Adopt Well Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Creating an Adoption Profile Mar 20, 2020

Did you know that hopeful adoptive parents often overlook one of the most important parts of their adoption journey?

Hannah Eloge from Kindred + Co. sat down with us for thirty minutes to give us the low down on creating a profile book! We chat about why it’s important and what it should (and shouldn't) include.

If you’re in the process of adopting and getting ready to create an adoption profile book, this episode will be invaluable to you. Hannah offers a fresh perspective on the precious opportunity to connect with an expectant mother (and sometimes family) for the first time. She takes the guess work out of what your profile should communicate!

To learn more about Kindred + Co. and the beautiful profile books that Hannah helps create, visit kindredand.co. You can also follow her on Instagram at @kindredand.co & @heloge.

PS - for 30 days after this podcast is published, Hannah is giving you $100 off a template or full custom book by using code AWPOD.

Connect with us:

Instagram: @adoptwell

Email: podcast@adoptwell.com

www.adoptwell.com

Telling Your Child Their Story Feb 14, 2020

As adoptive parents, we know the weight of sharing your kids story with them. There’s no handbook for it, and every story is different, every kid is different, so it makes it impossible to really plug it into an equation. In this episode, we share some findings from research and survey results from over 130 adoptees in the Adopt Well community.

We will answer questions around the topic of talking to your children about their adoption story and share advice from adult adoptees on how to do that well. As adoptive moms ourselves, we also give some specific examples on how we talk to our own young children about their adoption story.

We reference two previous episodes, here’s a quick link to both of those:

Season 1 Ep. 3: Navigating a Closed Adoption

Season 1 Ep. 6: Adoption and Christianity

Connect with us:

Instagram: @adoptwell

Email: podcast@adoptwell.com

www.adoptwell.com

Adoption Informed Counseling Jan 31, 2020

In this episode, we interviewed trauma informed, licensed clinical counselor, and transracial adoptee, Cameron Lee Small from Therapy Redeemed.

Among other things, Cam shares what a therapy journey looks like and how we as adoptive parents can support our children.

During the episode, you’ll hear about several helpful resources. Find more about them here:

Therapy Redeemed

Cam's online workshop

Therapist resources:

https://www.growbeyondwords.com/adoptee-therapist-directory/

https://www.mnadopt.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Adoption-Competent-Therapist-Traits.pdf

https://www.pactadopt.org/resources/resource-library.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cameron-lee-small-minneapolis-mn/490129

Connect with us:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

For Friends and Family Dec 11, 2019

Do you wish you had a way to include your friends & family in your adoption education journey? Are there things you wish you could tell them, but you don't know how? This episode is for you!

We asked the Adopt Well Instagram community what they want their friends & family to know, and in this episode we share their responses.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but we hope you will find this episode helpful to share with your friends and family. Let this be the beginning of open lines of communication and ongoing education for you and your tribe!

You can find us on instagram at @adoptwell

www.adoptwell.com

Creating Cultural Connections in International Adoption Nov 15, 2019

Kiana Bosman was so kind to sit and share with us about her experience as an international & transracial adoptee. She was adopted from Haiti as a toddler and has maintained cultural connections to her home country.

We talked through practical ways that Kiana and her family have maintained a cultural connection to Haiti, all the way from Washington. From cooking Haitian meals to attending camps, and even making trips to Haiti.

She offers wisdom beyond her years for parents who have adopted transracially and internationally.

If this episode is helpful for you, we hope that you will subscribe and leave us an honest review!

Connect with us:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Are You Ready to Adopt? Nov 01, 2019

Maybe you’ve considered adopting for a while, and now you are at the point of wondering if you’re ready to go for it. This episode is for you. The majority of content we share has to do with adoption education, but this episode will focus on one step before adoption. Actually deciding to adopt, are you ready to adopt. Adoption is beautiful and adoption is hard, so before you decide to begin the process - we have listed out quite the gamut of topics to talk through with your spouse (if married) and questions to ask yourself. By the end of this episode, we hope that you will have the necessary tools to decide what’s the best next step in your adoption journey. Episode referenced: Home Study: A Practical Guide We hope you find this episode helpful! If you wouldn’t mind, please leave us an honest review. It would mean so much! Connect with us: www.AdoptWell.com @AdoptWell Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Waiting Well Oct 18, 2019

Adopting well can start much before a child joins your family. Oftentimes when you are hoping to adopt, there is so much to be done leading up to “the wait”. You research, choose an agency, do your home study, etc. Then...you wait. You wait for a child to join your family. This season can be done well, or to be quite honest - it can be riddled with anxiety.

In this episode, we share the good and bad things we learned while we waited. If you are in the wait right now, congratulations, you are already taking steps to do this well by pursuing adoption education!

We hope you find this episode helpful! If you wouldn’t mind, please leave us an honest review. It would mean so much!

Connect with us:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Saying Yes to Foster Care Oct 11, 2019

Are you considering becoming a foster parent? In this episode, we talk with Paula from All Things Moms Blog about all things foster care.

The intent of foster care is to reunite children with their biological family when possible, but there are also over 100,000 children and youth who are legally free for adoption. Paula and her family have adopted two of their children through foster care and have had over a dozen children spend time in their home. She shares with us some practical tips, and opens up about the emotions that accompany adopting through foster care.

If you would like to read more about the stats we shared in the podcast, check this out.

Connect with us:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Expectant Mother Expenses Sep 20, 2019

Expectant mother expenses is a loaded topic of conversation. Talking about money is always a sensitive topic, but it’s necessary to understand. Oftentimes, the season that hopeful adoptive parents are paying these expenses, is the same season that they’re building a lifelong relationship. Understanding these expenses legally, ethically, and emotionally is crucial for a healthy start.

We sat down with Ashley Mitchell from Lifetime Healing and had a great conversation on expectant mother expenses - what they cover, if they’re necessary, and what questions you can ask about them.

In this episode, we told you we would link some questions from Lifetime Healing to ask an agency - here you go.

Connect with Adopt Well:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Ashley Mitchell

@bigtoughgirl

www.LifetimeHealingAdoption.com

Think Before You Post Sep 06, 2019

Imagine your child is 16, 25, or even 59 years old and reading your timeline - is there anything you would change? Social media has such potential for good, but with that comes a downside too. Knowing how to share (or not share) your child’s story well takes some navigating! In this episode we will give you some things to think about before you post and share some tips for navigating online groups. Our kids stories, and their birth family’s story, is not ours to share. None of us post anything with malintent, but if there are regrets we can prevent you from, we want to! We are sharing from lessons learned along the way, because we are right here learning with you! We hope this offers practical guidance. Connect with us: www.AdoptWell.com @AdoptWell Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Home Study: A Practical Guide Aug 23, 2019

Are you new to the adoption process? The home study is one of the first things hopeful adoptive parents check off the list.

The idea of someone coming to “study your home” can feel a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! We sat down with a licensed clinical social worker, Erin Nasmyth, and she answered all of our questions and then some. We talked about things like:

What to expect when a social worker comes to your house.
What happens if you move?
Who actually sees the home study?

Erin offered such practical guidance, we hope it’s helpful!

She is also the Executive Director of Adoption Support Alliance in Charlotte, NC. They provide families with three key services: classes, community and counseling. Learn more at www.adoptionsupportalliance.org.

Connect with us:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Transracial Adoption & Multiethnic Families Aug 09, 2019

Dr. Lucretia Berry from Brownicity: Many HUES. One HUEmanity! offers such a rich understanding of race and ethnicity. From discussing our subconscious biases to the historical man-made constructs of race, this conversation is loaded with topics to ponder and practical ways to discuss skin color with our kids. If you are a hopeful adoptive family open to adding a child from a different racial category to your family, this episode is a great tool for you to further understand what it means to be a multi-ethnic family. If you are already part of a multi-ethnic family, this episode gives language to so many thoughts or feelings you may have experienced. Get to know Lucretia on instagram at @LucretiaBerry and @Brownicity Connect with us: www.AdoptWell.com @AdoptWell Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Embryo Adoption Jul 25, 2019

Did you know you can adopt and give birth to the same baby? It’s called embryo adoption!

Tune in to hear more about logistics, as well as a very personal story of what embryo adoption now looks like for one family.

Rebekah Heilman sat down with us to give us a peek into her life as an adoptive Mama through embryo adoption. Rebekah’s daughters have an open relationship with some members of their biological family.

If you have adopted embryos or are considering it - this podcast is packed with practical topics.

Ready to learn more about embryo adoption? Visit https://www.quiverfulladoptions.com/embryo.

Connect with us:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Adoption & Christianity Jul 12, 2019

Adoption is a big deal in the church, as it should be. As Christians, we believe that we should strive to do things well - and ethically. We sat down with Shane and Kasi Pruitt to discuss adoption and christianity.

Shane and Kasi are parents to five cute kiddos, three of whom joined their family through adoption. With years of Biblical study and ministerial careers, the Pruitt's have a clear understanding of what the Bible says about adoption.

This podcast covers topics like:

- "adoption is the gospel"

- "you were always meant to be in our family"

- and things you should (and maybe shouldn't) pray for.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

If you enjoyed today’s episode, check out Shane’s newest book - 9 Common Lies Christian Believe.

Connect with us:

www.AdoptWell.com

@AdoptWell

Podcast@AdoptWell.com

Reunification: An Adoptee's Perspective Jun 28, 2019

Today we chatted with a good friend of ours, Sharday Dufresne. Shar is a transracial adoptee who grew up in a closed adoption. She has spent the last year walking through reunion with members of her birth family, and today she was kind enough to share some of the ups and downs of that journey with us. This episode is especially valuable to adult adoptees who are considering reunification and offers adoptive parents a peak into what their child may experience. Sharday Dufresne: @shardayrenee Amy Bagwell: @ahbagwell Macie Perreault: @adoptwell Before you go, please leave an honest review & share your thoughts on social media with #AdoptWellPodcast. www.AdoptWell.com

When a Toddler Joins Your Family Jun 14, 2019

Today one of our hosts, Amy Bagwell, is sharing about her experience in adopting a toddler. She briefly tells her story, then gives many valuable tips for adding a toddler or adolescent to your family. She talks about surviving the first night home, finding an adoption competent pediatrician, cocooning, and more. We hope you will feel prepared & armed with helpful tips after this episode.

This episode will be valuable to those who are open to adopting a toddler or adolescent, and even to foster parents.

Amy Bagwell:

@ahbagwell

Macie Perreault:

@adoptwell

Before you go, please leave an honest review & share your thoughts on social media with #AdoptWellPodcast.

www.AdoptWell.com

Navigating a Closed Adoption Jun 05, 2019

In this episode, we talk with Christa Jordan about navigating a closed adoption. Her son Kai joined their family by way of international adoption from Japan at five months old. We discuss the struggles and complexities of a closed adoption, as well as some practical tips to navigate it all. If you are an adoptive parent or adoptee who finds yourself in a closed or semi closed adoption where limited information is accessible, this episode will be helpful for you! Christa is also the author of the Before You Adopt workbook. If you’re considering adoption, this is a valuable resource. Learn more at www.spoonfulofjordan.com/shop We would love to connect with you on social media: Christa Jordan: @spoonfulofjordanblog Macie Perreault: @adoptwell Amy Bagwell: @ahbagwell Before you go, please leave an honest review and share your thoughts on social media with #AdoptWellPodcast. www.AdoptWell.com

The Birth Mother Grief Cycle May 24, 2019

A note from your hosts: Content in this podcast may be triggering due to circumstances around placing a child for adoption.

In this episode, we talk with Ashley Mitchell about the grief cycle of a birth mother. As a birth mother of 13 years, her vulnerability and transparency is refreshing and so helpful to so many of us in the adoption community.

Understanding what a birth mother experiences after placing her child with another family is a key piece of education for each member of the triad, and for those hoping to adopt.

Ashley is the owner of Lifetime Healing LLC and is on mission to increase care, understanding, and resources for birth mothers across the country.

We would love to connect with you on social media:

Ashley Mitchell:

@bigtoughgirl

@lifetimehealingllc

Macie Perreault:

@adoptwell

@mrsperreault

Amy Bagwell:

@toddleradoption

@ahbagwell

Before you go, please leave an honest review and share your thoughts on social media with #AdoptWellPodcast.

www.AdoptWell.com

Welcome to the Adopt Well Podcast May 17, 2019

Welcome to the first episode of the Adopt Well podcast! We’re your hosts, Macie and Amy. Adopt Well is an educational community for those touched by adoption. In this brief episode, hear a bit about our story, how we became friends, and the heart behind the Adopt Well podcast. We’d love to get to know you! Connect with us on social media: Macie: @AdoptWell @MrsPerreault Amy: @toddleradoption @ahbagwell Before you go, please leave an honest review and share your thoughts on social media with #AdoptWellPodcast. www.AdoptWell.com

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