Adoption Hacks

Kandace and Callie answer listener questions in this season 4 FINALE!  We talk attachment, 2nd adoptions, how covid is impacting the adoption world, talking with siblings about adoption details and much more! Thank you to all of our listeners this season, we so appreciate the support and community!  Find Us: instagram.com/adoptionhacks facebook.com/adoptionhacks

This is such an important topic! Todays guest is Cara Peper. It was so wonderful to get to chat with Cara, she’s an adoptive mom of 2 little ones. as you’ll hear she’s so honest and vulnerable about her story. Something that I know I didn’t anticipate after placement was post placement guilt and anxiety. We’ve talked this show before about post placement depression but this is a little different. And we’re going to get into what it is, and if its something you are experiencing I hope this helps you know you are not alone.  We have a Q&A episode coming up! So send us ALL your questions! You can DM us on Instagram or Facebook @adoptionhacks email us at adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com or send us a voice memo that could be featured on the show! anchor.fm/adoptionhacks This weeks episode is sponsored by Kindred + Co! Kindred + Co. is a brave adoption community that lifts stories from all sides in the adoption triad. Kindred believes that sharing stories is a powerful way to understand and education on the complexities of adoption. Kindred and Co. desires to see relationships built within the adoption triad. Kindred hosts online coffee hours, in person retreats and hopefully will be launching their first conference in the near future. Weekly, you can find blogs written by all sides of the triad at www.kindredand.co/blog Kindred + Co. also creates modern, custom adoption profile books for prospective adoptive parents. Kindred + Co. was the first profile book provider to have a birth mom on their team that educates clients on language and best practices for making your profiebook. Kindred helps you make a book that you can feel proud to present - while making sure that every expectant mom that flips through your book feels seen and respected. To learn more you can visiting www.kindredand.co - and following Kindred + Co.  on instagram @kindredand.co Find Us: instragram.com/adoptionhacks facebook.com/adoptionhacks Guest views and opinions are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Adoption Hacks. We strive to create a space for adoptive parents to learn and grow from a variety of perspectives, experiences and opinions from all sides of the triad. We hope you join us in honoring the unique backgrounds and stories of our guests.

On todays show we are talking with Sharon from Gift of Adoption. Gift of Adoption (GOA) is a national charity that provides grants to complete the adoptions of vulnerable children – giving them permanent families and the chance to thrive. Founded in 1996, GOA is celebrating 25 years, $11.5 million in adoption funding and 3,900 children home for good (as of June 2021). If you are new to this adoption world there are usually so many questions surrounding fundraising and adoption grants, so we wanted to talk with an organization to hear how it works, what are they looking for, and how to apply.  Find out more of what Gift of Adoption is doing and your local chapter here:  https://giftofadoption.org/ In a couple weeks we are going to do a Q&A episode! So send us ALL your questions! You can DM us on Instagram or Facebook @adoptionhacks email us at adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com or send us a voice memo that could be featured on the show! anchor.fm/adoptionhacks Find Us: instragram.com/adoptionhacks facebook.com/adoptionhacks Guest views and opinions are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Adoption Hacks. We strive to create a space for adoptive parents to learn and grow from a variety of perspectives, experiences and opinions from all sides of the triad. We hope you join us in honoring the unique backgrounds and stories of our guests.

Today on the show, Kandace interviews JT Olsen, founder and executive director of Both Hands. Both Hands helps families fundraise for their adoption by coordinating a service project fixing up a widow's home. Their mission is to fulfill James 1:27 by serving widows, orphans and adoptive families simultaneously.  If you are fundraising fr an adoption, this is a must listen! Hear the heart behind this organization and get inspired to do your own project. And even if you are not currently fundraising, this episode is wrth the listen to hear JT's own story of loss and how it led him to create Both Hands.  Check out all Both Hands is doing Here:  https://bothhands.org/ In a couple weeks we are going to do a Q&A episode! So send us ALL your questions! You can DM us on Instagram or Facebook @adoptionhacks email us at adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com or send us a voice memo that could be featured on the show! anchor.fm/adoptionhacks  Find Us:  instragram.com/adoptionhacks facebook.com/adoptionhacks Guest views and opinions are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Adoption Hacks. We strive to create a space for adoptive parents to learn and grow from a variety of perspectives, experiences and opinions from all sides of the triad. We hope you join us in honoring the unique backgrounds and stories of our guests. 

Kasi Pruitt is with us today and WOW it is so incredible to hear her adoption journey and her perspective. She is a mom of 5, soon to be 6 kids. In this episode we talk about navigating unknowns. What do we do when life looks different from what we imagined? Maybe that is medical needs or simply starting an adoption in the middle of a pandemic. Most adoptions at some point hit things we just did not expect. Kasi talks us through what that was like for her family and walks us through some things she has learned along the way.  Find Kasi on Instagram:  @pruittkasi  Email Us:  adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com Find Us FB/IG: @adoptionhacks Guest views and opinions are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Adoption Hacks. We strive to create a space for adoptive parents to learn and grow from a variety of perspectives, experiences and opinions from all sides of the triad. We hope you join us in honoring the unique backgrounds and stories of our guests. 

This week we get to talk with Whitney Runyon from The Archibald Project! Whitney and her husband are adoptive parents who are passionate about empowering others to care for orphaned and vulnerable children. In this episode we get to hear Whitney’s personal adoption story and what the Archibald Project is and how it began. Then we dive into a deep discussion of ethics in adoption. What can we do as prospective and current adoptive parents to ensure that we are promoting ethical adoptions? What are some of the typical ethical downfalls in this process and how can we spot the red flags? We know this talk is Heavy! But its sooo important for us to have. Check out all The Archibald Project is doing here: TheArchibaldProject.com And on Instagram at @TheArchibaldProject Email Us: adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com Find Us IG/FB: @adoptionhacks Guest views and opinions are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Adoption Hacks. We strive to create a space for adoptive parents to learn and grow from a variety of perspectives, experiences and opinions from all sides of the triad. We hope you will join us in honoring the unique backgrounds and stories of our guests.

Lanaya Graham is with us this week! And of course we are talking about BOOKS!  You may know Lanaya from her instagram account @adoption.books where she shares her honest, detailed book reviews- not just recommendations. She speaks out about how the complexities of adoption really need to be reflected in Children’s books, and that adoptees need appropriate representation in literature. Her reviews include children’s literature, biographies, and adoptive parenting books. Resources Mentioned in Episode:  Adoptee Reading: http://adopteereading.com/ Frankie and Friends Talk Adoption by Pam Kroskie Motherbridge of Love by Xinran Growing Grace by Erin Mason Star of the Week by Darlene Friedman Through Adopted Eyes by Elena Hall The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier Find her on IG at adoption.books and her website www.lanayagraham.com This weeks episode is sponsored by Kindred + Co! Kindred + Co. is a brave adoption community that lifts stories from all sides in the adoption triad. Kindred believes that sharing stories is a powerful way to understand and education on the complexities of adoption. Kindred and Co. desires to see relationships built within the adoption triad. Kindred hosts online coffee hours, in person retreats and hopefully will be launching their first conference in the near future. Weekly, you can find blogs written by all sides of the triad at www.kindredand.co/blog Kindred + Co. also creates modern, custom adoption profile books for prospective adoptive parents. Kindred + Co. was the first profile book provider to have a birth mom on their team that educates clients on language and best practices for making your profiebook. Kindred helps you make a book that you can feel proud to present - while making sure that every expectant mom that flips through your book feels seen and respected. To learn more you can visiting www.kindredand.co - and following Kindred + Co.  on instagram @kindredand.co Find Us on IG/FB:  @adoptionhacks Email Us:  adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com

Michelle Batten is with us this week to talk about the Power of Play! Michelle is a TBRI® Educator, SSP Practitioner,  and ACPI Parenting Coach. Michelle is a a trauma responsive parenting coach who helps exhausted adoptive and foster parents explore needs behind difficult behavior, find hope again, and bring healing to their family.  In this episode we discuss the the healing power of play time with our children. What happens in our child's brain while we play and some practical games and tools to build in connection times to our daily lives.  Find out more about Michelle at HopeParenting.com Find Us on IG/FB: @adoptionhacks Email Us:  adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com

We talk about EVERYTHING in this episode! Whatever stage of adoption you are in, this episode has something for you. Ligia shares her personal story of loss and how it led to adoption. We also discuss what it's like to adopt as a person of color and finding community. Ligia shares where things stand with racial justice and the adoption community and what the future of trainings could look like. And she talks about personal stories of her adoption journey and how we can love our children well.  Check out Ligia's website and book here:  https://www.ligiacushman.com/ More about Ligia: Inspired by her very deep and personal connections to adoption, fueled by being the daughter of immigrants and motivated by the realities of a complex society, Ligia has become a fierce advocate for adopted children and multiracial families. Her ability to have authentic conversations about her Afro-Latina experience, adopting a mixed race child, and being married interracially is genuine and insightful. Part of her personal mission is to address how differences in class, culture, and race impact adoption in today's world. Ligia is also dedicated to changing the narrative by introducing a modern understanding of adoption through her own professional and personal story. Earning a Masters Degree in Professional Counseling and with over 18 years of experience as a social worker, Ligia recently stepped into the role of  National Child Welfare Consultant at AdoptUSKids. n 2019, Ligia published her first book "Heard: How Loss Led Us to Love" which was recognized as one of the top 20 books on adoption by Book Authority. In 2020, Ligia’s blog was named one of the best adoption blogs of 2020 by Healthline Parenthood. Her hope is to raise awareness and change the narrative of what it means to be a transracial adoptive family in a world that often wants to put you in a box. Find Us on IG/FB @adoptionhacks Email Us AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com

Check out Part 1 from yesterday!  Co-hosts Kandace and Callie have recorded the podcast they wish they had in the early days of adoption! The goals of attachment are to create a connection, build trust and let the child know they are safe, understood and their needs are being met. We go through many different ways to ease in connection and attachment through Eye Contact, Physical Touch, Closeness, Language, Food, Smells and Sleep.We want this episode to give you hope that attachment is a journey with ebbs and flows and provide you with very very practical ways that we found helpful. Email Us: AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com Find Us on IG/FB: @AdoptionHacks

Co-hosts Kandace and Callie have recorded the podcast they wish they had in the early days of adoption! The goals of attachment are to create a connection, build trust and let the child know they are safe, understood and their needs are being met. We go through many different ways to ease in connection and attachment through Eye Contact, Physical Touch, Closeness, Language, Food, Smells and Sleep.We want this episode to give you hope that attachment is a journey with ebbs and flows and provide you with very very practical ways that we found helpful. Part 2 will be out tomorrow!! Email Us:  AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com Find Us on IG/FB: @AdoptionHacks

Allie Haaz from Bethel China is with us today! Bethel China cares for children across China who are blind or have significant visual impairment. They provide preschool services and adoption advocacy for children who have been orphaned and therapy for families with visually impaired children so these families can receive education and support. Bethel is a great example of how we can advocate for family preservation and adoption at the same time. In this episode we discuss how Bethel is doing that and how we as adoptive families can do that as well. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allie.bethel.104 Website: https://www.bethelchina.org/ Email: allie@bethelchina.org Love at Last Grants: https://www.facebook.com/loveatlastgrants/ Exposed to Hope: https://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Hope-Families-Visually-Impaired-ebook/dp/B00JRSWWZ2/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Bethel+china&qid=1605549763&sr=8-5 Find Us:  FB/IG @adoptionhacks Email Us:  adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com

Mom of 12 through birth and adoption, Lisa Qualls, and late child-development expert Dr. Karyn Purvis provide practical advice and powerful tools to encourage secure attachment for adoptive and foster families in The Connected Parent: Real-Life Strategies for Building Trust and Attachment. The final written work of bestselling author Dr. Purvis, The Connected Parent includes insights from her decades of renowned clinical research devoted help children coming from hard places. Qualls, co-host of The Adoption Connection Podcast, demonstrates how readers can successfully implement these strategies taught by Dr. Purvis in their homes, just as she did in hers. After 22 years of marriage and seven children by birth, the Qualls took the first step towards adoption. Several years later, after adopting four kids, they reached a point of tremendous discouragement and exhaustion. “We read books, received training, and learned that it would take time for our adopted children to trust us, accept us, attach to us, and begin healing,” said Qualls. “But we were experiencing extreme challenges. One of our kids was so wounded that her suffering was impacting all of us. It was a dark and dreadful place to be. We felt shame over our apparently insufficient parenting skills and our inability to bring healing to our child.” Email Us: adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com FB/IG @adoptionhacks

In this episode Callie interviews Foster/Adoptive Parents - Bennett and Brittany. They share their heart for foster children and their beautiful family story. We discuss how their view of parenthood has shifted, overcoming fears and navigating and valuing birth family relationships. This episode is Sponsored by The Mustard Seed Marketplace: The Mustard Seed Marketplace believes your purchases make a powerful impact! Whether it's providing jobs for overcomers of sex-trafficking, or supporting small businesses - they want you to be able to shop the causes that you care for most! They’re passionate about bringing you on-trend items with a greater purpose. Shop online at www.themustardseedmarketplace.com and find them on Facebook and Instagram at @themustardseedmarketplace  Email Us: AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com FB/IG: AdoptionHacks

Torie Dimartile is a doctoral student in Sociocultural Anthropology at Indiana University studying the impact of systemic racism on domestic transracial adoption and an advocate for racial justice in the Christian church. She herself is a transracial adoptee on a lifelong journey towards a healthy racial identity. In this episode we talk about the history of transracial adoptions and systematic racism in the US adoption industry. We also discuss how adoptive parents can prepare for their transracial adoptions and things to look for in agencies. Find Torie Here: https://wreckageandwonder.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/wreckageandwonder Join us in thanking Torie for her time here: Venmo: @Victoria-DiMartile Email Us: AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com FB/IG: AdoptionHacks

In this episode Callie interviews Elizabeth McGlathery about her company Honey Clothing Company.  Elizabeth and her husband adopted a child from South Korea and during that time realized the need for single mother support in the country. Honey creates retro, stylish clothing and accessories and gives a portion of their proceeds to support Korean single mothers. In this episode you'll hear Elizabeth's adoption story, how Honey was created and advise for those wanting to start a small business that gives back.  Listeners can get 20% off your next order from Honey by using the code ADOPTIONHACKS  Find Honey Here:  https://honeyclothingcompany.com Email Us:  AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com FB/IG @AdoptionHacks It's an honor to be listed as #2 in Feedspots Top Foster Care Podcasts! https://blog.feedspot.com/foster_care_podcasts/

On the show this week we have - Sonia Martin, LICSW, PIP, TBRI® PRACTITIONER from Lifeline Children Services. Sonia serves as Lifeline's Director in the Central Alabama area. She engages the central Alabama church community in implementing Families Count, birth mother support and services, and speaking to parents, professionals, Judges, DHR attorneys, & GAL’s at various conferences in the southeast on topics such as parenting kids from hard places and how to measure bonding and attachment in deciding best placement for children in foster care.  Sonia is the mother of 7 teenage boys, 3 of which were adopted internationally and she is a foster parent for Montgomery County DHR. Sonia and Kandace discuss "typical" behaviors in foster and adoptive children, what parents need to be aware of and what is under the surface of those behaviors. And we have an in depth discussion where Sonia gives VERY practical examples of how we can flip the conversation and create connected moments when we are parenting and correcting.  See what Lifeline is doing here:  https://lifelinechild.org Follow Us IG/FB: @AdoptionHacks Email Us:  adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com

In this episode, Callie interviews Elena S. Hall, a Russian adoptee with a passion for adoption advocacy. Elena’s goal is to aid those in the adoption triad to promote healing and growth within the adoption community and empower readers to share their own stories. Elena is the author of 2 books which we discuss in this episode: Through Adopted Eyes which explores the world of adoption from the viewpoint of adoptees. Elena shares her own story and thoughts on the subject of adoption in addition to interviews from other adoptees of different ages, heritages, and perspectives. And Through Adopted Hearts which explores the world of adoption from the viewpoints of both birth and adoptive parents. If you are an adoptive parent, birth parent, adoptee, or just curious to learn more, these book provides thoughtful and challenging perspective into how adoption shapes and changes lives. If you’d like to join us in thanking Elena for her time and work in the adoptive community, you can do so via Venmo @elena_hall Check out all that Elena is doing here: Instagram: @throughadoptedeyes Facebook Amazon Audible Email Us: AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com IG/FB: AdoptionHacks

Steven Benedict is a Professional Track Athlete & Olympic Qualifier, Keynote Speaker, the founder of the Fostering Success Project, and Published Health Personality.  In this episode Steven tells his story of growing up in the foster system, how that led to his running career and how he is now using his platform to come alongside foster children.  His ongoing determination to his sport and companies runs parallel with his dedication to sharing a story that will inspire and highlight an oftentimes hidden reality. There are hundreds of thousands of adults and children like him who need to know that our experiences are not our finish line. More importantly, there are millions of people that need to hear his message. Resilience and the ability to overcome adversity is not just a story for kids in foster care or adopted homes, it is a story for everyone. Check out all that Steven is doing here:  https://www.stevieyb.com This episode is sponsored by GOEX - GOEX believes in the power of purchase. They use a simple t-shirt to connect their customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. They are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com Email Us:  AdoptionHacksInfo@gmail.com FB/IG:  AdoptionHacks Review us on iTunes!

Welcome to Season 4 of Adoption Hacks! This season the show will be hosted by both Kandace Lecocq and Callie Troyer! We will be taking turns interviewing guests and coming together to discuss topics.  This season 4 debut episode features Callie's husband Brian who is a licensed marriage and family therapist and TBRI practitioner and an adoptive dad. He is with us today to discuss practical ways to incorporate TBRI in your home. Trust Based Relational Intervention is an incredible tool especially for parenting children from hard places. But sometimes it can be hard to see how the science and the methods of TBRI translate into everyday life.. in your home.. with your child.  In this episode you'll hear how TBRI comes into play in Brian and Callie's everyday parenting.  This episode is sponsored by Brave Gals! Brave Gals mission is to empower Mompreneurs through a collection of apparel items with encouraging messages and fostering a community of women to share their Brave stories. Check out BraveGals.com and use coupon code adoptionhacks10 for 10% off!  Rate us on iTunes! Follow Us (IG/FB): @adoptionhacks Email Us: adoptionhacksinfo@gmail.com