteur de la trisomie 21, pour donner une chance à ces enfants parfois abandonnés à la naissance en raison de leur pathologie. Comment mener à bien l'éducation d'un enfant aux besoins spécifiques ? Anne-Valérie et Philippe ont accepté de confier leur histoire dans cet épisode du podcast "Dans les yeux d'Olivier" produit par Europe 1.Distribué par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Is trauma getting in the way on your journey to home? To peace? Is your ego pulling you off the path?  Adoptive mom Chasity was adopted by her step-father whilst she was in pre-school. Listen in as we explore the journey home, obstacles and more...Connect with Chasity athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chasity-galyon-2b4994250/https://alovingoptionadoption.org/  Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Do you want more peace and contentment? Who doesn't? Listen in as Janelle and I dive deep in to being content with who we are, fulfilment and more.Adoptive mom Janelle serves as Program Coordinator at Adoption Network Cleveland and in this position, she is responsible for coordinating programming for Families and Youth.  This includes program improvements, development, planning and implementation.  In this role, Janelle acts as one of the co-facilitators for the Mediation Program, and facilitates service around the Family Resilience Fund. She is also responsible for organizing and planning special events for families and youth.https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-poskocil-18400343/https://x.com/AdoptionNetCLEhttps://www.instagram.com/adoptionnetcle/https://www.adoptionnetwork.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Send a text or comment!MY NEW NORM Podcast- S5 E10Guest: Willy BowlesEpisode: Cultivating Fatherhood / I'm a Skunk WhispererHost: Barry Scott YoungAUDIO and VIDEO episodes available on YouTube and Spotify.The Willy Bowles Story!In this episode, Willy and I talk about his new book, “POP,” it's all about culivating fatherhood. Willy, shares his personal experience walking through and dealing with hard things, you will find hope and encouragement from one who has been there. We laughed and cried in this episode. You'll also hear and one of the best skunk stories EVER recorded on my podcast.Willy, is a pastor, author, and has fostered over 100 high risk teenagers.   Remember to FOLLOW / WATCH / SHARE with those you know.Willy's book: "POP"-How do you become a father? Is being a father strictly biological or can anybody be a father? Fathering has never been more difficult than it is today. POP Fathering in a modern-day world is a book that will help you navigate the tough choices you have to make while fathering in today's world. How do you connect with your kids? How do you navigate difficult decisions? Willy Bowles is an expert when it comes to parenting. He has been a Foster Parent, Adoptive parent, Step parent and has two biological children as well. POP will help you connect to your kids. Banning Liebscher of Jesus Culture says, "Willy Bowles is a pastor and father who has spent his life walking with broken people through the messiness of life and loving them unconditionally. The beauty of Willy's life and his message is the revelation that the greatest thing one could ever do is pour themselves out for others. Any man can become a father if he chooses to walk alongside them, engage with their life, and love them unconditionally. The stories Willy shares in this book are honest, vulnerable, relatable, and ultimately encouraging to every man who recognizes the massive need for fathers today and wants to step into this holy calling." POP, Fathering in a modern-day world will help you navigate the difficult decisions you have to make as a fatherEPISODE RESOURCES:https://www.willybowles.comAMAZON:https://www.amazon.com/Fathering-modern-day-world-Willy-Bowles/dp/B0D6M1YRQ5?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DERMY NEW NORM Podcast-Email: mynewnorm@email.comCommunity / MERCH: www.mynewnorm.shopFaceBook: @mynewnormInstagram: @mynewnorm_podcastmynewnorm.buzzsprout.com/ / YouTube.com/@mynewnorm

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question:  I wish I had known what to expect when a child with trauma hit the teen years. Maybe a book suggestion of what to expect or resources on what may show up and how to handle it. Puberty and the teen years have hit our family HARD. I also notice other families with adopted children going through the same or similar things. ~Rebecca from KansasResources:Therapy Resources for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship FamiliesCenter for Parent and Teen CommunicationParenting in the Eye of the Storm: The Adoptive Parent's Guide to Navigating the Teen YearsSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Season 3 Episode 65: Pregnant at 16 years old, Leah found herself in a place of total confusion, panic and sadness. She was frustrated with her boyfriend and not sure what to do. Fast forward 20 years later; Leah has a powerful story of placing her daughter for adoption, as well as going on to parent five beautiful kids with her husband. Leah and Kim talk about therapy, self-blaming and shame versus grace and freedom, and enjoying moment of joy in the midst of hardship. (This episode is not sponsored by Chick-fil-A but it basically is, they just don't know it yet)...Leah's Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.leahoutten.com/What is EMDR Therapy?: https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/Leah Outten's previous Book Therapy podcast episode #43: Episode 43: Give Yourself Permission to GrieveLeah's Resources for Adoptive families: https://www.leahoutten.com/services~Get to know the host:Kim Patton's book- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nothing Wasted: Struggling Well through Difficult Seasons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠is for those struggling through hard times. View the book in paperback, ebook, and audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Books | Mysite (kimpatton.com)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dear Foster Mama letter on Substack⁠Enter email address on Substack for free sample chapters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Author Kim Patton | Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at your local library using the Hoopla app!Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.kimpatton.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Author Kim Patton | Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latest Stories on Her View from Home⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- listen to Book Therapy episodes here, too.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stay in Touch with Author Kim Patton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your first freebie!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goodreads ⁠⁠

Do Adopted Kids Struggle More? Part #1 #460Parents often believe if you adopt a child from birth and provide a loving home, that will mitigate most issues. It doesn't usually work that way. There is no judgment here. Just the reality that trauma triggers different issues. That can manifest in kids with an insatiable craving for intensity, sensory pressure, connection, food, and things. Adoptive parents should not feel guilty or alone when their kids struggle. Please share this with support groups and other adoptive parents who need both encouragement and practical tools to help the kids they love so much.Our Black Friday in March Sale Ends This Weekend! Visit https://celebratecalm.com/black-friday/ to get the lowest prices of the year and hundreds of practical strategies that really work with your strong-willed kids.AG1AG1 is offering new subscribers a FREE $76 gift when you sign up. You'll get a Welcome Kit, a bottle of D3 & K2 AND 5 free travel packs in your first box. Go to https://drinkag1.com/calmHAPPY MAMMOTHGet 15% off on your entire first order at https://HappyMammoth.com with the code CALM at checkout. ONE SKINGo to https://oneskin.co and use code KIRK at checkout for an exclusive 15% off your first purchase.COZY EARTHWrap yourself and your kids in Cozy Earth luxury…with 40% OFF! Visit https://cozyearth.com/ and use my exclusive 40% off code CALM. HUNGRYROOTGet 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to https://hungryroot.com/ and use code CALM.IXL LEARNINGGet an exclusive 20% off an IXL membership when you sign up today at https://IXL.com/KIRK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do Adopted Kids Struggle More? Part #1 #460 Parents often believe if you adopt a child from birth and provide a loving home, that will mitigate most issues. It doesn't usually work that way. There is no judgment here. Just the reality that trauma triggers different issues. That can manifest in kids with an insatiable craving for intensity, sensory pressure, connection, food, and things. Adoptive parents should not feel guilty or alone when their kids struggle. Please share this with support groups and other adoptive parents who need both encouragement and practical tools to help the kids they love so much. Our Black Friday in March Sale Ends This Weekend! Visit https://celebratecalm.com/black-friday/ to get the lowest prices of the year and hundreds of practical strategies that really work with your strong-willed kids. AG1 AG1 is offering new subscribers a FREE $76 gift when you sign up. You'll get a Welcome Kit, a bottle of D3 & K2 AND 5 free travel packs in your first box. Go to https://drinkag1.com/calm HAPPY MAMMOTH Get 15% off on your entire first order at https://HappyMammoth.com with the code CALM at checkout.  ONE SKIN Go to https://oneskin.co and use code KIRK at checkout for an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. COZY EARTH Wrap yourself and your kids in Cozy Earth luxury…with 40% OFF! Visit https://cozyearth.com/ and use my exclusive 40% off code CALM.  HUNGRYROOT Get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to https://hungryroot.com/ and use code CALM. IXL LEARNING Get an exclusive 20% off an IXL membership when you sign up today at https://IXL.com/KIRK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Child custody, adoption, and emerging issues in parental rights represent central concerns of modern family law. This lecture begins by emphasizing that courts typically decide child custody according to the “best interest of the child” principle. Factors considered in this analysis include the child's emotional ties with each parent, the stability each parent's home can provide, any history of domestic violence or substance abuse, and the child's own preferences if sufficiently mature. Whether a case involves unmarried parents or those undergoing a divorce, the court aims to support continuity and protect the child from harm. This process includes differentiating legal custody (decision-making authority about education, healthcare, and other major matters) from physical custody (the child's living arrangement), with many orders granting joint legal custody but varying arrangements for physical placement. Visitation schedules are crafted to balance each parent's time while preserving the child's routine and well-being; restrictions or supervision may be imposed if a parent presents safety risks.Parents who are not biologically related to the child but have formed deep emotional bonds sometimes rely on doctrines like “psychological parenthood” or “de facto parentage,” depending on the jurisdiction. Similarly, in same-sex marriages, both spouses are typically presumed to be legal parents of a child born during the marriage, though complexities remain if assisted reproductive technology is involved. These complexities highlight how family law continues to adapt—particularly for couples using surrogacy, sperm or egg donors, or other reproductive innovations—ensuring that each child has clear, legally recognized parents who are accountable and possess decision-making rights.Adoption is another significant focus, terminating the rights of the child's biological parents (unless it is a stepparent adoption where one birth parent remains active). In stepparent adoptions, courts often require either consent from the other biological parent or a compelling reason, such as abandonment or demonstrated unfitness, for terminating that parent's rights. Interstate and international adoptions add extra regulatory layers: the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children addresses cross-state placements, while the Hague Adoption Convention imposes safeguards against unethical practices abroad. Adoptive parents must often undertake rigorous home studies and comply with federal and foreign requirements, particularly in countries sensitive to the adopting couple's marital status or sexual orientation.A recurring theme is how life changes can prompt legal conflicts. Parents sharing custody may dispute relocation requests if one plans to move far away, and judges weigh whether a move is genuinely beneficial for the child or could undermine the child's bond with the remaining parent. In an international adoption context, adoptive parents may face complicated readoption steps once they return home to solidify the child's citizenship and enforce parental rights. Throughout these cases, the court's approach remains rooted in safeguarding the child's welfare. Even as technology, societal norms, and cross-border realities evolve, the foundational goal is to foster stability, continuity of care, and clarity regarding legal parenthood. By integrating modern developments—assisted reproductive tech, recognition of nontraditional families, and multi-jurisdiction adoption laws—family law aims to ensure that each child's best interest stays at the forefront of custody and parental-right decisions.

Adoptive parents claim 14 year old Aundria Bowman ran away after a confrontation in March of 1989 but is that what really happened or something more deceptive?

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you really struggling with your adoption and feeling you've made a huge mistake? Listen to this interview with Lindsay Lanham, MSW. She works at Holt International and is the author of the online article “Predictors of Adoption Disruption and Dissolution: A Literature Review.”In this episode, we cover:Difference between an adoption disruption and adoption dissolution. What causes an adoption to fail? What causes parents to say: “Help, I don't think I can continue this adoption?”Child-related factors:Child's ageChild's behavior Aggression or children who sexually act outAre sibling placements more stable?Adoptive parent-related factors:Demographic characteristics? (age, marital status, parenting experience, income, race)Parental expectationsParenting styleRelationship prior to the adoptive placementCharacteristics of parents in successful adoptionsAdoption professional-related factors:Identify problems quickly and provide supportHow to address children who have experienced sexual abuse. “It is recommended that social workers universally prepare families for behaviors associated with sexual abuse trauma and the possible impact of sexual abuse. Adoptive families should have the language necessary to speak about child sexual abuse and know how to access supportive resources in their community, such as child advocacy centers, prior to placement.”What should parents do when they realize that the adoption isn't going as they had hoped/planned?Identify the problem quickly and get support.Reset expectationsSelf-careGet helpWhat should parents do if they are reaching the point where they want to dissolve an adoption?Resource: Predictors of Adoption Disruption and Dissolution: A Literature Review Support the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Mel shared about her family's recent experience with DNA/ancestry tracking, and the new way in which she views the family tree.

In this episode of the Adoption Roadmap podcast, Rebecca Gruenspan and Becky Fawcett, Founder of HelpUsAdopt and an Adoptive mom, dive into the complexities of adoption, tackling financial barriers, adoption myths, and systemic challenges. They debunk the "saving a child" narrative, highlight the need for open adoption, and discuss how HelpUsAdopt.org is making adoption more accessible. Becky shares her personal journey, the impact of adoption grants, and her advocacy through Faces of Adoption and 30 Seconds with Becky Fawcett. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the adoption process.Important LinksBecky Fawcett IGHelpUsAdopt.orgFaces of AdoptionSweet Peach TreeRG Adoption Consulting'Am I Ready to Adopt?' QuizChapters00:00 Introduction to Adoption and Financial Barriers03:11 Challenging the Narrative of 'Saving' Children05:57 The Real Cost of Adoption09:08 The Role of HelpUsAdopt.org12:11 Systemic Changes Needed in Adoption14:57 The Importance of Acknowledging Children's Stories18:10 Love is Not Enough in Adoption20:53 Evolving Adoption Practices24:07 Conclusion and Future of Adoption31:31 The Changing Landscape of Adoption34:01 The Financial Burden of Adoption37:34 The Role of Adoption Professionals42:08 Understanding Anti-Adoption Sentiments48:01 Navigating Open Adoption55:53 Empowering Families Through Financial Support01:02:11 The Journey to Motherhood01:06:16 Empowering Families Through Grants01:08:50 Faces of Adoption: Celebrating Stories01:14:46 30 Seconds with Becky Fawcett: A New Platform01:22:19 The Fawcett Report: Fashion Meets Advocacy01:30:48 Advice for Adoptive ParentsTune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday and Friday mornings. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU! For questions about adoption, episode suggestions or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠support@rgadoptionconsulting.com

In this heartfelt episode of the ReStoried Podcast, we sit down with Sarah Sikora—a dear friend, former foster youth, adoptee, and adoptive mama—whose life has come full circle.Born addicted to drugs, Sarah faced many challenges growing up in foster care, navigating life with multiple siblings and a longing for stability. Now, as a wife and mother to her own biological children, she has also pursued adoption, and this month, she is officially welcoming two daughters into her family.Sarah shares the emotional complexity of adoption—her joy in growing her family, but also the deep empathy she feels for her daughters' birth mother. She candidly discusses the weight of grief, the bittersweet beauty of adoption, and the importance of acknowledging both the hard and the hopeful.With a powerful message of resilience, Sarah encourages us all: You can break family cycles. No matter where you come from, healing and restoration are possible.Tune in to hear Sarah's inspiring journey and the wisdom she has gained along the way.Episode Highlights: Meet Sarah & her background story You can break family cycles and create a new path.Adoption is both beautiful and bittersweet.Empathy for birth families is essential.Resilience leads to healing and restoration.Full-circle moments bring hope and redemption.Family dynamics in foster care can be complex.Embrace both the hard and the hope.You can make a difference in a child's life.Find More on Hope Bridge:Register for Mobilize Ohio! Visit Our Website Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Facebook Foster Our Community Instagram This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

In this episode of the Adoption Roadmap podcast, host Rebecca Gruenspan speaks with Jeff Dunn, an adoptive father of four, about his family's journey through adoption. They discuss the unique bonds formed through adoption, the challenges faced during the process, and the importance of open conversations about race and identity. Jeff shares insights on navigating the adoption process, the role of consultants, and the significance of supporting children through their unique experiences. He also discusses his children's book, 'A Buffalo Out of Water,' which addresses themes of belonging and identity in adoption. The conversation emphasizes the love and resilience found in adoptive families and offers valuable advice for hopeful adoptive parents. Links Mentioned Jeff Dunn A Buffalo Out of Water Allison Olson Relative Race RG Adoption Consulting The Adoption Roadmap Am I Ready to Adopt? QUIZ Chapters 00:00 The Adoption Journey: A Unique Bond 01:50 Navigating the Decision to Adopt 04:07 Communicating Adoption to Children 11:34 Facing Uncertainty in Adoption 13:57 The Role of Consultants in Adoption 15:08 Understanding Openness in Adoption 17:09 The Importance of an Open Heart 19:31 Building Connections with Other Families 20:49 Family Dynamics: Embracing Differences 24:39 Navigating Race and Identity in Adoption 28:29 Preparing for Conversations about Race 30:22 Creating Space for Hard Conversations 31:18 Introduction to Adoption Readiness 32:08 Discussing Race and Adoption with Biological Children 34:28 Navigating Cultural Awareness in Transracial Adoption 36:55 Honoring Birth Culture in a Family 39:20 Lessons Learned in Parenting and Adoption 42:34 Understanding Treacher Collins Syndrome 44:24 Family Dynamics in Diverse Households 46:18 Creating a Children's Book on Adoption 50:33 Themes of Belonging and Identity in Adoption 54:59 Advice for Adoptive Families 57:36 Future Projects and Closing Thoughts Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday and Friday mornings. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review!  THANK YOU! For questions about adoption, episode suggestions or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠support@rgadoptionconsulting.com

“Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body..” ~Proverbs 16:24 NLT Hi Neighbor, Welcome you to another unplugged episode of Anchors of Encouragement. In our previous episodes, I began laying the foundation for my words this year, giving you breadcrumbs to a word jumble. Here's a hint: I'm going to reveal these words slowly. We'll dive deep into their meanings by breaking them into acronyms, like a little puzzle – a tribute to my Mom who loved word jumbles. Each episode will bring new insights and tools to help you navigate the year with faith and confidence. Don't miss out on the journey! Today's word begins with the letter, “C.” The words we choose to share can be comforting and uplifting. A small compliment or kind word can make a significant difference in someone's day. I'll share two stories to illustrate this concept. Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim P.S. If this podcast uplifted you, please share it and be an anchor of encouragement for others. Leave a written review on Apple Podcasts. Here is a short video to show you how. Join our safe space for adoptive parents. Let's replace isolation with connection, loneliness with community, and anxiety with hope. You're never alone on this journey. Reach out to Tim: email tim@anchorsofencouragement.com

In this episode, Jenna Wright and Pastor Matt interview Cyndie LeClair to learn more about Foster and Adoptive Care Communities at Liberti Church. *Warning: There is a small noise caused by our electrical panel in the middle of the episode.

An astounding new development in the case of a Fayetteville mother accused of killing her adopted children. A woman confirmed to WRAL Investigates that she dismembered the body of Blake Deven. He's the boy investigators say Avantae Deven abused and starved to death, along with his adoptive sister, London Deven. WRAL's Chris Lovingood explains why she's speaking up now.

As we look back on 2024, the WRAL Daily Download is revisiting some of our episodes from the year. WRAL's Chris Lovingood began reporting on two children missing for years from Fayetteville as soon as we learned about the investigation in the spring. We bring you back to the day their adoptive mother was arrested for their murder and bring you an update on the case.

Hey there, love! Today we have Shania Ives as a guest! Shania is an adult adoptee from the UK, the Founding Director of The Dunbar Project, and a trainee integrative psychotherapist. Her mission is to create spaces for empowerment and growth within marginalized communities.Shania is the very first adoptee I've met whose adoptive parents strove to preserve Shania's connection with her biological family. The story on how her Adoptive parents understood and organized themselves around  her trauma is breathtaking. We discuss:The atmosphere of adoption in the UKShania's biological father's struggle to keep her How she founded the Dunbar ProjectWhat Shania's philosophy to RECLAIM. REFRAME looks likeWe also unpack a variety of resources for extraordinary organizations and initiative for adoptees in the UK and beyondAnd Shania breakdown why is important to have Trauma informed caregivers. GUEST:Shania Ives@thedunbarprojectwww.thedunbarproject.org.ukArticle on the Dunbar Project Support the showCONNECT WITH HOST:@youngadoptee@lantoineswww.laniseantoineshelley.comWATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" TeesSPONSORSHIPS: BetterHelp Show Link HERE!DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products15% off Code: WTWY ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:14 through18, and episode 28, and 29. WATCH PANELS: Here!JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS": HISTORY of the word “Colored”:NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":RESOURCES ON ...

BOOM, Episode 262 is with the man who adopted Galyn when he was 9 years old.. What an episode from all the mischief galyn got into as a kid, plus his perspective from coming into a situation like that (including smashing galyn's fingers in a door on accident the first time he met him). WHAT an episode, and what a treat that you the public get to listen to this conversation. Enjoy this episode!

Reddit rSlash Storytime r nuclearrevenge where The wedding revenge My ex girlfriend cheated on me with her roommate, I got petty, and got my revenge. My adoptive family almost ruined my life. My biological family came to rescue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have the privilege of walking alongside so many adoptive families at Daystar. Two of our dear friends and fellow therapists, David Denton and Emma Soechting. have spent years learning from and working with kids who have been adopted. We're so excited to share some of their wisdom on the Raising Boys and Girls podcast, during Adoption Awareness month. There is so much good on this episode…whether you have adopted a child or are considering, we would highly recommend you listen to this important episode! Ep. 114: Finding Connection Through Your Adoption Journey . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. . . . . A special thank you to our sponsors: Purity Woods: They are currently offering 17% off sitewide but we have an additional 10% discount for our listeners for a total savings of 27%! Go to puritywoods.com/RBG or enter code RBG at checkout for an additional 10% off your first order. Manukora: Head to manukora.com/RBG to get $150 off your first order off their Black Friday Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 35 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon and a guidebook! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're an adoptive parent who feels like you're all alone, I'm here to tell you there are other adoptive parents who feel the same way. They are going through the same struggles as you.  What can you do when you feel this way? I believe it's important to hold on to and embrace an anchor of encouragement. Hi Neighbor!⁣ Adoptive parenting can often feel like you're all alone with no one understanding the unique challenges you face.  But the truth is, many adoptive parents are experiencing the same struggles. My wife and I felt incredibly alone in our adoption journey. It wasn't until we connected with other adoptive parents during our son's time in residential that we realized we weren't alone.  In this journaling episode, let's explore 7 benefits for adoptive parents to embrace an anchor of encouragement in their adoption journey. Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ P.S. Join our safe space for adoptive parents. Let's replace isolation with connection, loneliness with community, and anxiety with hope. You're never alone on this journey. Reach out to Tim: email tim@anchorsofencouragement.com If this podcast has given you the courage and confidence to face storms in your life, the number one way you can thank me is to leave a written review on Apple Podcasts. Here is a short video to show you how.

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you planning to adopt or have you recently adopted? If so, you need to listen to this discussion about what to expect during the first few weeks or months you are home! Our guests are Michelle Kennedy and Deborah Artis. Michelle Kennedy has been a social worker with Methodist Home for Children for 27 years. She has direct care experience in residential and foster care services and has been working with youth and families in the foster-to-adopt process since 2005. Deborah Artis is a social worker and the Senior Program Director of foster care, adoption, and post-adoption with Children's Home Society, where she has worked for 30 years. In this episode, we cover:Adopting a NewbornWhat are some common emotions when adopting a newborn?What are some common stresses when adopting a newborn?How may the revocation period affect the transition to new adoptive parenting?Expectations of extended family during this transition period.How do the stresses of newly adopted families differ from a family that gives birth to their child?How does the pre-adoption process affect this transition to new parenthood?What are some feelings that come up about birth parents after the baby comes home?Handling grief of the birth family.Realities of open adoptions.Feeling like the presence of a birth mom makes the adoptive mom less of a “real” mom.The balance of power shifting from the expectant/birth mom to the adoptive mom.How much of your child's “story” should you share?How can infertility struggles impact the transition period?Adopting a Child Past InfancyWhat are some common emotions when adopting a child from foster care or through international adoption?What are some common stresses when adopting a child past infancy?Integrating the new child into a family with other kids.How to help your child and you settle into becoming a new family.Post Adoption DepressionWhat is post-adoption depression?What are the symptoms?Blocked care.How can post-adoption depression impact parenting?How common is post-adoption depression?Can fathers also have post-adoption depression?Who is at risk for post-adoption depression? Are there ways to predict which people are more prone to post-adoption depression?What are some steps to take to prevent post-adoption depression?What should you do if you think you are suffering from post-adoption depression?Additional Resources:4 Tried and True Tips for a Smooth Transition Home with Adopted KidsTransitioning Home with Your Newly Adopted Baby Support the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Two Babies, Ten Weeks Apart Noah and April sit down with birth mother Jessica and adoptive mother Connie for a story that they have not heard before. Even after telling hundreds of adoption stories, nothing could have prepared them for this combination of embryo adoption and traditional adoption happening at once.  An Unexpected Match, with Unexpected Timing After getting married late in life, Connie and Matt struggled with expanding their family. The couple went through a miscarriage and decided to look at other options. They decided to pursue traditional adoption through an agency. They were set and ready to go when Connie heard about embryo adoption. The process moved so quickly and at the age of 43 Connie was pregnant! When Jessica found out she was unexpectedly pregnant with her third child at 21, she did not feel she could add another baby to the family.  She had just started school for a career she felt would change her and her son's lives. Through much thought, she decided adoption was her best option. She found a national agency and moved forward.  The agency, having no idea that Connie was pregnant, matched them.  Would the agency let Connie adopt 10 weeks after she delivered a baby? Would Jessica still choose to be matched to a mom who was already pregnant? Noah and April had so many question in this interview, and you can see how the connection between Connie and Jessica was a true match! Listen now to hear how this adoption story came together.

Restore is committed to supporting and encouraging Foster, Adoptive, and Relative Caregiver families in addition to supporting and encouraging similar agencies in the Greater Wenatchee Valley and beyond.

Abby Davis received a call. Within thirty minutes of hanging up the phone, there was a social worker on her front porch holding a baby girl.   Abby and her husband would care for this little girl for many months to follow, not knowing if they would adopt her or just care for her for a little while.  Abby's heart was filled with love for this precious child, yet was also breaking at the possibility of being separated from her.  Abby would rock the baby and pray: “Whether you stay or whether you go, let it be for Christ.“ This little girl, as well as two boys, are now the adopted children of Abby and her husband Cameron.  Listen to this mini-retreat in a podcast and imagine how your life can be more fully for Christ, too. 

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Caroline Leaf, a communication pathologist, audiologist and clinical neuroscientist, to explore the powerful concept of neuroplasticity and its impact on healing trauma in children. Dr. Leaf specializes in psychoneurobiology research, has published 19 bestselling books in 24 languages, has over 50 million downloads on her award winning podcast, "Cleaning up the mental mess," and over 9 million downloads on YouTube. She runs research trials in mental health and publishes in scientific journals. She speaks to diverse audiences around the world including neuroscience and medical conferences and TEDx. Today, we are discussing mental health diagnosis in foster and adoptive children, if healing is possible for them and ways to help facilitate regrowth of new healthy brain pathways.  Learn about the groundbreaking techniques outlined in Dr. Leaf's book, "How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess," and discover practical strategies to create a nurturing environment for your child. You can find the book bundle discussed in todays episode by following this link: https://drleaf.com/collections/product-combo-deals/products/how-to-help-your-child-clean-up-their-mental-mess-hardcover-brain-ee-plush-toy-brain-ee-coloring-book Whether you're new to fostering or have been on this journey for years, this episode provides essential tools and encouragement to help you, and your child thrive. Dive into the conversation and gain insights that will empower you to make a positive impact on your child's mental health and well-being. The book I personally recommend to foster and adoptive parents, which also helped me in my healing journey is found at this link:  https://drleaf.com/collections/books/products/cleaning-up-your-mental-mess To see all the incredible resources that Dr. Caroline Leaf has available, this is the link to her website: https://drleaf.com It was such a blessing to have Dr. Leaf on the podcast today. I pray she blesses you as much as she has blessed me today.   Thank you for being here, Go grab your cup of coffee and let's dig in.   XO-Christine Marie   After you listen to this episode, I would love for you to head on over and join our inner circle of foster and adoptive mamas. Our Facebook group is your gateway to valuable resources and connection. https://www.facebook.com/groups/fostercareandadoptionforchristianwomen

Relationship Reddit Stories, OP wants to uninvite his adoptive brothers from his wedding when one of them says to him that "we're not brothers". OP's parents say to him that they will refuse to go if he goes ahead with it.

Christians consider Jesus the Son of God. However, most Christians understand Joseph to be a true father in every way except biological, since Joseph was the legal father who raised Jesus. Hearing Jesus podcast available at https://amzn.to/3QLEpee   Super Saints podcast available at https://amzn.to/46spnjl Consecration to St. Joseph by D.H. Calloway at https://amzn.to/47m4MOJ Gospel of Matthew available at https://amzn.to/3sxXmZS  ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet  SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you).  Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america                                                  Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet                                  Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels   Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Source: Hearing Jesus podcast with Rachael Groll, episode 378: Joseph's Obedient Journey (Life Audio, Salem Web Network); Super Saints podcast with Bob and Penny Lord by Brother Joseph; Saint Of The Day podcast with Mike Roberts by Covenant Network (ourcatholicradio.org). All audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Wherever you go, I will go." -Ruth 1:16   Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.   On this episode host Sandra Flach talks with Ryan North. Ryan is the co-founder of One Big Happy Home and creator of the Empowered Parent Podcast—a popular resource for practical strategies on raising children with trauma & attachment issues. He is a recognized expert on childhood trauma, is a TBRI Practitioner, and develops training materials for parents, schools, churches, and child-placing agencies. Ryan is a sought-after speaker and is known for his engaging and practical approach.   Listen in as Ryan shares about trauma training for parents and churches as well as his new book, Wherever You Go: A 28-Day Devotional for Adoptive & Foster Parents.   Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media. Links mentioned in this episode: justicefororphansny.org justicefororphansny.org/hope-community     Email:  sandraflach@justicefororphansny.org sandraflach.com Hope For the FASD Journey Support Group onebighappyhome.com

Darcy Olsen is the founder & CEO of the Center for the Rights of Abused Children, an organization dedicated to uniting people in the fight to protect America's abused children. They have helped over 775,000 children nationwide. Darcy has fostered ten babies and adopted four as a single mother! Darcy's dedication to supporting abused children and navigating the foster care system is truly inspiring. If you're looking to support children in foster care or considering adoption from the system, here are some key ways to make a difference: Educate Yourself on the Process: Understand the ins and outs of the foster care and adoption process. Each state may have different laws and procedures, so it's crucial to familiarize yourself with those specific to your area. Advocate for Legal Change: Stay informed about legislation affecting foster care and adoption. Advocacy can include reaching out to local representatives or participating in community initiatives that push for improved protections and rights for children. Consider Fostering or Adopting: Taking the step to foster or adopt can have a profound impact on a child's life. If you're not ready to foster or adopt, consider supporting foster families in your community. Provide Support to Organizations: Engage with and support organizations dedicated to helping abused and foster children, whether through donations, volunteering, or raising awareness. Seek Legal Advice: If you're contemplating foster care, seeking legal advice can help you navigate the complexities of the process if questions or concerns arise on behalf of the child's rights.   As we listen to this episode, we hear how to take these steps, so we work together and contribute to create lasting and positive change for children in the foster care system.

Kayla plays host in this episode as she interviews Ryan about his new book, Wherever You Go: A 28-Day Devotional for Adoptive & Foster Parents.  Purchase your copy on Amazon NOW! One Big Happy Home Web | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Email Produced by Dallas Stacy

Mark, where are you from and how did you get into Athletic Training? A family friend owned the Milwaukee Bucks We used to landscape his yard. I was a sophomore or junior in high school and got connected with the Bucks AT. Went through the Internship route Worked Minor league baseball with the Brewers Started working with Bellin Health after my internship Passed on a low A ball job and stayed with Bellin Tell some of your family origin story…did you have kids, tried but couldn't, chose to not do natural childbirth… Been married since 2010 One month before our wedding my wife-to-be ran a marathon and collapsed most of the way through. 2 months into our marriage she did a tilt table test and learned she had low blood pressure. 2011 convention in New Orleans and she was still running She had a cardiac incident while in the pool…as in she actually died. She ended up needing an internal defibrillator. Talk about your adoption journey. We were trying to have kids, but the heart meds were possibly affecting her. We started using IVF and failed once, tried again and then my dad fell and broke his femur.  Then we learned that it failed again. It was heart breaking. Then my dad passed away the next week. Most of the football season was a blur due to all of the family trauma. My wife took the lead in looking into adoption. We did not know if we wanted local, foreign, foster care, straight adopt. We connected with adopt help out of California and a social work back here. Once people know, the stories started coming out of the woodworks.  Lots of people I knew were affected by adoption in one way or another. April 1st, 2014 we went live with our adoption.  Which was coincidentally our birth mom's birthday. What conversations have you had with other ATs about the choice to adopt? Our adoption is open. We get lots of friends asking us to speak to friends in family in similar situations. Our son knows he has a birth mother and a mom and dad here. Contact Mark: IG, Twitter Jeremy - SportsMedicineBroadcast on IG

Mi'kmaw elder Bernie Francis drops into Studio A to tell Jeff a bit about his own family's experiences at the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School, and Indian day school. And he brings along a recording of his Burnt Church Song.

I was a guest on the podcast Adoption: The Long View, hosted by Lori Holden. In this episode I am interviewed by Lori who asks the vital question "How can adoptees be the hero of their own stories?" Because that is what I believe we should be. Lori is one of the co-writers for the book, "Adoption Unfiltered: Revelations by Adoptees, Birth parents, and Adoptive parents." The following is what we talk about. Disclaimer: This listen is for adults only. 00:00 Intro00:47 Video greeting from Lanise11: 01 Interview with Lori Holden begins11:59 Lanise starts her adoption story16:20 Lanise's coming out of the FOG story18:29 How Lanise's grief manifested19:42 Lanise's suicide ideations22:49 Coming to terms with our own story 23:30 Chapter 18 of Adoption Unfiltered "Saviorism)26:35 The movie Origin & Caste system in adoption28:22 Global supremacy of whiteness28:30 Article from The Conversation about whiteness in adoption30:50 Barbara Kinsolver Poisonwood Bible31:00 Consequences of saviorism 32:18 Lanise's definition of a better life34:08 What's behind saviourism and AP's controlling the narrative34:58 Altruism vs saviorism Support the showCONNECT WITH HOST:@youngadoptee@lantoineswww.laniseantoineshelley.comSPONSORSHIPS: BetterHelp Show Link HERE!DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products15% off Code: WTWY Link: https://weunikworld.com/discount/WTWY DISCOUNT FOR 15% GUIDE BOOKS:Isaac Etter's IDENTITY (Equipping parents, Empowering Children)Black Hair Care Guide to Transracial Adoption ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:14 through18, and episode 28, and 29. WATCH PANELS: Here!JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS": HISTORY of the word “Colored”:...

In this episode of the ReStoried Podcast, we're joined by Carley Anne Barnes, a biological and adoptive mom, former foster mom, and high school teacher. With her unique experience raising kids with special needs and supporting children with IEPs and gifted learners, Carley shares valuable insights on how to start the school year off on the right foot.Join us as we dive into a thoughtful conversation centered on back-to-school strategies for foster, adoptive, and kinship care families who may face unique challenges. Carley shares practical tips on how to effectively advocate for your child's needs in the school system, no matter where they fall on the learning spectrum.Whether you're navigating IEPs, managing school transitions for children with trauma, or ensuring your gifted child gets the support they need, this episode is full of advice to help you and your family have a successful school year.Tune in and get ready to feel empowered in your role as an advocate for your child's education!Episode Highlights: Carley Anne Barnes' foster, biological, and adoptive mom journey.Tips for starting the school year off on the right foot.Advocating for children with special needs, from IEPs to gifted programs.Navigating unique challenges for foster, adoptive, and kinship care families.Find More on Hope Bridge:Visit Our Website Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Facebook Foster Our Community Instagram This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

Join us in this episode as we sit down with Jessica Sanchez, a mom of two little boys, who shares her remarkable journey from experiencing infertility to her path to becoming both an adoptive and biological mom. Jessica tells her story from the very beginning and invites you into what it was like to ask big questions and be totally surprised by God's kindness. Jessica's warm and relatable storytelling will make you feel like you're chatting with an old friend. This one is so special!

Why do bad things happen in life? One might say, that's just life. But I believe there is a deeper meaning to that question.  Hi Neighbor!⁣ Today's episode marks the second anniversary of this podcast. I want to thank those of you who have supported this podcast, many from the beginning. As I've gotten to know more of you over these past 2 years, there is one recurring theme for those adoptive parents who are facing the challenges that adoption can present. This can be summed up in 2 words: The Struggle. Are you a struggling adoptive parent? For those of us who have gone through The Struggle, it's easy to see. Adoptive parents in The Struggle have lost the sparkle in their eyes. Consider this: Could it be the struggles you have gone through, have prepared you to encourage someone else? In this episode, let's consider The Struggle and reframe that narrative. I would like to share a psalm of David, a story in the life of Paul, and a conversation with a queen to show you 3 ways to help someone restore the sparkle in their eyes. Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim P.S. To reach out to me, email tim@anchorsofencouragement.com Join our amazing Facebook Community. If this podcast has given you the courage and confidence to face storms in your life, the number one way you can thank me is to leave a written review on Apple Podcasts. Here is a short video to show you how.

Parler d'adoption et de parentalité adoptive, c'était l'objectif de cette rencontre aujourd'hui avec Geneviève Miral, personnalité très impliquée en France sur les sujets d'adoption. Je l'ai notamment découverte grâce à son livre “J'adopte un enfant” aux éditions Vuibert. Qu'est-ce que cela implique d'élever un enfant adopté ? Combien d'enfants sont aujourd'hui adoptés en France ? Est-ce plus facile qu'avant d'adopter ? Qu'est-ce qui est magique dans la parentalité adoptive ? Non seulement nous avons creusé les enjeux des enfants adoptés en France, mais aussi des questions relatives à ces enfants.Ressources :Livre de Geneviève Miral “J'adopte un enfant”le site national d'Enfance & Familles d'Adoption (EFA), sur lequel on trouve également les coordonnées de toutes les associations départementales EFAle blog Zébulon d'Enfants en recherche de famille (ERF, service d'EFA dédié aux enfants pupilles de l'État à besoins spécifiques)la revue trimestrielle Accueil, seule revue francophone consacrée entièrement à l'adoption (dont je suis rédactrice en chef)Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

On this episode of Talking Away The Taboo, Curt Sechrist joins Aimee Baron, MD to talk about... -his fertility journey, with the backdrop of becoming part of the Jewish community -his childhood and when he realized that he was gay -his experience of being exposed to more of Jewish culture and religion, and how that became an even bigger part of his life when he met his future husband, Adam -his decision to convert -why they chose to adopt instead of pursuing surrogacy -their adoption process and the incredible journey that brought them to their son More about Curt: Curt is a former Broadway and TV actor turned Jewish professional. He was raised in the UK and spent 15 years working in London before moving to NYC in 2013. He met his husband shortly afterwards and they built their life together before relocating to San Francisco in 2020 where they welcomed their son through open adoption. They moved back to NY in 2022 where most of their friends currently live. Curt is a Jew by Choice and now spends his time thinking about ways to make folks feel welcome in Jewish life and community. Curt and his husband are passionate about telling their adoption story and helping be the example of same sex family building they never had growing up. Connect with Curt: -Reach out to him via email Connect with us: -Check out our Website - Follow us on Instagram and send us a message -Watch our TikToks -Follow us on Facebook -Watch us on YouTube -Connect with us on LinkedIn

Children adopted from foster care or from abroad have often experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma. These children require a different form of parenting. In 2015, we interviewed Dr. Karyn Purvis, author of The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family, and the founder and Director of the TCU Institute of Child Development. In this episode, we cover:Why is parenting kids who have been abused or neglected different from traditional parenting?What are the 3 most important things I should do during the first 6 months home with a newly adopted child?How can we discipline our children while still remaining connected and creating attachment?How can we help a child who has tantrums whenever he hears the word “no” or is told he can't do something?How long should parents stay home (if possible) when you adopt?An adult adoptee asks: I've seen before where you say that “Adoptive parents become the biological parents through connection. We change their Biology.” I've seen adoptive parents now call themselves biological parents because of this statement. I wonder if it isn't important for adoptive parents to accept they aren't their child's biological parents? Does their lack of acceptance affect how the child adjusts and reacts?You talk a lot about being proactive with children who have experienced abuse and neglect in order to help them and to improve their behavior. Can you explain what you mean?Parenting kids adopted from foster care and internationally can be hard on the marriage, especially when one of the parents is the one getting educated on the type of parenting these kids need and the other one has not “bought into” it yet. How to help that parent get with the program.Suggestions for maintaining a strong marriage when adopting older kids?How to handle criticism (implied or direct) about your parenting style when you are trying to follow the empower-to-connect style?Practical tools for encouraging attachment.This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the Show.Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

The echo of the past can be filled with uncertainties, especially for those touched by adoption. Award-winning author Julie McGue, a twin adoptee bravely bares her soul in her quest for identity within her richly blended family. Our conversation explores the topic of closed adoption, and highlights not only the obstacles faced by those denied access to their biological lineage and medical history, but also the universal longing to deeply understand our roots. From the insecurities of adoptive parents to the fear of rejection from birth parents, we travel the rocky road adoptees commonly face. But also, the transformative power of community and storytelling that can serve as a channel for the shared human experience that heals and shapes our lives. ⁣ ⁣ CHAPTERS/KEY MOMENTS⁣ 00:00 Intro ⁣ 04:38  Discovering Family History and DNA ⁣ 08:40 Navigating Family and Identity Struggles ⁣ 11:13 Reunion and Discovery⁣ 17:01  Adoption and Loss⁣ 19:15  Community Support  ⁣ 32:54 Ancestral Exploration and Healing  ⁣ 34:35 The Power of Storytelling⁣ 36:25  Rapid Fire Game⁣ 38:05 Julie's final thoughts⁣ 39:45 Hilary's closing ⁣ CONNECT WITH JULIE MCGUE⁣ https://www.juliemcgueauthor.com ⁣ www.facebook.com/juliemcguewrites⁣ www.instagram.com/julieryanmcgue⁣ www.linkedin.com/in/julie-mcgue-a246b841⁣ ⁣ JULIE'S BOOKS ON AMAZON⁣ ⁣”Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging” and “Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship”⁣ ⁣ LEARN MORE ABOUT HAVENING WITH HILARY⁣ https://www.hilaryrusso.com/havening⁣ ⁣RECEIVE THE BRAIN CANDY NEWSLETTER https://hilaryrusso.com/braincandy CONNECT WITH HILARY⁣ https://www.instagram.com/hilaryrusso⁣ ⁣https://www.youtube.com/hilaryrusso⁣  https://www.facebook.com/hilisticallyspeaking⁣ https://www.tiktok.com/@hilisticallyspeaking⁣ https://www.hilaryrusso.com/podcast⁣ ⁣Music by Lipbone Redding https://lipbone.com/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ⁣ (Full Transcript https://www.hilaryrusso.com/podcast⁣)⁣ ⁣ 00:08 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ This is the day that she always feared would happen. And all of a sudden, here it is, it's happening, and she didn't show her best self. Did she come around? Yes, she came around, but it was a tricky mother-daughter conflict. We were adults, so we did work our best at re-encouraging everyone that the love was there. ⁣ ⁣ 00:31 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ We hear a lot of ups and downs when it comes to adoption, but one thing if you are not an adoptee or you're not even connected to the adoption community, a lot of questions come up about belonging, identity, how to make sure you know everything about your health and well-being and I have not covered this topic on HIListically Speaking before and I find this to be something that is extremely important for us to talk about whether you know somebody or you are an adoptee or you have adopted a child and I think one person that is a perfect guest to have on the show is Julie McGue. She is an adoptee, she is also a twin, and she is someone that did not seek out information about her adoption until later in life. And, Julie, this is a topic that I think does need more discussion, and I'm so glad you're here to share your experiences and your story. So thanks for being here. Thank you, yeah, oh. ⁣ ⁣ 01:41⁣ Was Julie adopted together with her sibling? Were they adopted separately, and how the relationship with your sibling and the family really was able to grow and prosper and just create that sense of belonging and identity? Can we go into that first? Oh, sure, I'd be happy to. ⁣ ⁣ 02:01 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ So my twin sister and I were adopted together through Catholic Charities and their policy was always to keep multiple birth siblings together. So right off the bat, my birth mom knew that if she had more than one child which was definitely something that ran in her family that her daughters or her kids would stay together, so that was important to her. One of the things that's interesting about being a twin, especially if you're adopted is one of the things that adoptees often wonder about is who do I look like, who do I take after? And so that sense of belonging is a big question for adoptees. From the very beginning I never had to look understand who I look like. I always looked like my sister. To be raised with a full sibling is a real blessing for any adopted person. So a lot of good things came out of being adopted with my sister. ⁣ ⁣ 03:12⁣ My parents also adopted a boy two years after my sister and I, and how often happens, they were able to have three biological children after all of us. So I grew up in this big Irish Catholic blended family of three adoptees and three biological kids. To my parents' credit, I don't think I could tell any difference, but how they treated any one of us. Everybody had the same rewards, the same punishments. They were pretty strict and they were very clear about how much they loved us and how much they wanted this family that they built through adoption and natural childbirth. ⁣ ⁣ 03:59⁣ So I waited until I was 48 years old to do any research about my adoption. It was closed. Closed means that the birth parents' identities are disguised or hidden, and it also allows adoptive parents to not have that co-parenting situation that sometimes happens with open adoption. But unfortunately, what it does is it doesn't allow an adoptee to have any sense of their identity, from where they came from, who they were before adoption was the plan made for them. ⁣ ⁣ 04:38⁣ So, even though I had this twin sister and I knew I belonged to her and I certainly felt belonging in my family, I had no idea. Was I really Catholic? Was I really Irish? What else did I not know? And then I had this breast biopsy at 48 and my husband insisted that I get at family history if I could. I have three daughters. All of that affected them, and so my first phone call was to my twin sister and it said you know, what do you think? And she said absolutely, I support you completely. It became my journey, my story, but she was involved every step of the way, every decision that we had to make. She and I talked about it. ⁣ ⁣ 05:29 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ So that is a lot. That is a lot later in life to question your family history, knowing that you came from a nurturing, loving family, had a sibling who looked just like you that you can share that experience with, in addition to another sibling who was also adopted. Was there ever, even earlier in life, a desire to want to find out more about your birth mother and your lineage, your past, your DNA? We're doing so many of these DNA tests now. Did that exist? ⁣ ⁣ 06:04 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Yes, that did exist and this is something that adoptees talk about a lot, that we have a lot of fantasies with lack of information. Like anybody, you kind of make up your own story in your head. You know, brene Brown talks about that a lot in her books the stories we make up in our heads to make us feel better about something that just happened. So my sister and I decided when we were teenagers our birth parents must have been teenagers and we decided that maybe he was the star football player and maybe she was the head cheerleader and that they, they were passionate and they wanted to go to college. And this just wasn't what you know. They wanted to do was get married and raise kids. So that appeased us for a while. There also was in the back of my mind and my sister's mind that, you know, maybe it was something else, maybe it was two were too many, maybe that was the reason why we were placed for adoption. So there were a lot of things to think about when you know that the gatekeepers are going to keep you from accessing everything. You just stuck it in a little drawer and every once in a while you take it out are going to keep you from accessing everything. You just stuff it in a little drawer and every once in a while you take it out and you look at it and then you put it back in. What ended up happening? Timing was everything with this. ⁣ ⁣ 07:37⁣ I had the breast biopsy. ⁣ ⁣ 07:39⁣ Turns out I didn't have breast cancer, but the threat that it might be in my family line meant I was going to full steam ahead. I was ready to go, my sister was ready to help with it, and the state of Illinois had changed their policy, their law about adoption, meaning that any adoptee over a certain age could access the original birth record. So I accessed my original birth record. Unfortunately, the search agency I turned it over to figured out that my birth mom had used an alias on the original birth record perfectly legal in 1959 to falsify a public record like that sounding to me, and also perfectly legal to not include the birth father's name. He didn't sign off on his parental rights, which is not something that happens today. ⁣ ⁣ 08:40⁣ So we were kind of stuck and at the same time that we're struggling with getting the search going, my adoptive mom was not happy with me. She really feared that she was going to be set aside as our mother and I had to work really hard and so did my, to prove to her that our bond was our bond. She had raised us, and that was a tricky thing. I'm battling health, I'm battling this search and I'm also having to be really careful with my adoptive mom. So there were a lot of issues at play. ⁣ ⁣ 09:25 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ And I imagine that this could also bring, were a lot of issues at play, and I imagine that this could also bring up the thought of loss and grief and grief, before grief even happens. Your mom raised beautiful children and, while they might not be from her womb, there's kind of a spiritual womb that exists in families that are well-rounded and close and that can be a disconnection. So, having that conversation and her also knowing that there was another entity that was on Team Julie being your twin, I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for her. But my question is how did you have conversations with your brother about this as well? ⁣ ⁣ 10:04 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Oh, yes, definitely. ⁣ ⁣ 10:06 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Because here is another child in the family that was also adopted, and does it spark that curiosity for your brother as well to try to find his birth parents? ⁣ ⁣ 10:16 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ He was waiting and watching how my parents handled my sister and I going down this path when our search got rolling and I ended up getting involved with Catholic Charities because they had a social worker that did this kind of work. He came to every adoption support group meeting with me, paying attention, seeing how he was going to sort through this for himself. My sister and I definitely blazed the trail for him and by the time he got around to doing it, my parents realized this was going to be okay, the family was going to stay intact, that this was very important to all of us to understand who and where we came from and assimilate that into our personality. My mom did eventually come around. It is kind of a God wink moment, if you will, at the end of the book Twice a Daughter. ⁣ ⁣ 11:13⁣ I won't give everything away, but I do find a brother and a sister, a half brother and a half sister, so we share the same father. And when I do find my birth father, he doesn't want anything to do with my sister and I, but he does give me my medical history, which was what I was after, and he wouldn't comply with DNA analysis. So there was this question was he really the right guy and I really did feel like I needed DNA to know, because breast cancer ran in his family. My aunt had died of breast cancer before she was 40. So big breast cancer scary stuff. And my brother, my birth father, told my brother that you know, there's these two women. One of them is requesting all of this information and testing in and I'm not going to do it. And my brothers just picked up the phone and called me a cold call and, as we often do when we're talking with strangers, you know you're saying where did you go to school and how do you know? How do we, how would our paths have crossed ever? ⁣ ⁣ 12:26⁣ But came out that I knew his wife and that his wife and my family were intertwined. I won't give the whole secret away and because of that, because my adoptive parents and my adoptive family already knew my sister-in-law and her family, we all had probably met my brother and not known he was our brother. It fixed everything, Hilary. Instantly it was my mom realized oh, I know these people. This is great. Let's get together for family dinner. This is an amazing, beautiful moment. So the story, you know, it's ups and downs and it's one setback after another, but in the end there was this beautiful coming together of families that knew each other but didn't know they were biologically related. Do I ever get to meet my birth father? I don't he. He had a cardiac event and died before he changed his mind, so who knows if that would have ever happened. ⁣ ⁣ 13:46 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ It sounds like it is a Godwink moment and so fortunate to be able to have that and have some sense of closure. But not everyone gets that. ⁣ ⁣ 13:56 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ No, you did mention your book. ⁣ ⁣ 13:59 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ I want to mention that real quick. Julie has three books. The third one's coming out next year, but the book we're referring to is Twice a Daughter, A Search for Identity, Family and Belonging, and then your second book is Belonging Matters. Those are the conversations of adoption, family and kinship, more like essays, and we'll put all of these links in the podcast notes. But just to go back to that, this is a wonderful turnout. Sounds like a perfect movie where everybody works out like a Hallmark movie in a way. ⁣ ⁣ 14:29⁣ But it's not always like that, Because when you think about and I just know this personally, not from being an adoptee or adopting, but having friends who have and sometimes you don't find the parents, sometimes you find family members and they don't really want to have a connection with you. ⁣ ⁣ 14:48 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Oh, it definitely. At my birth, mom did not want anything to do with us either, so it was not an easy road for her as far as being found. ⁣ ⁣ 14:58 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Right, but when it comes to health, do you think that there are laws and rules that need to be in place? And if that's the case, how would that change adoption for those who would consider putting their child up for adoption but don't want to be found? ⁣ ⁣ 15:16 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ The trend now in adoption is open adoption, which means that an adoptive parent enters into an adoption plan with the birth parents and they establish between them what the contact is going to be. Is it going to be just a yearly phone conversation or cards and letters? So it is between the birth parents and the adoptive parents, so that piece is so much better. When it comes to adoption, closed adoptions really did go out of vogue after 1980. Unfortunately, to your point about laws and statutes those of us that were adopted before 1980 during closed adoption it is up to each individual state to decide what their statutes are and to this point Illinois was one of the first eight states that changed open records acts. New York has changed their laws. There's probably about 15 out of 50 states that allow people my age to access their original birth records and research their family medical history. ⁣ ⁣ 16:32⁣ Unfortunately, dna can help some of us. It can't help all of us because the database is only as good as the people that subscribe to it. For example, my half-brother. That family never would have signed up for DNA. They don't want their specimens anywhere, so I would not have been able to find them through DNA. ⁣ ⁣ 17:01⁣ But some adoptees do the thing about birth parents and I want to emphasize the loss because you brought that up earlier. Loss is prevalent in the whole adoption triad. Adoptive parents most of them choose adoption as the way to build a family because they have infertility. So there's this insecurity about being able to have a biological child, a birth parents, birth mothers generally. It's a searing loss for them to have this situation present themselves where they're not going to parent their child and adoptees lose a sense of their family and their identity. ⁣ ⁣ 17:50⁣ One of the things that happened as a result of my search and my birth mom telling my sister and I I don't want anything to do with these girls I wasn't expecting that, Hilary, I thought I would be the lost girl found that she was waiting for me to find her. In fact, she didn't want to be found. She feared Her family had not. She'd never told her family. She feared my birth father coming back into her life. ⁣ ⁣ 18:22⁣ There was a lot of fear about that and I turned to Catholic Charities and got involved with their post adoption support group and it was one of the most meaningful things that came out of that adoption search because I came to understand the heartache that a birth mother goes through in coming to the decisions that they make and they work just as hard as adoptees do to make contact with their birth child sometimes with no success, sometimes with success and the adoptive parents. My adoptive mom was a little unusual in her lack of support because there were adoptive parents in our group that were supporting their child to find access to information that was important to them. It's a complicated situation for everybody and the people that are outside of the adoption world. I think sometimes there's some preconceived ideas about it. Adoptees like me present themselves until my middle age as being well-adjusted, and I write an essay about that in Belonging Matters. I did feel well-adjusted until I wasn't well-adjusted. I wanted that. ⁣ ⁣ 19:47 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ When was that? ⁣ ⁣ 19:49 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Well, I needed to know this family history and I couldn't have it, and it made me mad, and I think that you know there are a lot of angry adoptees out there. I think maybe that's some of the voices that people hear adoptees that aren't happy about their situation or they can't find, um, their relatives, um. But I felt like the, the support group that I I'm still involved in that, by the way, it's been 15 years, um, I think when you start listening to everybody else's perspective and you realize this isn't just about you, there's other things at play here. I think it allows us not only to heal personally but to have empathy for the other members in the triangle. ⁣ ⁣ 20:44 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Yeah, it's a sense of community, knowing that you're not alone, even if your story is different. It's giving you a sense of community and a collective of those who are going through something with that similar attachment. ⁣ ⁣ 20:57 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Yes, exactly. ⁣ ⁣ 20:59 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ So that anytime we can have a support and a community, and I imagine sometimes that's even a community of people who aren't connected to your story personally. Right, so that, and it's beautiful that you're still involved with that that the thought that is coming up to me is you were 48 when this awareness of I need to make some decisions and get some answers came to pass. But were there moments earlier where you really felt that pull? I mean, you mentioned making up the stories with your sister. Have you approached your parents, your adopted parents, prior to look into this earlier? ⁣ ⁣ 21:45⁣ And were you shut down? Were you supported? ⁣ ⁣ 21:55 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ you shut down? Were you supported? Really good question. So when I always knew that I was adopted. So that was a conversation my parents must have had with us when we were three or four or something, but every once in a while, around our birthday, they would sit us down in the living room and we'd have the adoption talk and they'd ask us you know, is there anything we can help you with? If you want to research your adoption, we'll help you, okay? So that conversation happened a handful of times when I was growing up. So my mother's reaction to me deciding to eventually search at 48 came out of nowhere and, as we talked about earlier, I know now that it came out of fear. She was worried that this woman was going to be a threat to her and in talking with the social worker about her reaction, she said you know, this is the day that she always feared would happen. Yeah, and she put it out of her mind. ⁣ ⁣ 23:00⁣ And all of a sudden, here it is, it's happening, and she didn't show her best self. Did she come around? Yes, she came around. Self Did she come around? Yes, she came around. But it was, you know, a tricky mother-daughter conflict. You know, we were adults, so we did work our best at just re-encouraging everyone that the love was there. ⁣ ⁣ 23:28 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ I imagine that is a conversation that parents who have adopted children have with themselves quite regularly, because you especially when you mentioned the fact that there are different reasons why people adopt many times it might be because they can't have their own children and when you finally have that moment, you're like holding your breath, that first year especially, you know, will anything change? Is this going to become an adoption? If it started in foster care, then adoption so many different avenues that people can take and then, as the child gets older, they become so much a part of you. If it is that well-balanced family environment, you stop thinking about those things, but it's still there and there's that thought of loss before a loss even exists, right, so the brain tends to go there. We go to the negative. It's how we keep ourselves alive. So creating that nurturing reminder to your mom and letting her know that it's still something I'm sure she thought about every day in some way, you know. So what would be your advice? And before we even go there, I just want to mention again, if you did miss it the first time Julie is an adoptee. ⁣ ⁣ 24:48⁣ She's also a twin and she pursued finding her, adopted, her birth mother at 48 years old due to a potential health issue which we're happy that you're not dealing with. But then you have to think about your own family, like your children. You said you're a mother of three daughters, and then where do we go from there? So Julie has two wonderful books that are out very different and they kind of build on each other. I imagine you have Twice a Daughter A Search for Identity, family and Belonging, and then Belonging Matters Conversations on Adoption, family and Kinship, which is more of the essays, and then a new book coming out, which is another memoir in 2025, which is Twice the Family a memoir of love, loss and sisterhood. Really beautiful. Build on these three areas in your life, like, basically it's it's three stages in your life and building on that, was it, was it ever a thought, to become an author? Did you think about that? ⁣ ⁣ 25:50 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ I have always been a writer but a journaler, so more of a private writing experience. So when Twice a Daughter, the story of the adoption search was unfolding, I was keeping copious notes with my journals and the more I told people the story of what was happening. And you know, I can't find my birth mother. Now I found my birth mother and she doesn't want to know us and my mom doesn't want to help me with this and the health stuff was going on whole saga which was five years from beginning to end. People would say, gosh, I hope you're going to write a book about this. And I thought, wow, I wonder if I should. And so I started taking writing classes at the University of Chicago in downtown Chicago, and so the book came together in 2021. And right right after COVID. I mean, I was writing the book during COVID. ⁣ ⁣ 26:51 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Great time to write. ⁣ ⁣ 26:53 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Yeah, what's interesting about having written the story and one of the things I like to speak to is this is my story, yes, but every struggle that I went through in that process is the same thing that other adoptees go through. They struggle with support from their adoptive family. They struggle with connection to make with their birth parents, to make with their birth parents. Some adoptees find siblings and in the communities that I'm involved in, most of us have better relationships with our siblings the siblings that we find than we do with our birth parents, because they don't have any skin in the game. They don't have any baggage to bring to the relationship. They're excited. They have two new siblings that they didn't even know that they had and there are a lot of similarities and it's been a lot of fun getting to know my new brother and sister, although my brother always says I am not your new brother, I have always been your brother, so I find that very sweet. I've also one of the things that I've written essays about is getting to know beyond this immediate circle. ⁣ ⁣ 28:15⁣ My birth mom didn't want to tell her family. She wanted to keep us a secret. Her family, she wanted to keep us a secret, and this whole theme of secret keeping is, and shame is, at the very core of adoption from the closed adoption era. She had a hard time letting people know, because she had taken on society's shame and blame, viewed herself as a sinner, that she'd had this relationship outside of marriage and he wouldn't marry her, and it was something that she kept inside her identity. She didn't marry until she was in the late 40s. I don't have any other siblings from her, and so it has never been easy for her to introduce us to other people, and some of the things that she did to my sister and I not introducing us to family members and not inviting us to family reunions is foreign to me. My family that I grew up in was very loving. We had a lot of family gatherings, family reunions, big parties. ⁣ ⁣ 29:30⁣ I couldn't understand my birth mother's attitude about including my sister and I, and I have finally come to the place I talk about healing that. I realize it's not my problem, it's her problem. I can't fix her. I would love for her to be fixed so that she could find joy in this relationship with her two daughters that she never could claim. I mean, think about how hard that is on Mother's Day to pretend that you are not a mother, so I have a lot of empathy for her and her situation. That was not easy to come to. A lot of self-work on that front. I also have forgiveness for my birth father. He chose not to meet us. ⁣ ⁣ 30:21 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ That was my first question. ⁣ ⁣ 30:22 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that, because yeah, he chose not to meet my sister and I, and that situation is complicated by a second marriage or whatever. I had a great dad growing up. My adoptive father was just amazing, everyone's favorite, and so I don't feel cheated. There is one thing I do feel cheated about. ⁣ ⁣ 30:46 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ What's that? ⁣ ⁣ 30:46 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ I found out that my sister and I are strongly Native American on both sides of my biological families. I was deprived of knowing that, identifying with a culture that was mine to know my adoptive parents it's not their fault, they were not given any of that information, so I didn't find out about this culture that I belonged to until I was in my 50s and it's a little late then. Also, because my birth father's name is not on my original birth record means that I can't claim to be a Chippewa, so denied on many fronts, and so I'm still figuring that out. Here I am 65 and I'm still trying to figure out. How do I feel about this identity piece? I want to belong in that culture, I want to understand it, but I am denied access. ⁣ ⁣ 31:53 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ And I imagine that goes back to the feelings associated with ancestral and generational trauma. You never connected to it knowingly, but when? And this I think this goes back to the DNA testing, all these DNA testings that we're finding out about now and using, and people are finding families that exist all over the world. Being able to attach yourself to a lineage, a culture, a heritage that you had no clue about and wanting to learn more about it, but then for you not being able to actually claim it is, in some ways, another loss. ⁣ ⁣ 32:37 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Definitely is. ⁣ ⁣ 32:38 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Yeah, yeah. So do you still feel a connection to it, to where you want to explore, learning about it, even if you can't claim it? ⁣ ⁣ 32:53 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Absolutely. I have some trips planned to northern Minnesota to see where my birth father is from Minnesota, to see where my birth father's from. He grew up very poor on the outskirts of the Chippewa Reservation in northern Minnesota, and so I do have plans to visit those places. I did extensive genealogy and have a lot of family history that I find fascinating, and so do my children, which is kind of fun. Three of my kids played college sports and that was kind of a joke in my family because I didn't have access to where did that come from, and so we never really knew. And then we found out that our birth father played college football, and so some of these things have fallen into place, made sense. ⁣ ⁣ 33:47 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ It really is putting together a puzzle. Yeah, yeah, it really is. And how beautiful it is that you're experiencing all these things with now, your own children and your sister and family members that are curious. It's a curiosity, you know, but you know, with these traumas, as I often say and you mentioned as well, you find the healing there's a little bit of humor there's always you're confronted with your health turns into those triumphant moments, you know, and your mess is your message, basically. So what is next for Julie, in addition to the book that you have coming out, what is it that you are exploring now, in this stage of your life, with all of this beautiful knowledge? ⁣ ⁣ 34:35 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ One of the things I really like to do is write short essays. For example, I had I was on vacation. I came back I was dreading going out to the mailbox and getting the mail and paying the bills and doing all that and so reluctantly went out there and the mail hadn't come yet. I didn't realize that. But inside my mailbox was a little card. A child had drawn it and a message inside and it said you won the mailbox project, love Layla. ⁣ ⁣ 35:12⁣ So I just wrote an essay about this and it just caught me at the right moment. Here was an innocent child doing a random act of kindness, stuffed a little note in my mailbox and I came upon it right when I needed to. So that another little God wink moment. Going back to my comment earlier, I love finding these quirky little moments in life and building them out and writing a story about it. I write often about my grandsons and some of the fun, cute little stuff that they do. In fact I wrote an essay last fall that is in belonging matters, and I just recently found out it won a couple of different awards. ⁣ ⁣ 36:00⁣ So I think I think I'm done writing memoir, but I think I'm not done being a storyteller. ⁣ ⁣ 36:09 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ That's great, yeah, we. Our stories are so much a part of our healing you know, and hopefully they'll touch, move and inspire someone else, right? What is it Brene says one day, your story will be somebody else's survival guide. ⁣ ⁣ 36:22 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Yes, oh yeah. So well said Something like that. ⁣ ⁣ 36:25 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Yeah, yeah. Well, I want to have a little fun with you for a moment before we close. Sure, I've been writing down some words that you've said and what I do is a rapid fire, which is basically word association. I'm going to throw out a word that you said and you just come back as fast as you can with one word that associates with that one. What comes to mind first. Okay, Okay. All right, here we go. Ad Self Heritage. ⁣ ⁣ 37:05 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Ancestry, family, belonging Community, neighbors. Author Writer Loss. Writer Loss. ⁣ ⁣ 37:27 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Grief DNA. ⁣ ⁣ 37:30 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Biology Support Community. ⁣   37:39 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ Beautiful and we do need community. We really do, and this big part of what this show is about is bringing people together, you know, to find those trauma, to triumph moments and know that even if their stories are different, there's a connection in some way. So I appreciate you sharing your story and do you have any final thoughts that you want to share with listeners and those who tune in? ⁣ ⁣ 38:10 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ One thing I like to say to people is if you are not in the adoption community, but you know somebody that's touched by adoption, sit back and listen to what they have to say, or their viewpoint or their hurt, because so often we jump in and we offer an opinion or we have a perspective that we're not willing to change without really listening to somebody and I think this follows through with other hot topics. It doesn't have to be adoption. If we take the time to listen, time to listen and have empathy for the speaker, I think that we have the potential to invoke change in our societies and our communities, but we have to be willing to do that, to be willing to listen. ⁣ ⁣ 38:54 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ That's beautiful, always coming from that place of compassion and empathy. It doesn't have to be our story, but that's what connects us. Thank you for sharing that. That's beautiful. We will share all the information on your books, julie McGue. Three books In 2025, we'll see three out there. Maybe even more with all these essays you're writing. Who knows? But Twice a Daughter A Search for Identity, family and Belonging, belonging Matters, conversations on Adoption, family and Kinship. And in 2025, twice a Family A Memoir of Love, loss and Sisterhood, and all of that will be in the podcast notes. I highly recommend sharing this, taking time to read these stories and see what your connection is and the empathy that you might have to this conversation, julie, thank you so much. It's been a pleasure. ⁣ ⁣ 39:42 - Julie McGue (Guest)⁣ Thanks, Hilary. Thanks for your thoughtful questions and really easy conversation. ⁣ ⁣ 39:52 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ I appreciate it, my pleasure. All right, my friends, if this conversation with Julie McGue inspired you in any way, like it did me, consider leaving a rating and a review wherever you're tuning in. It will help others find this podcast when you do that, and they might be the ones that really need to connect to the story. So do yourself a favor and do us a favor, and do others a favor and pay it forward. And if you want to connect with Julie personally, learn more about her stories or her books, I've shared all that information in the notes of this podcast. That includes her two books that are out right now Twice a Daughter A Search for Identity, family and Belonging and Belonging Matters, which are conversations on adoption, family and kinship, and, of course, her soon-to-be-released book in 2025, which is Twice a Family, which is a memoir of love, loss, sisterhood. That comes out in February. ⁣ ⁣ 40:41⁣ And, yes, you can connect with me and learn more about how you can turn your traumas into triumphs, how you can hug it out with Havening with me as your guide, and you can also join us for Havening happy hours every month or any other event that I might be hosting. You can find that information on how to attend those events to connect with me. In the notes of this podcast as well, there's links for everything you need. HIListically Speaking is edited by 2 Market Media with music by Lipbone Redding and tuned into by you. So thank you for returning week after week and being part of the process, and never forget, no matter your journey, you do belong and your story does matter. I love you, I believe in you and I will see you next week. Be well. ⁣ ⁣