Adoption Uncovered

There are many Christians in the world of adoption and many of them do wonderful work supporting foster families, and foster children, and making sure children outside of the country who need homes can access them. Some families who call themselves Evangelical Christians are people who attracted the interest of investigative journalist and author Kathryn Joyce. Her book "The Child Catchers" highlights cautionary tales of what can happen if the needs of children and first families are put aside to benefit families willing to pay money to grow their families. This interview and Kathryn's book include many invitations to spark creative conversations about international adoption a few years ago and how our efforts can be better used to help children who need it get into stable homes in the future, whether that is through adoption or something else.

Most of us have heard bits and pieces about how poorly America has treated the Native Tribes that have lived on this land. We may not understand fully how adoption was weaponized against tribes to raise children who were brought up without a memory of their heritage and culture. As journalist Trace Lara Hentz began to look into her own past as a Native American Adoptee she began to realize how many people like her are out there and alone. This year she is embarking on a project to find out how many adoptees in America and around the world can trace their history to a Native American tribe. Listen to this interview with Trace for more information about how adoption is connected to America's treatment of Native American tribes, and where we should go from here.

Lynn Grubb felt fairly comfortable growing up as an adoptee. Then, when she became an adult she got curious and decided she wanted to find her birth family. The process wasn't smooth for her and she learned a lot along the way. Now that she has discovered where she came from she offers advice to others seeking their past. Lynn also gives back to children in foster care by volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem, also known as CASA. You can find out more about doing DNA searches and volunteering with foster care in this podcast episode.

Patricia Knight Meyer's story seems foreign compared to the happy renditions of adoptive families brought together for happy holiday photos. She was adopted quietly, without proper paperwork. This left her in a state of limbo for a good portion of her life, worried that if anyone looked hard enough she would not be able to prove her identity or her citizenship. Over the course of her life she sought out her birth family, but even that connection was not a simple solution to her problem. Find out about more about how she navigated life without documentation and how her writing helped her process her experience.

When Carlynne Hershberger found out she was pregnant at 19 she could never have known then how that experience would shape the rest of her life. Many women don't. In Carlynne's case she became a victim of the baby scoop era when young pregnant women were hidden away and their babies were taken from them with little consideration for their feelings on the matter and given to other families to raise. Carlynne wants us to be aware that even though the baby scoop era is technically in the past, large pieces of that thinking remain. She believes birth mothers need more support and more options available to them so they can truly consider what is best for them and their children.

Adoption is changing. Technology now makes it possible to adopt the embryos left over from couples who have attempted or succeeded in IVF treatments. Oversight and regulation of this transaction is in its infancy. The people adopting these embryos and those encouraging the idea of the personhood of these embryos are a select group. Where is this practice headed and what does it mean for the children who are conceived through this practice and the couples who could start families this way, but don't have access to this practice yet? These are all questions that still need to be solved as embryo adoption grows. Risa Cromer has been studying embryo adoption as an anthropologist who specializes in reproductive politics at Purdue University. This conversation I have with her sheds some light on where embryo adoption came from and where it might be headed.

Nick Adam's King and his husband began their adoption journey years ago with the adoption of their son. Later they adopted again and their daughter joined the family. Nick helps me understand how adoptions in the UK differ from those in the US. We learn about the ups and downs of their journey and how Nick learned to find his place among the school "Mommy Mafia".

The orphan trains were an early experiment in American history in which well meaning adults in large East Coast cities put children that didn't appear to be in the care of an adult on a train out west to be adopted by farm families . For some children this meant they traded a life of scrounging on the street for food and living out in the elements for a warm bed and regular meals. Other children who were only temporarily without care knew they were leaving whole families behind in the city and didn't want to go. Then there were children who were confused and didn't know which way to turn. Some of the families these children were placed into did give them a warm bed and a spot at the family table. Other children languished in the barn and were treated as indentured help. Looking into America's adoption history can help us see where we have come from and teach us lessons on where we should go. Learn along with us.

JeNae Goodrich was adopted into her own family as a child.  Growing up surrounded by adopted siblings helped prepare her for her life of social work, but she couldn’t have predicted that she would have gotten involved with one of the toughest, most stressful and even controversial sides of adoption. JeNae heads up the KidTeen program at Wasatch International adoption agency. Wasatch has one of the few programs in the country willing to work with families who have already adopted, but find that the child they adopted is not doing well in their home and they might need to place the child in another home. This is one of the more difficult aspects of adoption. What happens when adoptions don't work out? Find our more about this process, the children and families involved and how JeNea navigates all of this trauma to try to bring peace and wellbeing to all involved.

Nadia Levitt was adopted by her loving parents by the time she was seven years old in Australia. She grew up in a caring environment, but when teen angst caught up with her at age 15 she ran away. This traumatic event opened up a whole new side of her adoption story. Nadia has been working through the meaning of adoption for her over the course of her whole life. Even into adulthood her perspective on what adoption means in her life is still changing and growing. Explore Nadia’s story this time on Adoption Uncovered. Then hear the adoption stories Nadia is showcasing on her podcast from Australia: My Unknown Truth.

Laura Orsini didn’t know her life was about to change, but the positive pregnancy test did for her what it has done for so many other women who aren’t expecting or ready for a child. It shocked her brain into planning mode to consider her options for this pregnancy. Once Laura decided on adoption choosing a family was challenging for her, but over time she grew to appreciate her choice. She was grateful that the process was rather smooth for her, but even more grateful for her almost miraculous interaction with the adoptive family and her son later in life.

You don’t have to adopt or be a foster parent to play an important role in helping children stay in stable homes. Lauren runs a ministry in her church that specifically supports foster families within her church and the wider community.

Adoptive Black Mom was busy working on her career and waiting to see if a traditional family would happen for her. This was not what the universe dealt her. As she moved through her life she began to evaluate whether motherhood would be something she would pursue on her own. She decided to move toward adoption and as she did it felt to her that often she was on the outside of a system that was not understanding or supportive of Black adoptive parents like her. She began the Adoptive Black Mom Blog initially to keep friends and family posted on her adoption progress, but over time she realized her audience was growing and she had the chance to be the voice of the Black adoptive parent that she missed hearing along her journey.

We can learn how to change adoption from the stories of those who have been touched by it.

Join in learning about where adoption has come from and where it might go within the life and experience of Jynger Pleasant. Jynger is the Executive Director of Dillon International Adoption Agency based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When she was young she witnessed families meeting their adoptive children at the airport in the early days of adoption. Over the years she has become involved in managing relations with orphanages, helping families adopt, and then encouraging those adoptive families over time. As we see international adoptions decline in America find out how Jynger views the future of adoptions and what is happening to the orphans who are no longer making their way into American families. 

Hear Ashley's story. Discover what Respite Care is and how her family contributes to foster children's lives by stepping in when other foster families need help. See how Ashley's community comes through for her when she needs them.

Discover how Kathryn and her family navigated the foster care system. Find out what Kathryn has learned about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and its affect on her son and many adopted and foster children.