In this episode of Heart-To-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by Deborah Spivak, a private attorney whose practice is limited to adoptions, and Ashley Kodet, a county administrator for infants court, to discuss post-adoption contact agreements (PACA) in private infant adoption and foster care. 

In this episode of Adoption & Beyond, Nicole and Alyse sat with Kristy, AFTH's Director of Marketing and Communications to speak about their experience as mothers. They spoke frankly on their highs and lows of motherhood. Some of the topics discussed are: postpartum depression, post partum anxiety, how being a mother affects their work in the adoption field and much more.

In this episode of A Heart to Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by Rebekah McGee, a licensed social worker from NYC and mom of 3, as well as Brittany, stay-at-home mom of 6. We discuss character and self-identity while battling disability, support and coping with disappointment, and expectation management. Tune into this episode to learn more about parenting special needs children in all its beauties and struggles.

Happy National Adoption Month! This month, we will be bringing you a new episode every week. The marketing team has given our host Jenna Stocks a break to bring you stories from every member of the adoption triad. This first episode, we focused on the Social Work Experience. Often times, we do not think about the behind the scenes of the adoption world. Many people forget that there are people who work day in and out to ensure that our clients are served. We wanted to start this series, highlighting our social workers. We invited the Adoptions From The Heart Delaware social workers to share their experiences in the field. They talked about everything from work environment, difficulties in the field, self care as social workers, the most impactful moments in their career and much more. Tune into this episode to learn more from Danielle, Amanda and Mykhia as they share what is like being an adoption social worker. 

We hope you enjoy and we will see you next week! 

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart, you can go to www.afth.org or call 800-355-5500. 

This week is Infertility Awareness week, so we wanted to begin our discussion about the grief and loss surrounding infertility and moving through a diagnosis and treatment options and then possibly making a transition into considering adoption.

Our guests today include Tracy Whitney who is a Content Manager at Creating a Family, the national non-profit whose mission is to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. We are also happy to have Michaelina Bendig who has been a social worker at Adoptions From The Heart for the past 21 years. Each of our guests today have both personal & professional experience in the realm of infertility and adoption.

Episode Highlights:

• When It’s Recommended to See Professional if Struggling to Conceive
• How to Process the Emotional Impact
• Guests’ Personal Struggles with Pregnancy & Infertility
• Creating a Family Resources
• Men and Women Tend to Grieve Differently
• Open Communication about Next Step
• Transitioning into Adoption Process
• When Partners Are on Different Pages
• Education is Key to the Next Step

In this episode of Heart-To-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by Liz and Sarah, also known as, 2AdoptiveMamas for some insight on Adoptive moms who are taking steps to be the change they want to see in the adoption community! These 2 mamas have very different adoption stories but are connected by similar experiences of which they have no problem sharing with you! Click play to learn more about Adoptive parenthood, the importance of community, and the impact of foundational communication and trust!

Website: https://twoadoptivemamas.com/

Podcast: 2 Adoptive Mamas | Available on Apple Podcast, Amazon, and Spotify

Instagram: @2adoptivemamas

In this episode, we welcome Keri Friedman and Jennifer Conn. Keri is a Chinese adoptee who will soon be graduating college with a degree in Psychology and is currently interning at Adoptions From The Heart. Jennifer is a Korean adoptee who works with adoptees and families as a licensed social worker and child and family therapist. She also serves on the AFTH Board of Directors. Our discussion ranged from highlighting some of the generational differences among Asian adoptees to the many aspects of their experiences that are similar including challenges relating to transracial adoption, confronting the globalization of Western beauty standards and shaping their identity over time.

Episode Highlights

• Learning about adoption from a young age
• Transracial adoption - children understand and notice race at a very young age
• Different generations have different levels of documentation available about adoption
• DNA testing to learn more about self and make possible biological connections
  • Korea now has a DNA bank than can help match adoptees with biological family in Korea
• Growing up – community, culture & school
• Globalization of Western beauty standards and the effects on many Asian adoptees
• Disconnect between how adoptees see themselves and how the outside world sees them
• How does being international adoptee affect your views on adoption?

Frequent BraveLove contributor Dominique White, a birth mom connects with AFTHtv frequent guest and birth mom Mary Kiker. The women dive into the realities of when their child's family adopts again.

Grief is a natural response to loss, but it can be a difficult emotion to navigate. In this podcast episode, we are joined by grief counselor Jenn Oglesbee to discuss misconceptions about grief, coping strategies, and healthy ways to process emotions.

You can learn more about Jenn Oglesbee and the work she does by visiting her website at www.jennoglesbee.com

Subscribe to her newsletter, "The Comfort Corner," a free weekly newsletter designed to help you feel seen and supported in your grief: www.jennoglesbee.com/comfort

Follow Jenn on Instagram@JennOglesbee

Follow us on all social media platforms @AdoptionsFromTheHeart

 AFTH transracial adoptee Carli Glen sits down for a virtual conversation with fellow transracial adoption thought-leader Angela Tucker (the subject of 2013 documentary "Closure"). Despite the fact that these African American women grew up during different time periods and on opposite coasts of one another, many aspects of their upbringing were similar. Tune in to hear the women talk about what it was like growing up in a closed adoption, communities with little diversity, and connecting with their culture as adults.  

In This episode, we sit down with Vaughn and Marvin, two adoptive dads, as they share their journey as a same-sex couple navigating the open adoption process. We discuss their experiences, similarities, and differences in adopting a newborn vs. an older child placement(a two-year-old). We also dive into the many hurdles faced with finalization, navigating transitions from one household to another, identity, addressing the importance of inclusion and diversity, how to deal with the opinions of others, and how they overcame personal challenges. To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart and the services we provide you can go to www.afth.org or call 800-355-5500. Please make sure you subscribe and rate our podcast!

Transracial adoptive parent/transracial adoptee Brandi Ebersole and AFTH transracial adoptee Carli Glen connect with episode host AFTH PR & Marketing Coordinator Meagan Twardy. The two adoptees share stories with Meagan about finding ways to connect with their culture, dealing with racism, and empowering other adoptees to speak their truth about their experiences. Brandi also talks about her experience as a transracial adoptive parent and maintaining openness with her children's birth families. 

In this episode of a Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart Podcast with invited Chris Peszka, Chris is the District Supervisor of New Jersey and the Regional Supervisor of Wynnewood, PA office at Adoptions From The Heart. He has over 30 years of experience in the adoption field and will be joined us to talk about foster care, kindship care and private agency adoption.

If you need resources to learn more about Kindship Care please visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/kinship/

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart and the services we provide, please visit www.afth.org 

In this episode, two women who faced unplanned pregnancies reflect on their journey of fighting through a storm of trauma, finding ways to heal, and the power of support from the birth parent community. Today Hope O. Baker is doing her part to share her story through her blog, a published book, and social media. Samantha Thurlow is doing her part by volunteering with AFTH to share her story and mentor others who walk through the agency's doors.

In this episode of A Heart to Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by Kristen young, Event Planning and Fundraising Coordinator of the Cade Foundation. Tune in as we discuss the importance of infertility awareness and education, as well as, financial resources and services that are available.

Cade Foundation Website: https://cadefoundation.org/

CADE Foundation Events Calendar: https://cadefoundation.org/events

Cade Foundation Instagram: @cadefoundation

In this episode of A Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart Podcast we are joined by two special guests joining us. Katie Young-Wildes and Amanda Aliberti. Katie is the  Senior Communications Specialist at Women Against Abuse. Amanda is the Birthparent Post-Placement Support Manager and Adoption Counselor at Adoptions From The Heart. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we wanted to take this episode to bring awareness about domestic violence. We talked about what is domestic violence, some of the signs, what can we do to help someone experience this and resources for people in a domestic abuse situation.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. If you are in the Philadelphia area, you can reach out to Women Against Abuse at 1.866.723.3014.

Learn more about Women Against Abuse:

Website:  www.womenagainstabuse.org 

Instagram: @womenagainstabuse

Facebook: @womenagainstabuse

In this episode of A Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast with sat down with Kelly Ellison, Founder and CEO of Your Adoption Finance Coach to answer all you adoption financial questions. In this question and answer episode, we went over adoption tax credits, fundraising for an adoption, grants and loans offered to prospective adoptive parents and much more. 

Listen to this episode to get some insight into all the different ways prospective adoptive parents can finance their adoptions. Kelly answer all the frequently asked questions we get at AFTH regarding this topic. 

If you would like to learn more about Kelly Ellison and Your Adoption Finance Coach, you can visit their website at https://www.youradoptionfinancecoach.com/ 

Follow Adoption Finance Coach on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

In this episode of Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart Podcast, we sat down with Kyle, Chantel and Katy to talk about their experience as Birth Parents. Often times people think that there is no life after placement for Birth Parents, but in this episode, we dive into the before, during and after placing their children from adoption. We discussed the reasons why they placed, infertility after placing, importance of support, openness in their adoption triad, and much more. Tune in to learn more about these three amazing Birth Parents. 

For more information about Adoptions From The Heart you can find us in any social media platform as @adoptionsfromtheheart or you can go to our website at www.afth.org. 

On this episode of a Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast we have five adoption social workers from different AFTH offices come together to talk about their experience in the adoption field. With March being Social Work Month we wanted to take a moment to recognize and highlight the lives of the people that make organization run smoothly everyday. Stephanie, Alyse, Ryle, Jackie and Katie join our guest host for this episode, Mayra, to talk about the highs and lows of the adoption social work field.

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart and the services we provide you can go to www.afth.org.

Welcome to our new and improved podcast Adoption & Beyond. On this episode of the podcast we introduce our new name and new segments of the podcast. We are also now on VIDEO! If you would like to see the episode head over to our YouTube Channel @Adoption&BeyondPodcast.

In celebration of March being National Social Work Month, we got together with three amazing guests: Jackie, Christian and Emily. They are all adoptees who now work at Adoptions From The Heart as adoption social workers. During this episode they discuss the ups and downs of working in the adoption field, their story as adoptees and how they ended up in social work, importance of work-life balance, and much more.

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart, head over to our website at www.afth.org.

In this episode of a Heart-To-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by Amanda Aliberti, AFTH Adoption Counselor and Birthparent Post-Placement Support Manager to discuss the importance of choice for pregnant people and options counseling. We are also joined by Adoptee Colleen, Birth Mother Whitney and Prospective Adoptive Parent, Kristy to discuss why choice is important for them and their reactions after hearing about the Roe v. Wade decision.

Follow us on Social Media

Instagram – @AdoptionsFromTheHeart

Facebook – @AdoptionsFromTheHeart

Twitter – @AFTH_Org

Our Website – www.afth.org

In this episode, we welcome Brianne Kirkpatrick, a genetic counselor and DNA consultant and Co-author of The DNA Guide for Adoptees: How to use genealogy and genetics to uncover your roots, connect with your biological family and better understand your medical history” and author of the e-book Could the DNA Test Be Wrong?

Sparked by curiosity surrounding the gaps in her own family history from her grandmother being a kinship adoptee,  Brianne’s interest in genealogy grew. And when consumer DNA testing became more popular, Brianne recognized her unique skillset combined as a genetic counselor and experience in genealogy and formed Watershed DNA to help others in their journey. 

Episode Highlights

• Why do people use DNA kits?

• Situations with unknown birth fathers who didn’t know they parented a child

• No Parent Expected Discover (NPE)

• How Watershed DNA can help

• Adoptees using DNA kits are encouraged to enlist a therapist or counselor to help prepared for a variety of outcomes 

• Organizing DNA results

• 4 DNA Kit Companies – “fish in all the ponds” to find a close match 

• Steps for reaching out to connections once matches made

• Nervous about having DNA out there in a system

• Can DNA tell men and women different things?

• Success stories of locating birth family 

• DNA Testing Minors

• Country-specific support groups for international adoptees

Ashley Mitchell, owner of Big Tough Girl and Founder + Executive Director of Lifetime Healing Foundation sits down for a virtual chat with AFTH's own Adoption Counselor & AFTHtv host Amanda Aliberti. These ladies dive into the nitty-gritty of the common holiday triggered anxiety and depression that expecting, and birth parents face each year.

In this episode of Adoption & Beyond, hosts Alyse and Nicole sit down with experienced social workers who have worked in both the foster care system and private adoption agencies. Our guests share unique insights into the differences between these two systems, explore common myths, and discuss the challenges families may face when deciding between foster care and private adoption. They also address sensitive topics, like the process of non-newborn placements and options for those who may already have an open case with the state. Whether you’re a prospective adoptive parent, a birth parent, or simply curious about the inner workings of child welfare, this episode offers valuable perspectives to help you understand these important choices.

In this episode of a Heart-To-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by Rebecca Vahle and our very own, Stephanie Capriotti to discuss Unique Family Care, Language, and the Importance of training in the hospital setting. Rebecca is the founder of Family-to-Family Support Network® (FFSN), the first hospital-based adoption support program in the nation. Stephanie Capriotti, Program Coordinator, and Adoption Counselor join us to share her experiences with hospital placements and working alongside birth and adoptive families.

Follow us on Social Media

Instagram – @AdoptionsFromTheHeart

Facebook – @AdoptionsFromTheHeart

Twitter – @AFTH_Org

Our Website – www.afth.org

Follow FFSN on Social Media

Facebook - @Familytofamilysupportnetwork
Website – www.familytofamilysupport.org/

This episode of A Heart- to- Heart podcast with Adoptions From The Heart, features activist and social entrepreneur, Isaac Etter and creator of the “I’m adopted, now what?” podcast and adoptee advocate Liza Stone. Join the conversation as Isaac and Liza tackle discovering your identity as a transracial adoptee, changing the stigma of agency and adoptee partnerships, and creating longevity in future successes within the adoption community.

Connect with today's guests on their Social Media(s):

Liza’s Contact Info:

Podcast: I'm Adopted, Now What?

IG: @Imadopted.podcast 

Email: Imadopted.podcast@gmail

Isaac’s Contact Info:

Website: www.Identitylearning.co

IG: @Identity.Learning

In this episode of Adoption & Beyond, Alyse and Nicole sit down with Chelsea and Randi of Grands Stepping Up, an organization dedicated to supporting kinship caregivers—grandparents and other relatives who step up to care for children within their families. They share invaluable insights into the unique challenges and rewards of kinship adoption, the resources available to help these families thrive, and the vital role of community and collaboration in supporting kinship care. To learn more about Grands Stepping Up you can go to: www.grandssteppingupinfo.com To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart and our services, you can go to: www.afth.org To listen to Taylor Shennet's podcast episode you can go here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Azj...

On this episode of A Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast we wanted to take a time a highlight the voices of people in the military community with ties to adoption. May is Military Appreciation month, so on this episode we talked the challenges of placing a child for adoption, adopting a child or being an adoption social worker while being a service member or a military spouse. During our conversation we spoke about the raw experiences of the our service men and women who have chosen adoption.

During the episode we touch on important subjects like post-partum depression, metal health, the process of adopting while in the military, maintaining openness in the adoption plan, and much more. We want to thank all Katie, Brittny and Tiffany for being open and honest about their experiences.

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart pleas visit www.afth.org or call 800-355-5500.

In this episode of a Heart-To-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by TikTok Influencer Taylor Shennett and foster mother, Nicole Fowler. Tune in as we dive into an open discussion about Social Media Impact, Transracial adoption, and Letting go of the "ColorBlind" method.

Follow Taylor on Social Media

Instagram – @taylorshennett

TikTok – @taylorruipingshen

Follow AFTH on Social Media

Instagram – @AdoptionsFromTheHeart

Facebook – @AdoptionsFromTheHeart

Twitter – @AFTH_Org

Our Website – www.afth.org

In this Special episode of our National Adoption Month: Marketing Takeover, we are joined by Councilmember At-Large, Mrs. Katherine Gilmore Richardson, for a very warm episode! During this discussion we touch on her life growing up as an adoptee, finding out she was adopted, searching for her birth family, and how her religious beliefs have kept her grounded and played such a huge role in her successes very early on!

To learn more and stay up-to-date with Councilmember Kathrine Gilmore-Richardson, visit her website as well as follow her on social media at:

Instagram: @CouncilwomanKGR 

Twitter: @CouncilwomanKGR 

Facebook: @CouncilmemberKatherineGilmoreRichardson

In this episode of Adoption & Beyond Podcast we sat down with Amanda Aliberti and Sheila Kowit , AFTH social workers, to talk about pregnancy options counseling and placing non-newborn children for adoption. For more information about AFTH services for expecting and birth parents you can go to afth.org/pregnant.

Search and reunions are important topics to cover when discussing adoption. On today’s podcast, we welcome two women who have made a significant impact helping adoptees and birth parents in their search process. Helen Blair Schuler is a former Orphan’s Court Administrator in Montgomery County and continues to provide adoption search services. Marilyn Rich is Adoptions From The Heart’s Search Coordinator and District Supervisor for our Central PA Region with over 28 years as an adoption social worker. Marilyn is also an adoptee.

In this episode, we will discuss the ins and outs of Pennsylvania Adoption Searches: What is a search, what the statues say, how confidentiality and right to know play in adoption searching. Most importantly, know it’s a very personal journey and each individual can decide if and when they begin their own personal search.

Episode Highlights

• What is an Adoption Search
• 1984 Adoption Statue & Revisions with 2010’s ACT 101
• How do Searches Begin
• Adoption Searches and Confidentiality
• What Happens When an Agency Wasn’t Involved in Adoption Placement
• Agency Maintaining Adoption Records for 99 Years
• How to Reach Out During a Search
• Reasons for Searching
• Increase in Birth Parents Requesting Searches for Adoptees
• Encountering Surprises During the Search Process
• Balancing Privacy of Birth Parents and Adoptee Right to Knowledge
• Creating a Relationship After Connecting
• Searching is Not for Everyone and That’s OK Too

A Heart-to-Heart with Educator, Servant Leader, and Proud Birth Mother Courtney Tierra & AFTH Birth/Frequent AFTHtv Guest Mom SeAyra Greene.

In this episode of Adoption & Beyond, Nicole and Alyse sit down with Isaac Etter, a transracial adoptee, social entrepreneur, and the founder of Identity, a groundbreaking organization re-imagining post-placement support for adoptive and foster families.

Isaac shares his personal adoption story and the experiences that inspired him to become a passionate advocate for adoptees and their families. He dives into the complexities of navigating race and identity as a transracial adoptee, offering powerful insights into how parents and professionals can better support children in their journeys.

Listeners will also learn about Identity’s innovative approach to helping adoptive and foster families thrive and hear practical advice on fostering open conversations about race, culture, and belonging.

Whether you’re a parent, adoptee, or child welfare professional, this episode is packed with inspiration, education, and resources to help you better understand and navigate the unique challenges and joys of transracial adoption.

To learn more about Isaac and Identity you can go to https://isaacetter.com/ or https://www.identitylearning.co/.

Birth mothers Asia (AFTHtv) and Muthoni Gaciku Kittredge (Birth Mothers Amplified) join us in the sixth episode to talk about learning about their unplanned pregnancies, the reasoning behind their decision to place, and finding the courage to share their story while empowering other men and women to do the same.

This episode of A Heart- to- Heart podcast with Adoptions From The Heart features four birth mothers. SeAyra and Samantha; two AFTH Birth Mothers. Birth Mom and Educator, Courtney Tierra and Blogger and Birth mother, Hope O. Baker. This episode highlights already published interviews from these birth moms. These women touch on placing their child for adoption, the pressure the felt from those around them and the support Birth Mothers need throughout the process. To listen to the full interviews you can check out Heart -to- Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast episode one and two. 

To learn more about Courtney, you can check out her website. You can also learn more about Hope by visiting her site. 

In this episode of Heart- To- Heart with Adoptions From The Heart Podcast, we are joined by BIPOC social workers of PACT Katie Wynen and Jaciara Bayer; along with AFTH’s very own Mykhia Odom. PACT is an organization that serves children and families of color by providing more than just adoption placement, but also education and community support. Like AFTH, PACT’s goal is to ensure families are equipped with lifelong tools by providing lifelong space to be vulnerable and transparent. In this episode, we discuss the importance of representation in the adoption community, the ongoing effects of colorism in the workplace, and notorious privileges.

Thank you to all three of our special guests and Happy National Social Work Month!

Click here: https://www.pactadopt.org/events/index.asp to head over to PACT’s event calendar. Stay up to date with future BIPOC’s Professionals Support Group!

Twitter: @pactadopt

Facebook: @pactadopt

In this enlightening episode of Adoption & Beyond, we delve into the crucial topic of supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. Join us as we welcome Phii Regis from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and All Children-All Families, the largest LGBTQIA+ advocacy group in the United States.

Phii brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our discussion, offering valuable insights on how parents can create a supportive and affirming environment for their LGBTQIA+ children. We also highlight community resources that can offer additional assistance.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, or ally, this episode is packed with essential information to help you better understand and support the LGBTQIA+ youth in your life. Tune in to learn how to be a stronger advocate and ally, and discover how we can all contribute to a more inclusive and accepting world.

Resources Mentioned:

• Human Rights Campaign (HRC): HRC.org
• HRC's School Program: welcomingschools.org
• All Children - All Families Participation: https://www.hrc.im/ACAFPARTICIPATION

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on Instagram and Facebook  @AdoptionsFromTheHeart 
• Learn more about our services at www.afth.org

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with friends and family. Your support helps us continue bringing you valuable content.

Welcome to the third episode of the Marketing TakeOver of a Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast. In this episode we were joined by two amazing, adoptive parents, Sheila Kowit and Joan Smith, who also happen to be Adoptions From The Heart social workers, as well!

In this episode, we dive into a deep discussion about openness, tough conversations to have with your adoptee as an adoptive parent, as well as core issues that often arise in adoption, and so much more.

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart and the services we provide you can go to www.afth.org

On this episode of A Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are excited to welcome Leya, a Senior Social Worker at ChristianaCare in Delaware who provides supportive services to expecting parents. We are also joined by Amanda Aliberti who is an Adoption Counselor and Supervisor as well as the Expecting and Birth Parent Services Manager at Adoptions From The Heart.

Adoptions From The Heart has the honor of working alongside incredible medical professionals to provide information and support to expecting parents wanting to explore their options. Leya shares more about her role at ChristianaCare and how she advocates for patients' needs and provides support and resources as they navigate their pregnancies. Amanda discusses the importance of developing relationships and trust between AFTH and hospital staff to be able to provide seamless care to expecting parents and advocating for clients' needs is the priority whether or not they choose to move forward with an adoption plan.

In this episode of A Heart-To-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart, we are joined by the author, speaker, open adoption advocate, and host of the podcast ‘Adoption: The Long View’, Lori Holden. Although Lori is an Adoptive mother, she and Jenna take a step back in this episode, to view adoption through a lens people often are blind to. They discuss the effects and impacts of maintaining openness in the household and with birth parents. As well as, the importance of honoring Post-adoption contact agreements and doing so authentically. Lastly, but certainly, not all, they dive into the importance of extended birth families and educating everyone involved.

For more on Lori Holden, check out her social media to stay up to date with what she's doing:

Lori's Website: https://lavenderluz.com/

Lori's Instagram: @Lavluz

Lori's Twitter: @LavLuz

In this episode episode of Adoption & Beyond Podcast, we interviews three people who went through infertility and then decided to move on to adopting children. During this episode our guests speak about the raw emotions, the ups and the downs, and their grief journeys through their #infertility, as well as the adoption process.

Welcome to the second episode of the Marketing TakeOver of a Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast. In this episode we were joined by three amazing adoptees: Roslyn, Jackie and Colleen. In this episode we dived into what it was like growing up as an adoptee and the different challenges they faced. We talked about identity, relationships with birth families, struggles, biggest accomplishments, what we can do better as a community to support adoptees and much more. 

For more information about Roslyn Davis and were to buy her book " I am Precious, I am Loved" you can go to: www.authordavis.com 

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart and the services we provide you can go to www.afth.org 

On today’s podcast we welcome Ashley Kodet. Ashley began her social work career in foster care and then moved into private domestic adoption for many years. She is now using her background knowledge in her role as an Orphan’s Court Administrator in the Philadelphia area. Our discussion will focus on the adoption related court process and what it looks like after an adoption placement occurs.

Episode Highlights

• Changes in court system due to COVID
• Benefits and challenges/drawbacks with virtual model
• Highlighting some special court moments for families during COVID
• Process after adoption placement
• Different types of adoption finalizations
• Birth Parent involvement in court hearings
• Post Placement reports
• Finalization Hearing
  

In this episode of a Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast we wanted to bring you the recording of the LIVE episode we had in November. This time we brought six adoption influencers to talk about their experiences sharing their adoption stories with the world. We were so honored to have had Ashley Mitchel, Taylor Shennett, Grace Otley, Isaac Etter, Courtney Tierra and Melissa Guida-Richards share the ups and downs of using social media to advocate about adoption. 

To learn more about each specific guest, follow their links below: 

Ashley Mitchel 

Melissa Guida-Richards 

Courtney Tierra 

Taylor Shennett

Isaac Etter 

Grace Otley

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart you can go you www.afth.org 

In honor of March being National Social Work Month, we wanted to dive further into what it’s like being an essential worker and how the field of social work has been affected by the pandemic.

Our guests today include Dr. Chelsea Toth, Director of Field Education & Assistant Professor of Social Work at Cedar Crest College as well as three Adoptions From The Heart’s interns Nikki, Chevonne and Jackie.

Episode Highlights

• Going out into the field for the first time during COVID
• Juggling working with clients virtually as well as in-person
• Balancing the desire to be in the field to help during the pandemic with the need to stay safe
• Adjusting to the changes in the field of social work due to COVID
• Gaps in social work roles created by not being able to see clients face-to-face
• Harder to maintain self-care and prevent burnout when working virtually
• Highlights of the past year despite COVID
• Advice for those just beginning their careers in social work

Welcome to our first podcast in 2021. Today we are joined by Jenna Smith (Domestic Program Manager), Kristin Kachmar (Expecting Parent Services Manager) and Amanda Aliberti (Post Placement Services Manager). In seeing the growing and ever-changing needs of expecting parents reaching out for help, Adoptions From The Heart responded by creating two new roles in the agency to further specialize and expand upon the services they were already providing to expecting and birth parents. On this episode, we will have an in-depth discussion about these new roles, the services provided to expecting and birth parents and why this added support is so important to the process both during and after pregnancy. Listeners will discover there is much more to the role AFTH plays in clients lives well beyond adoption services. 

For more information about Adoptions From The Heart Services, you can visit our website at www.afth.org 

TW: This episode has topics of pregnancy loss and transracial adoption. If these topics trigger you, please feel free to skip this episode.

In this episode of a Heart to Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast, we invited Emily Hogar. Emily is an adoptive mother from our Central PA office and a midwife. Emily adopted her daughter in 2019 with her husband. We want to take time to talk to Emily to hear more about her professional experience working with expecting parents as well as how that has impacted her on her journey as an adoptive mother.  In this episode we will discuss birth mother support, open adoption, midwifery, transracial adoption and racial advocacy.

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart, please visit www.afth.org.

Battling addiction can feel like a lonely road, it’s especially hard when facing that challenge while pregnant. “When you are pregnant and in addiction, it’s like no one looks at you below your shoulders. There is so much shame and judgment when all I really needed was help.”

Our guests today openly speak about their journey with addition, pregnancy and adoption. The discussion also sheds light on some of the gaps in services provided to those battling addiction and in recovery. Joining in our talk today we have Jenna Smith, Domestic Program Coordinator for Adoptions From The Heart, Amanda Aliberti, Adoption Counselor and Birth Parent Post Placement Services Coordinator, Alicia who is an outreach worker with a recovery house and placed her child for adoption in 2016, and Kristen and Alison who both have placed children through AFTH while also battling addiction and are currently in recovery.

In this episode of Adoption & Beyond we were joined by Jessica Anne Pressler and Jennifer Conn. Jessica is an author, psychotherapist and social worker and Jennifer is a psychotherapist and licensed social worker who specializes in working with young people.

During the episodes Jessica and Jennifer shared about their experience growing up as an adoptees and how their adoption impacted their lives growing up and as adults. They also touched on ways that parents can support adoptees in their journey of self discovery and provide a safe space for them to speak when they need support.

You can learn more about Jessica and her work as a psychotherapist on her website www.jessicaannepressler.com You can also follow her journey on social media @jessicaannepressler.

You can learn more about Jenn and her work with Adoptees on her website www.bloomtherapypa.com

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart you can go to www.afth.org

In this episode of a Heart-to-Heart with Adoptions From The Heart podcast, we are joined by two couples: Jim & Racheal and Rob & Sam. They joined this episode to share about their infertility journey and ultimately choosing adoption to build their family. In this episode, we touched on infertility diagnosis, impacts on infertility on a persons mental health, supporting your partner through the process, choosing adoption to grow their family, disruptions, open adoption and relationships with birth parents and much more. We thank Jim, Racheal, Rob and Sam for being vulnerable and open about their stories.

To purchase Jim's book "Why Is Light So Damned Capricious? " you can go here: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Light-So-Damned-Capricious/dp/0692050736

To learn more about Adoptions From The Heart and the services we provide you can go to www.afth.org. Please make sure you subscribe and rate our podcast!