Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

As Director of Adoption and Permanency Services, Erika is responsible for overseeing all functions of the full service Infant Adoption Program, State Wide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) program, and county foster care placement services. She is a Management Team member at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center, maintains all financial aspects of the program and is involved in strategic planning. Erika also works directly with clients providing infertility and pre-adoption counseling sessions and running a monthly infertility support group. Erika was integral in starting up the SWAN program and county foster care placement services at The Children’s Home, beginning in 2012. She also recently began expanding the program’s Counseling Services, which now includes counseling for donor conceived individuals, recipient parents, and those using artificial reproductive technology to conceive. Erika also serves as a trainer for the REACH training collaborative, training prospective foster and adoptive families on topics such as Parenting, Resources, Grief and Loss, Child Development, and Cultural Humility. She also trains families adopting through The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh’s infant adoption program on open adoption and has presented at seminars on open adoption and hospital adoption policy, as well as at SWAN statewide conferences. Erika was also co-author to an article published for the North American Council on Adoptable Children’s (NACAC) publication, Adoptalk, titled Innovative Family Preparation: Thinking Outside the Box for the Whole Family. Erika has been at The Children’s Home since 2006, working as a birthparent counselor, birthparent counseling services supervisor, and manager of the SWAN Program. Prior to her position at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, Erika worked for over 4 years as a Psychiatric Specialty Counselor for an adolescent drug and alcohol research program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and remained on staff as a Behavioral Health Counselor, conducting diagnostic interviews and performing program management duties on a casual basis until May of 2018. She earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Social Work through The University of Pittsburgh and obtained her social work license in 2006.Here's a bit about the Home from their websiteAt The Children's Home & Lemieux Family Center, we're investing in a family today to secure a child's tomorrow.Our goal is to make sure every person who walks through our doors feels empowered whether it be to take care of their medically fragile child, or to make a life changing decision. We’re here to support the community; our family.Find out more at:https://www.childrenshomepgh.org/https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensHomePghhttps://twitter.com/ChildrensHomehttps://www.youtube.com/user/Chomepghhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-children%27s-home-of-pittsburgh-&-lemieux-family-center/https://www.instagram.com/childrenshomepgh/ 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.

Connect with Alejandro at:https://twitter.com/alejandro_caw?lang=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-quezada-caw/“CAW” is an organization realized for those adopted from Chile or even within the country borders in order to provide them with a platform they can relate to. In the 70s, 80s and 90s there has been a wave of children leaving the country and due to this phenomenon they are currently spread all over the world. These decades have known to be very difficult times for the countries history due to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.Since some years however, it is known that many of these children have not been left by their mothers and/or families voluntarily. As a result, today there is an official investigations in progress that tries to identify those involved. The official complaints of families who have lost their children under the most strange circumstances are still coming in on a daily basis and official numbers have past the amount of 10.000 official declarations in the year 2018.Chilean Adoptees Worldwide (CAW) was founded in Chile in 2018 by Alejandro Quezada, Angélica Martínez and Jessica Pincheira who were adopted illegally and lived the biggest parts of their lifes in resp. The Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium. Alejandro went to live in Chile to investigate his own adoption in 2014 where he resides until today.Find out more at:https://chileanadoptees.org/https://www.facebook.com/chileanadoptees/https://twitter.com/chileanadoptees?lang=enhttps://www.instagram.com/chileanadoptees/?hl=en 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.

Here's a bit about Julie and her agency from their website:Julie VanHoose-Wells has worked at Greater Love Adoption Decision, Inc (GLAD) since 1997. She began as a Case Manager and became the Executive Director in 2014. Julie’s parents, Rick and Nancy VanHoose, founded GLAD after their own adoption experience. Julie waited 9 years to become a big sister, which was like “dog years” for an only child. The whole family celebrated the gift of adoption when Julie’s brother, Jeron, was placed with the family.As the agency grew, Rick and Nancy housed many young women who had been kicked out from their homes or just felt uncomfortable living in their hometowns while pregnant. Living with women who were pregnant, sometimes afraid, and considering adoption was a powerful experience for Julie as an adolescent. She saw many of these women as “big sisters” and enjoyed spending time with them. She also witnessed the agony that they experienced when trying to consider what was best for their baby. This was a type of education that could not come from any textbook. This was an up-close, personal look into many unique adoptions and it developed a love and deep concern for all people who are touched by adoption.In 1995, Julie graduated from the University of Evansville with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She chose to further her education at the University of Southern Indiana, and graduated in 1997 with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Julie is a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Indiana. She has been trained in Play Therapy and Trauma Informed Care. Julie is able to provide individual, family and group therapies. Her passion is to work with women who have suffered traumas and have encountered crisis. In addition to working in adoption, Julie has worked periodically as a Psychiatric Mental Health Therapist at the Evansville Psychiatric Children’s Center, which is the children’s division of the Indiana State Hospital. As a therapist, Julie worked to provide mental health services to children who received inpatient care for approximately 8 months while providing family therapy to re-stabilize the home. Julie has been a volunteer with EPCC since 1999, and by participating on the Patient Right’s Committee since 2016.GLAD has been meeting the immediate need since 1985. We are licensed by the State of Indiana and we have uniquely qualified professionals to help you decide if adoption could be right for you. Our founder, Nancy VanHoose, chose the name of this agency as inspiration from John 15:13 where Jesus said this: "Greater Love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."This is what we witness when we work with birth parents who choose adoption. We see love. We see sacrifice. We see a good mom trying to make a loving decision that is best for her baby. That’s why we are GLAD to be called Greater Love Adoption Decision.Find out more at:http://www.gladadoption.com/https://www.facebook.com/gladadoptionhttps://twitter.com/gladadoptionhttps://www.instagram.com/glad_adoption 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.

Bryan Post is one of America’s foremost child behavior experts and founder of the Post Institute for Family-Centered Therapy. The Post Institute works with adults, children and families struggling with early life trauma and the impact on the development of the mind/body system. A renowned clinician, lecturer, and author, Bryan has traveled throughout the world providing expert treatment and consultation. An internationally recognized specialist in the treatment of emotional and behavioral disturbance, he specializes in a holistic family-based treatment approach that addresses the underlying interactive dynamics of the entire family.Bryan has been researching child behavior and finding solutions for a small niche of kids “with whom nothing works”. He has worked in the trenches for the last 15 years with children in the last resort category, as well as training parents and professionals in a new paradigm of parenting which he calls The Stress Model. This new model is in direct opposition to traditional parenting and societal behavior modification programming, which he considers as beyond consequences, logic and control.A maverick in the mental health field, Bryan broke from traditional teachings in the late 1990s and developed a theoretical model of behavior which he coined the Stress Model. When fully understood and applied, this can reveal underlying unconscious expressive states which can transform relationship dynamics. From the Stress Model theory he has gone on to develop both Family-Centered Regulatory Parenting and Regulatory Therapy which both have been taught at the university level. These rapid results programs have been changing the lives of struggling adults, parents, and families for over fifteen years.He holds three degrees in the field of social work: a Bachelors of Social Work degree from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma; a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Arlington; and a Doctoral degree in Social Work from Columbus University School of Public Administration.A retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Bryan continues spreading his loved based parenting message through his lecturing and writing. He lives with his family in Oklahoma. He also enjoys starting new business ventures.Get the book at https://www.feartolovebook.com/misc-28687180Connect with Bryan at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanpost1/The Post Institute was founded in 1999 by Bryan Post and Kristi Saul. The Post Institute has published over 100 books, DVD’s, CD’s, MP3’s, Webinar’s, and articles on the topic of parenting children who have experienced pre-birth and early life trauma. The founders of the Post Institute are passionate about helping parents create healing from the wounds created by trauma, by providing parents an understanding of the impact of trauma and a proven effective, unique model of parenting. The Post Institute model of parenting has been put to the test by parents across the globe, as well as foster care agencies, adoption agencies, group homes, and treatment centers.Bryan Post and Kristi Saul, are unique in that they have chosen to not only teach and train parents and professionals, but they also have been in the trenches implementing the model of love based parenting in group home settings, therapeutic foster homes, and their own home. Their trauma informed model and understanding has been used by numerous agencies in training foster and adoptive parents as well as direct care staff in treatment settings. They understand the challenges of parenting traumatized children, not just from an intellectual perspective but through firsthand experience.The Post Institute continues to create unique opportunities for understanding and support for parents and professionals invested in the lives of children, through an online community, The Parenting Inner Circle, personal family coaching, parenting groups, and professional training and consultation.Find out more at:facebook.com/postinstitute youtube.com/postinstitutehttps://postinstitute.com/ 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.

Connect with Kate at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-patel-3569a3170Diagrama Adoption is an independent, voluntary adoption agency rated GOOD by Ofsted. Their friendly and professional team members are dedicated to finding loving and nurturing families for vulnerable children waiting to be adopted.For more about Diagrama Adoption visit:https://www.diagramaadoption.org.uk/https://twitter.com/diagramaukkidshttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiagramaFoundationhttps://www.facebook.com/Diagramafosteringadoption/ 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.

Jill Crewes, MSW has over 23 years experience working within child welfare and the foster/adoption community. She is the Vice President of Colorado Programs at Raise the Future where she manages program development and critically examines issues and trends in the public child welfare and adoption arenas to determine the most effective avenues to recruit families for waiting youth and support those connections long term. She also Co-founded Emerge Family Connections in 2013.Connect with Jill herehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-crewes-45522532/Raise the Future has designed and implemented evidence-based, wraparound services that reduce the amount of time youth in foster care live without a permanent family. Our programs increase the likelihood of forming and sustaining positive connections that help to transform their futures.Find out more at:https://www.raisethefuture.org/https://www.facebook.com/RaiseFuturehttps://twitter.com/raisefuturehttps://www.instagram.com/raise.the.future/ 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.

To find out more at her work check out:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-h-murray-174521157/https://aliceinwonderingland.wordpress.com/https://www.facebook.com/alicemurraywriterhttps://www.instagram.com/alice.h.murray/https://www.facebook.com/alice.h.murray 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.

Here's a bit about New Family Social from their website. "We're a UK charity, led by LGBT+ adopters and foster carers. New Family Social exists to help you decide if adoption or fostering is right for you and then support you on your journey to becoming parents and carers. We also work with agencies to develop their services to be as LGBT+ inclusive and friendly as possible. We aim to make the pool of available parents as wide as possible for the many children in care."Find out more at:https://newfamilysocial.org.uk/https://www.facebook.com/newfamilysocial/https://twitter.com/lgbtadoptfosterhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJJCBmz-H22rlhO75__IauQ 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.

Amy is passionate about helping others heal their hearts from past hurts - through the use of research and evidence based practices infused with the latest neuroscience research. She has personal and professional experience with adoption, developmental trauma and other developmental disabilities. She is a self-proclaimed "brain geek" and continuously finds fun ways to incorporate the latest neuroscience research into evidence-based practices specializing in the effects of early trauma or neglect on the brain and the best ways to help children and teenagers heal. She is the author of "Toby the Tiger Tamer" and the developer of the Tame Your Tiger Brain Training Program.​ Amy is the 2021 Play Therapist of the Year for the state of Virginia. Additionally, Amy will hold a 2021 Endorsement from The Virginia Association for Infant Mental Health; Category III Infant Mental Health Specialist (IMHS).Amy is not currently taking new clients. She is supervising the Heart & Mind team, providing workshops, adoptive parent coaching, and supervision for therapists for licensure as a MFT in VA, play therapist and consultations.Here are links to her book:https://www.amazon.com/Toby-Tiger-Tamer-Johnson-Reamer/dp/1484099885https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toby-Tiger-Tamer-Johnson-Reamer/dp/1484099885Connect with her here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-reamer-lmft-rpt-s-b9502825/Heart & Mind is a group mental health therapy practice in Richmond, VA, founded to bring true long-lasting healing to the core foundational needs of children, adults, parents and families impacted by adoption, early trauma, neglect and attachment challenges. Heart & Mind empowers connections through mental health counseling, brain training, neuro-informed services and education. Our staff has extensive training and experience in adoption counseling, developmental trauma, play therapy, Safe and Sound Protocol and EMDR.Find out more about her organisation:https://www.heartmindrva.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Heartmindrva/https://www.instagram.com/heartmindrva/ 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.

Cynthia K. Jensen is a Certified Social Worker in the State of Wisconsin. Cindy graduated Cum Laude from Milton College in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. From 1990 to 2009 she was employed by another Wisconsin child placing agency. During that time Cindy placed more than 550 children with adoptive families. Cindy keeps current on adoption practice by obtaining an additional 30 hours (or more) of continuing education every two years as required to maintain state certification. In addition, over the past 28 years Cindy formed strong professional relationships throughout the adoption community as well as with numerous other referral resources. She has excellent working relationships with the various professionals involved in the adoption process in Wisconsin as well as several other states. Cindy served on a legislative task force to create legislation for a birth father registry in the State of Wisconsin. She also spoke at the national convention for the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and has been a presenter regarding the adoption process in many different forums. Cindy is also a past member of the National Association of Social Workers.https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.jensenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-jensen-a2b55555/Adoption Avenues, Inc. strives to provide environments of love and stability for children in need. Education and support is offered for everyone in the adoption process, from the person giving up parental rights to the new loving family. We are a Wisconsin licensed child placing agency offering a full range of adoption services. Our social workers have years of experience. Adoption can be difficult and confusing. We are here to help navigate the process for birth parents who are placing a child for adoption and for adoptive parents trying to choose the best avenue for building a family.The services we offer include birth parent counseling for women experiencing unplanned or crisis pregnancies, home studies for all types of adoption, step-parent screenings, pre-adoptive preparation, foster home licensing and post-placement supervision services. Wisconsin is an "agency" state, thus a private adoption agency must be involved in every adoption.https://www.adoptionave.com/https://www.facebook.com/adoptionave/https://www.instagram.com/adoption_avenues/?hl=en-gb 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.

Connect with Kerryhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-bocook-34261b83/Heart to Home Adoption Agency, LLC (HTH) is a licensed Kentucky adoption agency that provides home studies, post placement visits, adoptive and foster parent education and referrals to other professional agencies to prospective adoptive/foster parents in Kentucky seeking to adopt domestically. We offer face to face meetings to support our adoptive families and our placing parents.HTH also provides birth parent services such as pregnancy counseling and resource, medical and legal referrals. Heart to Home does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation.“Heart to Home is an agency that believes everyone deserves love and is capable of giving it and receiving it. My family changed with adoption. Our goal is to offer a loving and dedicated service to children, placing parents, and adoptive parents”– Leigh Shapiro, Founder & Executive Director, Heart to Home AdoptionFind out more about them at:https://hearttohomeadoptions.net/https://www.facebook.com/HeartToHomeAdoptionAgency/ 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.

Open Arms Adoption Agency has been Sam’s vision for many years. Since reuniting with his birth mother 15 years ago, he has been developing a service to support and educate women when they are in a time of need. His birth mother was 15 years old and not prepared to raise a child when he was born, so adoption was the most loving decision for both her and Sam. Their adoption was originally closed, but as an adult Sam was able to locate his birth mom and now he feels fortunate to have a great relationship with both of his birth parents.Sam has had his own successful financial services firm for 21 years, he is a Washington State native, and has two WSU Cougar alumni children. His entire family feels blessed that 50 years ago one adoption laid the foundation for their strong family today.OpenArmsAdoptionAgency.comhttps://www.instagram.com/openarmsadoption/https://www.facebook.com/openarmsadoptionnwhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-barnes-8a5551200/ 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.

Terry has worked in the field of children’s social care for over 38 years. He began his career in the Voluntary Sector, working for the then Catholic Rescue Society as a residential child care officer, before moving to work within a local authority setting in 1983.For several years he again worked in a residential setting, helping to manage a “fostering preparation unit”, as a qualified social worker, he was enlisted to conduct fostering and adoption assessments too and so the passion for family placement work began.From 1989 until 2013 Terry managed family placement services for the council and specifically managed the adoption service there for over 24 years. In that time Terry helped steer the service through successive outstanding inspection results and established the service as one of the best performing in the country.He has built up an expertise in early permanence planning and has routinely been enlisted to support other adoption agencies as they strive to develop fostering for adoption and concurrent placements.As Director of ARC Adoption Terry’s career has come full circle with a return to the Voluntary Sector. It is now Terry’s hope that he and the team at ARC Adoption can use their skills to make a major contribution to children’s lives on a national level.Outside of work Terry is a Vice Chair of governors for a local school, acts as a child protection representative for the Catholic Diocese and is chair of a parish council. He is married to Lesley, has a son John, and grandson Oliver, who alongside Sunderland Football Club and two Golden Retrievers called Sadie and Tara, is his pride and joy.Connect with Terry https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-fitzpatrick-116155100/ARC Adoption North East is an Outstanding Independent Voluntary Adoption Agency located in the North East of England.For all of us in our Sunderland based team, it is a privilege to work in the field of adoption. We use our extensive knowledge and skills to increase the opportunities for children to experience a positive family life. As a prospective adopter, we will take you through the process and help you feel valued and supported. Registered and rated Outstanding by Ofsted, we work in partnership with Local Authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies to help them deliver high quality services to some of the most vulnerable children in their care.We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of experienced, multi-disciplinary, practitioners here at ARC Adoption who help us deliver a wide range of services aimed at supporting adopted children and their families to feel secure. This has enabled us to be one of the most successful agencies in our region for recruiting families and placing children.Through our memberships of The Northern Consortium of Adoption Agencies; CoramBAAF Adoption and Fostering Academy; the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA); New Family Social and Adoption UK, we make a major contribution to the adoption process nationally and to seek continuous improvement in all that we do.ARC Adoption North East believes that every child deserves the right to grow up in a nurturing and loving family who will support them through childhood and prepare them for adult life.Our primary mission is to increase the number of nurturing, loving adoptive families available to the many vulnerable children in our society who are unable to live within their birth families.We aim to recruit at least 40 families per year in order to offer a range of placement opportunities to local authorities who are unable to find adopters to meet the individual needs of the children in their care. We intend to increase the number of ‘foster to adopt’ placements available in order to minimise placement moves for children, thereby improving their attachment experience; increase the number of adopters able to consider a ‘concurrent’ placement supporting best outcomes for individual children and increase the number of adoptive families able to consider sibling placements.https://www.arcadoptionne.org.uk/https://twitter.com/arcadoptionnehttps://www.facebook.com/arcadoptionne/ 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.

Here's some information about Nugent from their website:Nugent Adoption is a registered and approved Independent Adoption Agency located in the North West of England. Nugent became a Registered Adoption Agency in 1943; therefore we have been involved in placing children for adoption for 75 years.We provide a welcoming team of professional and dedicated social work staff who are experienced in all areas of adoption. Our aim is to increase the opportunities for children who have experienced a difficult start, to enjoy a positive, safe and secure family life.We pride ourselves on providing a friendly, responsive service and on guiding our prospective adopters through the adoption process making them feel valued and supported. We are pleased to hear from potential adopters regardless of their gender, age, sexuality, disability, ethnicity, religion or marital status. We are Ofsted registered and we work in partnership with Local Authorities across England, Wales and Scotland to help them deliver services to some of the most vulnerable children in their care.We also have many years of experience in assessing prospective adopters who wish to adopt a child from overseas. As well as this we offer on-going support to all those affected by adoption such as adult adoptees who wish to access their adoption records, as well as birth family members wishing to trace their adopted relatives.We are members of Adoption 22; CoramBAAF; the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) and Adoption UK.Find out more at:https://wearenugent.org/https://www.instagram.com/wearenugent/https://www.facebook.com/wearenugenthttps://twitter.com/wearenugent 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.

Dominic is an ambassador for IAC - The Centre for Adoption - the UK's only dedicated intercountry adoption charity.Connect with Dominic athttps://www.instagram.com/dominicpaul91/IAC’s mission is to place children from all parts of the world, both in the UK and overseas, in loving families and to work in a fair, transparent and professional manner with all individuals who need our services.Find out more athttps://www.icacentre.org.ukhttps://www.facebook.com/iacadoptionhttps://twitter.com/AdoptAbroad 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.

Here's the link we discuss in the podcast:https://voice-for-adoption.org/family-portrait-projectSchylar, a Montanan, joined Voice for Adoption in May 2016. Schylar has dedicated his professional and volunteer life to the belief that children and youth in the child welfare system need respect, support, and family. Schylar has a bachelor’s in professional and technical communications from Montana Tech and a master’s in public administration from the University of Montana.He has served as president of the board of Montana Court Appointed Special Advocates, secretary of the boards of ChildWise Institute, and FosterClub, and as a commissioner on the governor appointed Protect Montana’s Kids Commission. Schylar is a nationally recognized leader; in 2008, he received FosterClub. Inc’s Outstanding Young Leader award for his work with the Kids Are Waiting Campaign and the passage the Fostering Connections to Success and Increased Adoptions Act. In 2018, Schylar was selected as an American Express NGEN Fellow. That same year, during his time at Voice for Adoption, Schylar was recognized in the congressional record for his work with the passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act.Schylar’s commitment to improving the futures of children and youth in care is due, in large part, to his own life experiences. He spent 11 years in foster care before aging out without a family. When he was 25, his mentor and sixth-grade teacher adopted him. Schylar explained, “I always longed for a place to call my own and, at one point, was told that I was too old to be adopted.” Schylar remembers the stigma and trauma from his years in foster care and fights for his peers, believing that no child should be told that they are unadoptable.As the executive director of Voice for Adoption, Schylar continues his life’s work of serving vulnerable—but resilient—young people. “I am blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for children in foster care that are often feeling alone the dark, feel that no one hears them, feel that no cares and that no one is on their side. I believe every child needs the benefit of a permanent and loving place to call home.”https://www.linkedin.com/in/schylar-baber/Voice for Adoption advocates, educates, and collaborates to advance federal policies that promote and sustain permanence for children and youth in foster care. Here's more from their website:Our Vision of SuccessAll children and youth in foster care in the U.S. will have a safe, loving, supported and permanent family.What We DoWe work with members of congress, policy makers, partner organizations, and agencies to encourage sound policies that are in the best interest of our nation’s waiting foster children.Voice for Adoption (VFA) advocates for the safety and well-being of children in foster care.VFA holds briefings on foster and adoption issues on Capitol Hill.VFA works on special projects focused on raising awareness around the needs of foster and adoptive youth, and the families that adopt them.VFA strives to ensure the foster care and adoption issues remain at the forefront our policy maker's attention.Our HistoryVoice for Adoption was established in 1996 to provide a permanent mechanism to shape the public debate regarding:the needs of children who are growing up without families of their own;the lifelong consequences for the development of these children and their later functioning as adults when they continue to be forgotten;the positive potential of adoption to meet the needs of these children; andthe benefits to the community of providing ongoing support for families who adopt the childrenVFA is a bi-partisan force, which shapes the future by providing accurate information on adoption issues, encouraging prompt adoption of waiting children, and supporting sound public policy in adoption.Find out more at:https://voice-for-adoption.org/https://www.facebook.com/Voice4Adoptionhttps://twitter.com/Voice4Adoptionhttps://www.instagram.com/voiceforadoption/ 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.

Get the picture of the Family Wellness House Kristin talks about herehttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hc5YKcrj0XJuIr1IvVW-z6W7QqaYO9OB/view?usp=sharingConnect with Kristin herehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-orphan-5b2a8113a/Finally Home is a non-profit whose mission since 2008 is to equip foster, adoptive and kinship families to build healthy homes where kids can heal. Over the years all kinds of families have benefited from Finally Home's programs and products which are designed to give parents the tools they need to help their kids and families thrive. Whether through an encouraging children’s story book, a therapeutic toolkit, or an educational training, Finally Home’s resources reinforce time tested skills and characteristics found in healthy families.https://www.finallyhome.net/https://www.facebook.com/FinallyHome.nethttps://www.instagram.com/teamfinallyhome/ 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.

Here's a bit about Kaycee and her family from their website"With a love for Jesus, kids, and stories, Kaycee and her husband Pete had always planned to adopt. In 2016, while Kaycee was working as a youth pastor, they began dreaming about how to change the narrative around foster care adoption, especially within faith communities. Five months later, The Reel Hope Project was born and they began telling the stories of Minnesota’s waiting kids. In 2019, they adopted their son, whom Kaycee met through a Reel Hope video shoot. As Executive Director and Founder, Kaycee leads the organization and her team in the pursuit of The Reel Hope Project’s mission: A forever family for every child.Our vision is to mobilize the faith community in Minnesota to bring foster kids into forever families. We strive to be a bridge between church and state, partnering on both sides to see an end to kids waiting for families. We work to equip social workers with an invaluable tool to share their kids’ stories, and we empower families to meet Minnesota kids."Find out more athttps://www.thereelhopeproject.org/https://www.facebook.com/thereelhopeproject/https://www.instagram.com/reel_hope/https://twitter.com/ReelHopeProject 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.

Here's a bit about Eric from his team's website:"Trisha and I have been married since June 26, 1999. We have six kids Madison, Isaac, Robert, Kale, Kelsey, and Halle Jo. We had the joy of serving full time in student ministry from 2000 to 2012. We served for two years in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as youth pastors. Then we moved to Ozark, Missouri, and served as the junior high directors at James River Church for almost 10 years. In September of 2011, God called us out of local church ministry to become orphan care missionaries to equip churches to care for orphans. We moved back to the DFW area in August of 2012 to help create an orphan care strategy to take throughout Texas, the nation, and the world. From August 2012 until August 2017 we served as the assistant directors of The Keep. We are now the founders and presidents of Backyard Orphans. Backyard Orphans is a 501c3 interdenominational ministry focused on engaging and equipping the church to care for hurting children in their own backyard. "Find out more athttp://porterteam.org/https://m.facebook.com/ericporter76https://twitter.com/ericporter10https://www.instagram.com/ericporter10/Backyard Orphans guides church leaders to develop a foster care, adoption, and support ministry to find families for children.Find out more at:https://backyardorphans.org/https://www.facebook.com/backyardorphanshttps://twitter.com/backyardorphanshttps://www.instagram.com/backyardorphans/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Il5GlpafqcQxa9lHnzCHw 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.

Pam and her husband Dan are the adoptive parents of two children, a daughter who was born in Korea in 1986 and a son who was born in India in 1989. Her children catapulted Pam into life and career interests she never imagined. Pam’s position as Executive Director has evolved over the past 20 years as she was a volunteer Executive Director for the first 7 years, then the only part-​time paid staff person, then a full-​time paid position, and finally to overseeing with the Board of Directors the addition of two more part-​time paid staff. Pam and Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families have been the recipient of the Minoru Yasui Volunteer Service Award, Asian Education Advisory Council Community Service Award, Channel 7 Everyday Hero, Asian Pacific Bar Association Minoru Yasui Community Award, and the Korean American Coalition of the U.S., Bridge Builder Award Pam has been appointed to the Denver Asian Pacific American Commission, and is on the capital campaign committee of the Asian Pacific Development Center. This “labor of love” at Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families has truly become a life’s work for Pam, one that never would have happened without her own wonderful children.https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-sweetser-419b8011/Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families, Inc. (HCAF) serves as a post-​adoption resource and advocate for children, adults, and families with diverse heritages here's what they say about themselves:We accomplish our mission by facilitating events which provide culturally relevant and family-​centered experiences for every member of the family.These events provide individuals and families with both a deeper sense of community and an individual identity. It is our goal that all adoptees will develop a knowledge of themselves and their culture of origin and that families will have a better awareness of, and sense of pride in, their adopted family member’s birth heritage. HCAF assists children, adults, and families in becoming a part of a larger community “just like themselves,” with shared experiences, challenges, and opportunities.We focus on supporting international and domestic adoptive families, including adopted children, parents, non-adopted siblings, and extended family. Additionally, our camps are a resource for foster parents and waiting parents.Adult adoptees are an essential part of the HCAF community. We believe in the importance of being guided by the experiences and perspectives of adoptees, and work to ensure that our programming amplifies their voices.HCAF began in 1991 when 40 families with children adopted from Korea came together for a short weekend of Korean cultural immersion. From there, Korean Heritage Camp expanded to four days and many more families. Just four years later, we incorporated as a nonprofit organization, and have grown to serve over 1,000 adoptive families annually from across the nation at our nine camps, serving children born in over 40 countries.Since our incorporation in 1995, HCAF’s Executive Director, Pam Sweetser, has provided vital leadership and management to the organization, initially on a volunteer basis. With eight other adoptive parents, Pam served on the first Board of Directors, and was the sole HCAF staff member from her appointment as Executive Director in 1995 until 2005, when the first part-​time support employee was hired.HCAF’s staff is comprised of four staff members, but the bulk of the organization’s extensive operations has always been handled by volunteers. HCAF’s team of volunteers includes camp parents, community members, and camp alumni — totaling 2,500+ individuals contributing over 650,000 volunteer hours each year.With a strong history of smart growth, financial stability, and volunteer investment – plus the passionate involvement of our camp families – HCAF has made a difference in the lives of thousands of children and their families for 27 years.https://www.heritagecamps.org/https://www.facebook.com/HCAFpage/ 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.

Here's a bit about Suzy from her websiteHello, I’m Suzy creator of We Made a Wish. I’m an adoptive mum to two beautiful girls who crept into our hearts four years apart. We Made a Wish grew from my desire to create beautiful things to celebrate adoption and families. It brings together my love for adoption, shopping and writing.MagazineWe Made a Wish is a free digital adoption magazine, which raises awareness about adoption and shares experiences from all sides of the triangle. I created a blog not long after our eldest daughter came home because I struggled to find anything online written by adopters about the realities of adoption.The blog has evolved into a magazine where I publish interviews and articles from adopters, adoptees and birth parents about their experience of different aspects of the process. There’s also book reviews, articles from agencies and experts about some of the issues that adopted children may face.Please note that book reviews and articles recommending products may contain affiliate links. This means that I receive a fee if you buy a product when you click on a link to it from one of the articles. All reviews and recommendations are either of products I’ve used myself, or have been used and recommended by other adopters.Please get in touch if you’d like to contribute to the magazine. ShopWhen we adopted our eldest daughter, I struggled to find cards and gifts for her foster family and our social worker, that let them know how grateful we were for keeping her safe until we met her. I decided to make cards for them myself and We Made a Wish shop was born.I sell prints, record books and clothing keepsakes to families and to help you capture some of your special memories.I wanted to create clothing keepsakes to help preserve the special memories items of clothing hold. We have blankets made from the clothes our daughters wore during introductions. Seeing them takes me right back to the wonderful memories I have of when we met our precious girls for the first time.The record books are printed sheets to help you create a record of your journey to meeting your little one. They come in four designs in either physical or digital formats. WritingI’ve written a guide to adoption from an adopter’s point of view. When we started the process, I couldn’t find any books or blogs written by adopters about the process. The agency websites told me the basics about what the process involved, but I wanted to know the nitty gritty.An Adopter’s Guide to Adoption is a step-by-step guide starting with hoe to prepare to start the process, things to consider when choosing your agency, the assessment, Panel, matching and beyond. It’s the book I wish had been available when we were first thinking about adoption.You can buy the paperback version from Amazon here and the digital version from Etsy here.Work with meI love to write and find it therapeutic to let words take me away from the realities of everyday life. My book “Running Scared” was started on our honeymoon and I self-published it through Amazon the week before we met our eldest daughter.https://wemadeawish.co.ukhttps://www.instagram.com/wemadeawishadoptionmagazine/https://www.facebook.com/wemadeawish 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.

Joanna Ivey is an adoptee and adoptive parent and has been working in the field of adoption for 16 years. In her work with adoptive families, she meets couples/singles early in their adoption journey and is privileged to get to know them and learn about what brought them to adoption.She writes, “I often read hopeful adoptive parents write “We feel called to adopt,” and while I’m not here to judge anyone’s faith or how they came to choose adoption, I will share with you why this, as an adoptee, is problematic. If you’ve said the words “I feel called to adopt,” “adoption is about saving a child” or “the child that is meant for you will come to you” I’m going to challenge you to reconsider your perspective, and to do that I’ll speak bluntly about my perspective. I believe you’ve come to this place with all the good intentions in the world. I understand you’re grappling with whatever loss brought you to adoption, and I honor how deeply you want to be a parent. The emotions you’re having are completely normal, but I encourage you to let those be a starting place from which you grow, not your destination. It’s OK to begin here, but don’t end here. Don’t parent from this place because it will impact the child you will be adopting.” In addition to her work with clients as the owner of Our Chosen Child, Adoption Profile Design she presents and speaks at national conferences, author of The Essential Guide to Adoption Outreach and sits on several national adoption/ethics committees.https://www.ourchosenchild.com/https://www.instagram.com/ourchosenchild/ 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.

Hillary Merryfield, M.S.W., L.S.C.S.W., L.C.S.W., Founder, and Director, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Kansas and Missouri. She is a Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work and approved Mediator in the core and parent/adolescent areas as well as a Clinical Hypnotherapist. In addition to her adoption services and counselling, she has a general psychotherapy practice offering services to individuals, couples, and families.https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-merryfield-13821750/Here's how she describes her agency:Adoption Option, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is a licensed child placing agency in Missouri and Kansas. It has assisted in placing over 900 children with adoptive families in numerous states and many foreign countries.Adoption Option believes birth parents are among the most selfless people in the world. We have worked with hundreds of birth parents through the years and have never met one who did not want to parent their baby. They make adoption plans for their child out of unconditional love putting their child s needs before their own. At Adoption Option we believe there are three ways to build a family birth, marriage, and adoption. Adoption is a natural way to build a family. We believe the child is special because of who he or she is, not because they are adopted.https://www.adoptionoptionkc.com/https://www.facebook.com/adoptionoptionkc 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.

Candy McVicar is an author, inspirational speaker, and devoted advocate for families who are grieving a baby or child. Candy and her husband Stephen have been married and serving in ministry together for twenty-one years. After the stillbirth of their daughter Grace in 2001, they founded Missing GRACE Foundation which provides support, resources and a place of healing for families grieving a pregnancy or infant loss, infertility or adoption challenges. Candy serves as the Executive Director. Candy has extensive experience working with bereaved families and within healthcare systems. Candy facilitates grief support groups for parents and grandparents and provides facilitator training courses. Candy volunteered in hospital birthing rooms and NICUs, supporting hundreds of perinatal loss families for ten years. She provided them with birth support, professional photography and videography and assisted with their funeral services.In 2003, Candy spearheaded legislation to help parents of a stillborn in Minnesota to receive their baby’s birth certificate. The bill was signed into law and enacted August 1, 2005, bringing rightful recognition and dignity to stillborn babies.Candy organized and hosted annual GRACE conferences where she brought in speakers from around the nation to provide care professionals with CME and CEU classes along with a wide array of resources, support and education for families who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss, infertility or adoption challenges. Candy has lectured at hospitals, clinics, universities, churches and conferences, capturing the hearts of many with her engaging and personable style. She is a grief and trauma specialist on a mission to help couples and families grow closer together, heal and find hope.Candy is a lover of homemade fresh squeezed juice, hiking along the coast, photographing the light dancing on the water, snuggles with her favorite man and two amazing daughters and time with all the littles in her life: her two happy dogs (Tico and Sozo), and talkative cat (LuLu).https://candymcvicar.comhttps://twitter.com/CandyMcvicarhttps://www.instagram.com/candymcvicar/https://www.facebook.com/CandyMcVicarOfficial/https://www.linkedin.com/in/candy-mcvicar-00602314/Grace McVicar was stillborn on December 20, 2001. She was the first-born child of Candy and Stephen McVicar. It was through their grieving and feelings of missing their daughter and missing the chance to hold, love and raise their baby Grace, that the inspiration for the name “Missing GRACE” was realized.Additionally, the name is an acronym with a meaning which is central to the heart of the mission of Missing GRACE Foundation. It stands for:Grieve, Restore, Arise, Commemorate and Educate.Missing GRACE Foundation provides help to: Grieve in healthy ways by giving comfort, support and resources while validating the significance of the baby’s life and the right to grieve for the childRestore holistically in a person’s emotional, relational, physical and spiritual health, which can each be affected through the trauma of the grief experienceArise from the ashes – the dark place of deep sorrow and discover there is hope for a brighter dayCommemorate their loved onesEducate others through sharing their own stories of loss and by providing education for families and professionals that will help bring babies into the world safelyhttp://www.missinggrace.org/https://www.facebook.com/MGFCenterforGRACE/https://twitter.com/missinggraceorg 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.

Holly Marlow is a British author and parent to biological and adopted children. Holly strives for a gentle/therapeutic parenting style and this has led her to create stories to help children to understand some of the emotional and practical complexities of adoption.https://hollymarlow.com/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holly-Marlow/e/B099V6HQ1Khttps://www.amazon.com/Delly-Duck-adoption-children-therapeutic/dp/1739916808/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=delly+duck&qid=1632817752&sr=8-1https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58693662-delly-duckhttps://twitter.com/hmarlowauthorhttps://www.facebook.com/HollyMarlowAuthorhttps://www.instagram.com/hollymarlowauthor/https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollymarlow/ 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.

In 2008 Zara finished directing and producing an adoption documentary entitled “ROOTS: UNKNOWN” This educational and informative film focuses on the emotional influence adoption has on the adoptee and their families. Interviews and sound bites with adult adoptees, their families and children are mixed with artistic images of their art and creative expression. The film won Best Homegrown Documentary at The Garden State Film festival in New Jersey.In addition, Zara is also an author. Her book, ‘Mother Me’ is about Zara’s personal journey to motherhood from an adoptee’s point of view. ‘Mother Me’ was published by BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering) in the UK and was released on March 3rd 2008. This is an intensely personal and compelling memoir in which Zara describes her feelings as an adopted person and explores her relationships with her adoptive and birthmothers, and invites the reader to join her in her own journey to becoming a Mother. “It seems that birthing my children was also a birth for my whole self.”“Mother Me’ was picked up by Gemma media and an updated version was released on February 14th 2011 in the U.S.A.Zara and Ted Perlman got back together to record a new album “You, Me and Us” that feature’s ‘I’m Legit’ a song Zara wrote with another adopted person Darryl Macdaniels of DMC. The record, digitally released in 2011, has been a big hit within the adoption community. Songs from this album can be heard on Passions and Hollywood Heights.This album is a collection of thought provoking songs with an acoustic and raw feel. The album ‘You, Me and Us” is available now.“Beneath My Fathers’s Sky“, a one woman show that Zara wrote and performs in, is the winner of Best Direction at NYC United Solo festival in 2014 was also performed in LA, San Francisco, Connecticut, and in London in 2016 “upstairs at The Gate.”In the past, Zara has facilitated adoption /addiction workshops with adopted families and the mental health professionals. She engages the teens to create songs about their experience.Zara’s book “Somebody’s Daughter”, published by John Blake/Bonnier Publishers, was released February 2018 in the UK and August 2018 in the USA.https://www.facebook.com/zaraphillipshttp://www.zaraphillips.net/writing/books-authored-by-zara-phillips-somebodys-daughter/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-phillips-a01a926/ 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.

Evan has been in the field of social work for nearly a decade. Early in his career he gained experience working in child welfare and mentoring where he witnessed the powerful impact that one consistent adult could have on a young person’s life. Moved by this experience, he went on to receive his MSW where he focused on child welfare, LGBTQ youth, trauma and attachment. In addition to his MSW, Evan is also a LICSW and a has a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership. Evan brings a diverse skill set to his role ranging from experiences providing clinical and administrative supervision, training, program management, and providing individual therapy for individuals who were navigating identity and trauma. Evan was ecstatic to join SLM in 2012 as a Program Coordinator where he supported matches and developed SLM’s LGBTQ Mentoring Initiative. In 2015, he transitioned to the role of Program Supervisor where he currently provides clinical supervision and oversees the daily functions and overall growth of the CBM program. Every day he is grateful for the trust that youth and mentors place in SLM, and to be part of such an amazing team.Outside of work Evan can often be found kayaking in nearby river, hiking trails and mountains all over New England, or kicking back in a local park. If he’s not outside he’s likely cooking up a storm, chasing after his nephew, binge watching a new show, or continuing his mission to find the best cup of coffee in the area.https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-hubbard-licsw-7b573225/ Silver Lining Mentoring empowers youth in foster care to thrive through committed mentoring relationships and the development of essential life skills. We are one of only a few mentoring organizations in the country exclusively focused on youth impacted by foster care.Find out more at:https://www.silverliningmentoring.org/https://www.facebook.com/SilverLiningMentoringhttps://twitter.com/SLMyouthhttps://www.instagram.com/silverliningmentoring/ 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.

Steve Kalb, director of post adoption services, is an adult adoptee from the Midwest. He received his masters of social work in 2009 and is currently pursuing his Ph. D. in social work and social research, focusing on adoptee community and empowerment models. Since 2005, Steve has worked directly with hundreds of adoptees through the adoptee camps and birth search counseling. He has seen the need for, and benefit of, a strong adoptee community; that experience guides his adoptee advocacy work at Holt.Connect with Steve:https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-kalb-b684a9a1/Holt international are a Christian organization committed to a world where every child has a loving and secure home. They help strengthen vulnerable families, care for orphans, and find adoptive families for kids.Find out more athttps://www.holtinternational.org/https://www.facebook.com/HoltInternationalhttps://twitter.com/holtintlhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/holt-international-children%27s-services/ 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.

Norman E. Thibault, PhD, LMFT graduated with his BS in Family and Human Development (FHD) in 1994. He went directly into his Master's program in FHD and Marriage and Family Therapy and graduated in 1998. He completed his PhD in Counseling Psychology in 2006. Norm has worked extensively in residential treatment, in his former private practice, and as the Clinical Director of At the Crossroads, an innovative young-adult transitional program in St. George. Throughout his nearly-20 years of clinical service, Norm has worked extensively with adopted persons and their families.Norm is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. He is a former President of the Utah Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (UAMFT) and served on their Board of Directors for eight years. Norm received the “UAMFT Excellence in Leadership Award” in 2012 for his service to therapists in the state of Utah. He has studied extensively under world-renowned psychologist Dr. John Gottman and has presented to professional groups in Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, Michigan, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. He has served as an expert witness in Newark, NJ and Washington, DC. He was also appointed by Utah Governor Michael Leavitt to represent MFT’s on a state mental health financial board. Norm also served as a Field Trial Clinician in researching the validity of the current DSM-V.Norm was also the Area Chair/Lead Faculty and Clinical Director for the St. George Learning Center of the University of Phoenix’ CACREP accredited Master’s Level Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, where he taught a number of local clinicians who now work in wilderness programs and residential treatment centers. In addition, he has supervised to licensure a number of local Marriage and Family Therapists and Clinical Mental Health Counselors. Norm's family, like many others, is touched by adoption and he would love to share their stories with you. He is married to the former Megan Anderson of Las Vegas and they have three wonderful children.Connect with Norm athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/norm-thibault-phd-lmft-37604534/Here's a summary from his Center's website:‘Three Points Center”, was chosen to acknowledge the importance of the adoption triad—which connectively triangulates the relationship between the birth parent(s), adoptive parent(s), and adopted individual— and to utilize this triad as the solid foundation onto which we have built our entire approach.However, acknowledging the adoption triad in our name was just the beginning. The founders of Three Points Center realized the importance and necessity of creating a nurturing residential treatment facility solely for adopted teens, geared to address the complex psychological, emotional, and social issues often encountered by adopted individuals and their families. Designed to be a critical resource for those families living the day-to-day joys and myriad of complex challenges resulting from the adoption triad, Three Points Center —and everything it encompasses—was long overdue.Because adoption can oftentimes present specific attachment and trust issues, the creation of a supportive, safe and compassionate environment is essential. Our team can help adopted individuals journey with their families to build or regain trust, heal a fractured identity and ultimately find a sense of peace and wholeness. This is our daily mission and ultimate goal.Find out more at:https://www.threepointscenter.com/https://www.facebook.com/3PointsCenterhttps://twitter.com/3PointsCenter 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.

Find out more about Brian and his incredible work:https://thebrianstanton.com/https://www.facebook.com/brian.stanton3https://www.atghostkingdom.com/https://www.instagram.com/thebrianstanton/https://www.facebook.com/ATghostkingdomhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-stanton-63141a24/ 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.

Darren received his bachelors degree in visual fine arts. Since university, he has worked varying graphic design and social media management positions. He's an imaginative foster/adoptive parent that can get children to go to bed by inventing a detailed story about small, friendly creatures living throughout the house that only come out at night. Darren helped co-found Community Kids, a resource and networking 501(c)3 created to assist foster/adoptive families.https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenfink/Transfiguring Adoption develops media, resources, and tools that nurture growth in foster and adoptive children – strategically we focus on resourcing foster and adoptive parents.https://transfiguringadoption.com/https://www.facebook.com/TransfigurAdopt/https://twitter.com/transfiguradopt?lang=enhttps://www.instagram.com/transfiguradopt/?hl=en-gb 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.

Connect with Kerryhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-bocook-34261b83/Heart to Home Adoption Agency, LLC (HTH) is a licensed Kentucky adoption agency that provides home studies, post placement visits, adoptive and foster parent education and referrals to other professional agencies to prospective adoptive/foster parents in Kentucky seeking to adopt domestically. We offer face to face meetings to support our adoptive families and our placing parents.HTH also provides birth parent services such as pregnancy counseling and resource, medical and legal referrals. Heart to Home does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation.“Heart to Home is an agency that believes everyone deserves love and is capable of giving it and receiving it. My family changed with adoption. Our goal is to offer a loving and dedicated service to children, placing parents, and adoptive parents”– Leigh Shapiro, Founder & Executive Director, Heart to Home AdoptionFind out more about them at:https://hearttohomeadoptions.net/https://www.facebook.com/HeartToHomeAdoptionAgency/ 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.

Isaac Etter is an activist and social entrepreneur. Isaac was transracially adopted at the age of two. He recently founded Identity a startup focused on providing accessible, diverse, and ethical adoption and foster care education. Isaac also co-founded an education and advocacy organization, SafeHouse Lancaster, where he was the co-executive director. SafeHouse Lancaster merged with YWCA Lancaster in July of 2021 and Isaac went to found Identity. Isaac also serves on the board of directors for The Keystone Business Alliance and CHI St Joseph Children's Health. They are also a frequent speaker in many different settings, including colleges, adoption agencies, and conferences.Isaac has used his story of being adopted and growing up in a white world to curate deep conversations about race in America. With his unique insight on racial tensions between the white and black communities, they have been able to curate impactful conversations where everyone learns to value each other and their experience, while learning about systemic racism, privilege and their role in it.https://isaacetter.com/https://identity-learning.teachable.com/p/learningcommunityhttps://twitter.com/_identitycohttps://twitter.com/etter_isaac/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPxVJcXBCUjmYpVKdpR8pghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-etter-/ 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.

Herbie is the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services and its ministry arms. He holds a Master’s of Business Administration in Accounting from Samford University. He worked with WAKM Companies, LLC, a prominent accounting firm, for several years as an independent auditor before being led to Lifeline in 2003 as Executive Director. From January 2004 to December 2008, he served as the president of the Alabama Adoption Coalition and was chosen as a Hague Intercountry Adoption evaluator and team leader by the Council of Accreditation. Under Herbie’s leadership, Lifeline has increased international outreach to 25 countries through adoption and strategic orphan care, obtained licensure in 12 states, attained membership into the ECFA (Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability), and established the foster care arm at Lifeline. Herbie has spoken at many events concerning adoption and the Church’s response to orphan care, including the National Council for Adoption, Christian Alliance for Orphans, Together for Adoption, Care Net and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.Having witnessed the plight of older orphans on many international trips, Herbie’s burden for the fatherless was a catalyst for forming (un)adopted in 2009, Lifeline’s strategic orphan care ministry focused on equipping orphaned and vulnerable children with life skills needed to bring about community transformation. During Summer 2013, Herbie and his family traveled for seven weeks throughout China, working with (un)adopted and orphanage partners. In Summer 2018, he and his family served for five weeks in Colombia with Lifeline’s adoption and orphan care partners.Herbie and his wife, Ashley, live in Birmingham, Alabama, and are parents to son, Caleb, and daughters, Adelynn and Emily. Following her graduation from Samford, Ashley worked as Assistant Director of Sav-A-life, a Birmingham-based crisis pregnancy center, where she counseled hundreds of women on life-giving options for their babies.Herbie and Ashley share a passion for the unborn, life, and adoption and desire to spend their lives advocating for the least of these.Connect with Herbie at:https://twitter.com/Hmnewellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/herbienewell/Here's a summary from Lifeline's website "With a mission to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children, we know we cannot do this without one another. Whether through adoption, foster care, orphan care, or education and counseling, the mission is accomplished when churches live out James 1:27 in their communities and to the ends of the earth. Lifeline’s four decades of experience serves to assist families with international adoption in all 50 states, each of the U.S. territories and with U.S. citizens living abroad. Lifeline also serves women in unexpected pregnancies and families through domestic adoption."More at:https://www.facebook.com/lifelinechildhttps://lifelinechild.org/https://www.instagram.com/lifelinechild/https://twitter.com/lifelinechildhttps://vimeo.com/lifelinechild 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.

Sarah works as a therapist with foster and adoptive families in a private practice in Manhattan. She was formerly the Executive Director of the Coalition, the Associate Director of AdoptUsKids, and a Senior Policy Analyst at Children’s Rights. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. Her child welfare policy and practice experience includes research and publication on a range of foster care and adoption issues as well as presentations at national and international conferences. Sarah’s most recent book is Another Mother: Co-Parenting with the Foster Care SystemSarah has been a foster and kinship parent and one of her three children was adopted from the New York City foster care system. She and her husband support three additional siblings who were also in the foster care system and are now grown.Find out more about Sarah athttp://www.sarahgerstenzang.com/The Coalition unites foster, adoptive and kinship care families, giving them a voice and providing support, information and advocacy. By fostering communication and collaboration between families, agencies and concerned citizens, we seek to ensure the stability, well-being and permanency of all children.No foster, adoptive or kinship care family in New York State will feel alone or unsupported and that all such families will have the tools, support and community they need to nurture their children and be role models for others. Goal:Educate and support foster/kinship care/adoptive parents and the professionals who serve them by utilizing information-sharing, services, peer support and referral.Improve services available to children and families.Increase citizen involvement in local service planning and delivery.Educate leaders and stakeholders about the realities, challenges and rewards of foster/kinship care/adoptive parenting.Advocate for greater support of foster/kinship care/adoptive families by federal, state and local agencies.To learn more, read our history, learn about our current programs, join us at an event and meet our team.https://affcny.orghttps://www.facebook.com/affcny/https://twitter.com/AFFCNYhttps://www.instagram.com/affcny/ 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.

Karl shares his family's story with humility, honesty and great insights. There's a big learnings around how his own perspectives on raising Catie have changed over time and how those changes have helped his daughter overcome some challenges to thrive. 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.

David and Susan Durovy fostered 27 kids and adopted 4 from the Virginia foster care system at ages 6, 16, 17, and 21.He was the President of The Post Institute for 10 years and now writes articles for parents and professionals with adopted/foster children in their care.He is the Director of The LoveMore Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people learn to love one another, no exceptions. This requires an evolutionary move toward becoming more fully human by enlarging our capacity to love more.Here's the blog post he talks about on the podcast.https://lovemoreblog.org/?p=1099Here are links to check him outhttps://www.lovemoreinstitute.org/homehttps://lovemoreblog.org/https://daviddurovy.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-durovy-15074923/https://www.facebook.com/ddurovyhttps://twitter.com/DavidDurovyHe used to work at https://postinstitute.com 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.

Adrienne Elliott has worked in all aspects of the child welfare system including intake, child protection, permanency and adoption. She was an adjunct faculty member for the University of Denver and Metropolitan State University and taught courses in Family Social Work, Foster Care and Adoption and co-taught a college level course for caseworkers and mental health professionals in Adoption Competence. Adrienne holds her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver and her Bachelor of Science from Purdue University. Adrienne just recently moved from Denver Colorado where she was the ED for a private non-profit adoption agency and CEO of a social enterprise focused on online post adoption services for families.Adrienne is the parent of two sons, ages 20 and 23 years old.Her oldest just graduated from CU and her youngest is attending MSU in Denver. Adrienne has lived in Denver for 25 years and prior to that she lived and grew up in Carmel, Indiana.She was part of the poms dance team and performed at football and basketball games. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-elliott-a9059b49/Heart of Adoptions, Inc. is a licensed, private adoption agency designed to help create families through adoption. We are committed to working with birth parents to find children a forever home.https://www.heartofadoptions.com/https://www.facebook.com/HeartOfAdoptionsInc/https://twitter.com/HeartAdoptionshttps://www.instagram.com/heart_of_adoptions/https://www.pinterest.com/heartofadoption/ 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.

Tamekia Swint founded Styles For Girlz, NFP, in 2010 after teaching a hair braiding class on a Missions Trip to Poland to a group of students at an English Language learning camp. Upon returning to the United States, an associate introduced her to a transracial adoptive mom who needed hair care for her two daughters. Pleased with Tamekia's work, Mary referred her to a network of adoptive parents, who also required hair care services for their little ones. They found a safe place to learn how to properly care for their transracial children's hair without judgment and negative criticism. Discovering that there was a need for Styles For Girlz not only among Mary and her friends but among multiracial families and transracial foster and adoptive families throughout Illinois, the organization grew from serving three clients in 2010 to over a thousand clients throughout the United States in recent years.In 2013, the organization expanded its mission to provide in-home hair care education, training, and services to children in foster care residing in residential facilities and detention centers and special needs children with textured hair, changing its name to Styles 4 Kidz (S4K) in 2016. Eight years later, S4K opened one of the first, nonprofit—501(c)(3) tax-exempt—salons of its kind; a salon where multiracial, adoptive, and kids in foster care are empowered to embrace their natural, ethnic crown. It's "Hair Care With Heart."Check out her book and her non-profit at:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Hair-Crown-Tamekia-Swint/dp/1636251080https://www.amazon.com/Your-Hair-Crown-Tamekia-Swint/dp/1636251080https://www.styles4kidz.org/https://www.facebook.com/styles4kidzhttps://twitter.com/styles4kidznfphttps://www.instagram.com/styles4kidznfp/https://www.youtube.com/c/Styles4KidzNFP 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.

Fiona is responsible for service delivery and development across Scotland. Fiona manages a team of skilled and experienced staff members who have personal and professional experience allowing them to offer information, advice and support to adoptive families in Scotland.With a degree in Sociology and a qualification in Speech and Language therapy, Fiona comes from a child focussed professional background. Previous roles involved developing and coordinating family support services for children and families affected by disabilities, and working in a residential respite environment. She has a further qualification in Autism, and an interest in therapeutic interventions. Fiona believes that Adoption UK in Scotland offers unique support to families, with a foundation of peer support and shared learning and experiences, and is keen to develop the support services to help meet the needs of families and raise awareness of adoption in Scotland.Connect with Fiona athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-aitken-5a382a34Adoption UK in Scotland operates from their office base in Edinburgh, providing information, support and advice to those parenting children who are no longer able to live with their birth families, across Scotland. Their services are provided through their helpline, online support systems, training workshops and support groups. They work closely with voluntary adoption agencies and local authorities across Scotland.Find out more at:https://www.adoptionuk.org/Scotlandhttps://twitter.com/AUKScothttps://www.facebook.com/AdoptionUKScotland/ 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.

Xinthia was adopted from China and grew up in the Netherlands. She works in IT and volunteers with Adoptiepedia.Connect with her here https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinthiakrielaart/?originalSubdomain=nlThe Adoptiepedia Foundation is the first interest group for all Chinese and Taiwanese adoptees in the Netherlands. The target? Provide support, aftercare and safety to Chinese and Taiwanese adoptees. Adoptiepedia does this by means of projects, activities and a website to create as many possibilities as acceptance, connection and recognition.Find out more athttps://adoptiepedia.nlhttps://www.facebook.com/Adoptiepediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/adoptiepedia/ 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.

Here's what Meaghan says about about herself:"I am a Master Therapeutic Counsellor (registered) and Late-Discovery Adoptee. A survivor of trauma and abuse. A wife and mother. For many years, I worked as a Birth Doula, and later as a Shantala Baby Massage Instructor. Our family has fostered teens, and been a perspective adoptive family at one time. In my counselling work, I use art, writing, and play as a primary means of emotional processing and healing in my work with youths.The work I do is healing, intuitive, rewarding, and creative. Expressive art and play is a powerful and dynamic way to move forward in one’s journey. It is a privilege to witness clients process and find their inner voice, courage, and strength. In my local practice, I work primarily with youths and their families, supporting them in learning new skills such as: communication, emotional regulation, increased self awareness, managing anxiety, boundaries, and how to deepen family connections. Clients learn how to tune into their bodies and their emotions. One of the fundamental skills they learn is how to practice self-care when they recognize they are experiencing troubling emotions; they learn that the emotions are a signal to them that something needs their attention. Together we learn how to pay attention, how to process, how to hear the message and transform, moving forward."Her website and group is a safe space especially for Late Discovery Adoptees to make connections, learn and share:https://www.latediscoveryadoptees.com/https://www.facebook.com/groups/355308151597261/Connect with her on socialhttps://www.instagram.com/late_discovery_adoptees/ 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.

Born in 1969, leading international foster care expert, consultant, and TED Talk speaker Dr. John DeGarmo has worn many hats throughout his life. Singing and dancing while touring around the world in the international super group, Up With People, serving as a D.J. at four different radio stations on two different continents, working in the professional wrestling industry, teaching English and Drama at the high school and college level, director of The Foster Care Institute, and founder and national development director of Never Too Late, a residential group home for boys in foster care. Dr. DeGarmo has had a variety of experiences. He is the author of several foster care books, including the new book The Little Book of Foster Care Wisdom: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement for Foster Care Families, the best selling book Faith and Foster Care, as well as the foster care children's book A Different Home: A New Foster Child's Story. He is the director of The Foster Care Institute, and acts as a consultant to foster care agencies as well as an expert witness to legal agencies across the USA and globe. Dr. John is a High Content Speaker and informative trainer on the foster care system, and travels extensively across the globe, meeting with foster parents, child welfare workers, churches, schools, and organizations. Dr. John has appeared on several TV programs, including CNN, Good Morning America, and ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, PBS stations. Dr.John and his family have even appeared on the popular show Wife Swap. He writes regularly for many magazines, and is a regular contributor to several publications, both in the United States and over seas.Dr. DeGarmo is married to Dr. Kelly DeGarmo, who hails from Australia, and the two of them have six children, both biological and adoptive. Dr. DeGarmo and his wife are also currently foster parents to three siblings, bringing their household to nine children. Dr. DeGarmo has been a foster parent to over 60 children over the years.Dr. DeGarmo and his wife are the recipients of the Good Morning America Ultimate Hero Award, and the Up With People Every Day Hero Award. The two also were honored with their city's Citizens of the Year Award. Dr. DeGarmo has also been honored with a Hero of the Homeless award, the Olivet College Distinguished Alumni Award,as well as an Exceptional People recipient. Find out more about John at https://www.drjohndegarmofostercare.com/https://www.facebook.com/DrJohnDeGarmohttps://twitter.com/drjohndegarmohttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6BOwPoasdJ5FfdxYZJlAKQ#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 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.

St Elizabeth Foundation is a non-profit adoption agency in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Find out more about them athttps://stelizabethfoundation.org/https://www.facebook.com/stelizabethfoundation/https://www.instagram.com/saintelizabeth88/https://twitter.com/stelizabeth88https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5a1SigRo4vOyKJPBNUlIjQ/featured#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 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.

Connect with Angie athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-brunhart-8a1b246/Adoption Services are a licensed private, non-profit Wisconsin Adoption agency with offices in Appleton, Milwaukee, and Waukesha. They serve adoption needs throughout Wisconsin. Find out more about agency athttps://www.adoptionservicesinc.com/https://www.facebook.com/adoptionservicesinchttps://www.instagram.com/adoptionservicesinc/#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 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.

Heather originally joined the DPA family in 2011 and served as the Child Placement Supervisor for six years. After living out-of-state for a year, she was thrilled to re-join the team in 2018 as Executive Director.Heather has long had a heart for children and families and became interested in adoption during college through an internship at an adoption agency. Throughout her career, she has worked in many areas of the field, including infant and older child adoptions as well as international adoption and foster care. Most recently, Heather served as a Clinical Manager for an intensive in-home therapy program in Colorado and designed an early intervention program targeted to increase attachment and parent confidence. Heather’s belief is that God created us for relationship and she desires to see relationships strengthened and valued through the work DPA does with our clients, staff, and our community.Heather has a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Services from Oklahoma State University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver. Outside of work, Heather loves spending time with family and friends, being in the mountains, and cheering on her favorite sports teams, especially the OSU Cowboys.Connect with her here https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-hails-0a6a7619/Check out her agency at https://deaconessadoption.org/https://www.facebook.com/deaconessoklahomahttps://www.youtube.com/user/DeaconessAdoptionhttps://www.instagram.com/deaconessadoption/#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 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.

Connect with Ian at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-forber-pratt-753b0311/Here's what The Institute For Child Welfare Innovation is all about:"Here at the Institute we promote logical, effective and healing child welfare services that produce great results. We challenge the mindset of old-school thinkers, and we bring passion, patience and experience to the table. But we’re always ready to learn more!For us, we demand that children, families and communities are treated fairly and equitably. We demand that systemic racism and inequality is eliminated as a factor when making decisions about family involvement for children in need of care and protection. There is a lifetime of work to be done.So… here at the Institute we believe that change is necessary. Doing the same old thing leads to the same old results. We all know those results: Parents dismissed, kids separated from family, minority families treated differently, and agencies tasked with raising kids. None of this works. Here’s what we know: Family is paramount. When we look at family through a different lens, we see capability and opportunity. Instead of seeing a parent who left their child home alone, we see a parent whose child care fell through and they were forced to choose: miss work and thus food for the family or take the risk. We envision moving from a savior-based and removal child welfare system to one of prevention, healing and strength."Find out more about The Institute For Child Welfare Innovation visithttps://forchildwelfare.org/https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-institute-for-child-welfare-innovation/https://www.facebook.com/forchildwelfarehttps://twitter.com/forchildwelfareFor more about Children's Emergency Relief International https://cerikids.org/#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 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.

HollyAnn and her husband John founded Addy’s Hope in 2005 after a personal tragedy during an adoption. John and HollyAnn have 9 children: Paizley, CallieAnn, Noah, Toben, Ava, Madison, Journey, Ella and Deacon. HollyAnn has been involved in the adoption community in various roles since 2001 when she and John adopted their oldest son. HollyAnn’s first official title in the adoption world was “Mom” and this greatly impacts the way she views her role at Addy’s Hope. HollyAnn served as an adoption advocate for America World Adoption Agency in 2003 and 2004. HollyAnn also worked with a local home study service provider writing home studies and providing support for families through all stages of the adoption process and continuing long after finalization. HollyAnn has served as Executive Director of Addy’s Hope since it’s beginning when the agency placed children from Guatemala. She oversaw the Liberian program and worked to open a progressive orphanage during the time Addy’s Hope served the children and people of Liberia. It was John and HollyAnn’s passion for the children who wait longer for adoptive homes that lead Addy’s Hope into what is now the They Wait program. HollyAnn has a passion to see all three parts of the adoption triad served well during the adoption process. She operates with a compassion and understanding that can only come through the experience of having adopted 6 children. HollyAnn has experienced private infant adoption, international adoption, foster-to-adopt, CPS matched adoption of a teenager, and kinship adoption. Her favorite role is being mom to her 9 children who span a 19-year age gap.Connect with her herehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyann-petree-60a8875a/https://twitter.com/hpetreeCheck out HollyAnn’s blog herehttps://hollyannpetree.com/my-blogFind out about her adoption agency herehttps://www.facebook.com/Addys-Hope-Adoption-Agency-242342115798446/https://www.addyshope.org/#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 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.

Karen leads Texas Foster Care and Adoption Services. Connect with Karen athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-perez-9b2212b0/Texas Foster Care and Adoption Services is a private non-profit child placing agency licensed by the State of Texas. The organization was formed by like-minded individuals, dedicated to the mission of making a real difference in the lives of children in the State of Texas.The number of foster children are growing more and more every year. Today more than ever, we face the growing issue of needing more foster parents in Texas. Many people in the Texas region either know current or former foster children or foster families.They are searching for people in the community to provide loving, nurturing and healing homes to abused and neglected children in the state of Texas. Texas Foster Care covers the Austin Metro and San Antonio areas.Find out more at:http://www.texasfostercare.org/https://www.facebook.com/TexasFosterCareAndAdoptionServiceshttps://twitter.com/txfostercare#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 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.

Jodi is the President of The Adoptee Group and Josh is their mental health director. The Adoptee Group was founded in 2020 to serve the Korean adoptees. It was later decided to support all adoptees and the adoption community. The group grew to 23 volunteers in the early stages. In 2021, their organization will launch TAG Network, a program that will offer mentors for youth age adoptees, coaches for adult age adoptees and mental health professional support for all adoptees. They will also launch TAG Cares, a funding program that will support the expenses for mental health professional sessions.www.theadopteegroup.orghttps://www.facebook.com/theadopteegrouphttps://www.instagram.com/theadopteegroup/https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-adoptee-group/#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt #trauma #attachment #interracialadoption #diversity #primalwound #nancyverrier 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.