Advertise on podcast: The Forgotten Adoption Option Podcast

You don't need a degree, title, or position of authority to advocate for change! In this bonus episode, I'm joined by Ella Bat-Ami, a young woman who aged out of foster care and went on to advocate for a Foster Youth Bill of Rights in Tennessee. Ella shares how she found mentors, brought her ideas before state lawmakers, and used her lived experience to speak up for others. We also talk about how adults can support young people in finding their voices and how anyone can begin advocating right where they are.

I’ve wanted to have this conversation for a very long time. In this episode, I’m joined by Toni Jordan, the first biological parent to share her story on The Forgotten Adoption Option Podcast. Toni shares what it was like for her child to enter foster care and ultimately be adopted by another family, what she wishes adoptive families understood about first families, and a powerful story of recovery and redemption. This is a perspective that belongs in the foster care adoption conversation, and I’m grateful Toni trusted me to help make space for it.

Our stories and experiences can change the way people understand foster care adoption, but knowing what to say, what not to say, and how to say it can feel intimidating. In this episode, I’m joined by Melissa Otero, National Campaign Director at AdoptUSKids, to talk about strategic sharing, overcoming the fear of speaking up, protecting the parts of a story that aren’t ours to tell, and how any of us can use our voice to help others better understand foster care adoption and take action. Mentioned in this episode:Melissa shares the story of the Arntson family in Minnesota, whose foster care adoption journey began after seeing an AdoptUSKids billboard with the message, “You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.” Watch the Arntson family’s story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r5-2vuxZ7I

In this episode, I talk with educator and adoptive mom Laura Adams about building Adoption & Foster Friendly Schools™. We explore how schools can better support students from adoptive, foster, and kinship families and why connection, understanding, and belonging matter so much for children with complex family stories.

In this bonus episode, I talk with Kacie Alexander and Heather McDow from Alltru Credit Union about how one conversation led to adoption-friendly workplace benefits and changed a family's adoption journey. Discover why employers of any size can make a lasting difference for children and adoptive families.

In this episode, I talk with Walmart leader Kacie Alverson about how one workplace turned National Adoption Month into an opportunity to educate, encourage, and support the adoption community. Together, we explore practical ideas that listeners can bring to their own workplaces, regardless of company size.

My friend Haeli has walked alongside my family through every stage of our foster care adoption journey. From respite care to adoption day celebrations, we discuss practical ways friends, family members, and community members can support children and families impacted by foster care and adoption.

What happens when you talk about adoption? In this episode, I sit down with my friend and mentor Susan Haertling to discuss her experiences as both an adoptee and adoptive mom. We talk about what led us to collaborate on It's Okay to Talk About Adoption, why adoption conversations matter, and what happened after she shared her connection to the book on social media. We also discuss the importance of sharing what feels right for us, honoring our own boundaries, and how even a small act of openness can create opportunities for understanding and impact.

In this episode, I’m joined by a high school English teacher who piloted the Teen Edition of the Foster Care Adoption Awareness Reading Program alongside my new graphic novel, Ready or Not? We talk about what it actually looks like to bring this into a classroom, how students responded, and how educators can realistically use it during the school year. If you’re an educator or know one, learn more and access the resources at ReadyOrNotBook.org.

Deborah Olivia Farmer, adoptive mom and nonprofit founder, shares her own journey through foster care adoption and how she helps others overcome the fears that often hold people back.

What is EMDR therapy and how does it help children process trauma? EMDR trained therapist Casey O'Donnell Jones, M.Ed., LPC, RPT explains Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing , how it works in practice, and how foster and adoptive families can identify whether EMDR may support healing after early childhood trauma.

Keeping siblings together isn’t accidental. It’s intentional. Tiffany and Hakim talk about how they prepare for sibling groups and what it looks like to be the family that says yes when agencies are trying to keep brothers and sisters together.

Christie Erwin is the Executive Director of Project Zero, an organization with a bold mission: Zero. Noun. The number of children that should be waiting in foster care to be adopted. If that sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve been wearing their gray T-shirt for years. And when you’ve helped more than 1,600 children find a permanent family, you’ve earned the right to talk about getting closer to zero. In this episode, Christie shares how Project Zero is transforming the way children waiting for adoption are seen, advocated for, and ultimately connected to families. We talk about strategy, urgency, and what it really takes to move from hundreds waiting to numbers that once felt impossible. Because zero is not just a word. It’s a commitment.

Adoptive mom Francine Apy shares the story behind her adoption pendant necklace and her business, SoulFilling, which helps normalize adoption and support families touched by it.

Adoptive mom and Reclaim Compassion author Lisa C. Qualls explains blocked care and how parents can begin reclaiming compassion in adoptive families.Learn more about Lisa and her work at www.lisacqualls.com