Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

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.

Here's what Steffany says about herself "I have been a part of the adoption field since 1993 and found it to be very rewarding. I was introduced to the field of adoption in college while obtaining my first master’s degree in Family Life Education and Consultation. I had always had an interest in unplanned pregnancy and infertility, but it was not until this point that I began to see how it all fit together.While obtaining my second master’s degree in Social Work, I had the opportunity to also study Hospital and School Social Work. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these other fields; however, I knew that my heart’s desire was to be involved in adoption. Within a few short months, doors began to open and starting an adoption agency became a reality.Since 1998, Adoption & Beyond has grown from a small, one-person home-based agency to an agency with several workers covering two states. I am so thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of wonderful birth parents, adoptive families and their children. In addition, I am the proud mother of five children, one having joined our family through adoption."Connect with Steffany herehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/steffany-aye-b1b91810/Adoption & Beyond are dedicated to building meaningful relationships by educating, guiding and advocating for all touched by adoption, every step of the adoption journey and beyond.Find out more athttps://adoption-beyond.org/https://twitter.com/adoption_beyondhttps://www.instagram.com/adoptionbeyond1/#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt #trauma #attachment 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 Whitney at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-whitney-9270a312b/Creating a Family is the national adoption & foster care education and support nonprofit. Their mission is to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Their vision is that every adopted and foster child has a family who understands their unique gifts and challenges and is equipped to help them thrive. All of their resources are expert-based and trauma-informed.Find out more about Creating A Family at:https://creatingafamily.org/https://www.facebook.com/creatingafamilyhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/creating-a-family/https://www.instagram.com/creatingafamily/#adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt #trauma #attachment 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.