Conversation & discussion on contemporary Adoption & Fostering
Episodes
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
In this special short podcast Al went up to the House of Lords for the official release of the CVAA's report "A home for me? - A comparative review of the value of different forms of permanence for children – Adoption, SGOs and Fostering"
You can read it Here
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jan 28, 2023
Saturday Jan 28, 2023
In this episode we add in a little about our trip to the DfE then crack on with the interview with Sam Turner the head of policy and public affairs at the charity Kinship (starting 10:00). We discuss the broader issues around families living with kinship/SGO/CAOs as well as look directly at the specific issues that may be raised in the upcoming Governmental response to the Care Review.
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jan 21, 2023
Saturday Jan 21, 2023
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast.
In this episode we speak Rebekah Pierre a care experienced social worker.
Bekah came on a webcast in November and shared some of her experiences and views while promoting the Free Loaves on Friday project. In this episode she shares more of her personal story and experiences and perspectives on the care system.
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
This is a little podcast special, we were up to the Department for Education for a meeting of the Adopter Reference Group. We thought it wise to feedback what happened and some reflections on the ARG now the Leadership Board has ended.
Note: it was recorded in a pub yard next to a building site, we sat in the cold crisp shade under blue skies and chatted. It was rather pleasant, but noisy!
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jan 14, 2023
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
Lots to catch up on this week with surveys, news and more. We go for a high energy opening and we'll see how that pans out.
Here's links to the surveys we discussed:
Adoption Support Agencies: proposed regulation changes here
Regulating supported accommodation for looked after children and care leavers aged 16 & 17 here
We were contacted by Rita from the Dave Thomas Foundation based in the US in relation to the work that they do to promote and facilitate the adoption of older children from the public care system in the US. We thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to look into a system that we rarely discuss but has a profound hold across adoption culture. (Starting 29 mins) Rita was incredibly articulate and clearly has a depth knowledge of the US system and the unique challenges that they face. We chat about the specific issues of adopting older children, Wendy's Wonderful Kids program and the processes that are built around that, we also discuss the broader system and some of the specific issues that impact on the US adoption culture. Scott was a little cheeky and asked his favourite question!
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jan 07, 2023
Saturday Jan 07, 2023
In this episode we speak to Maggie May and she shares her unconventional journey through the foster care system and her decision to be adopted at 14 in Ireland. Maggie May has a unique perspective and also lives with the hidden disability of FASD. She describes the challenges she faced and the impact of the diagnosis on her life.
It’s a remarkable story and we’ll definitely be asking Maggie may back on to share the work she does as an advocate for the FASD community and the education and support she offers carers and parents of children with FASD.
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
Saturday Dec 31, 2022
Saturday Dec 31, 2022
In this episode we invite Paula and Tris back onto the podcast and we reflect on some of the challenges, trials, tribulations, lessons and joys of 2022. We of course mention Scott's health incident and the Coates' latest grandchild as well as reflect on a broad range of issues including therapeutic support, what children really want and the top three podcasts of the year.
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Friday Dec 30, 2022
Friday Dec 30, 2022
Here we go the most listened to podcast of 2022 by a fair way!
So, following the 'success' and brutal honesty of last year's spousal episode we invited our respective other halves onto the podcast as we start the new year. Last year we looked at the impact of adoption on relationships and this year we're focusing on Therapy. We consider the trials and tribulations of accessing therapy, what therapy works, the impact on our children and the benefit to us. As always, it's a fun and frank exchange we talk about our own experiences and some of the challenges we've faced.
As we mention in the podcast you can visit the noborderstraining website and access links to some of the resources or you can DM us if you've any questions.
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, Fostering or special guardianship from any perspective and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter page or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Thursday Dec 29, 2022
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
In our roundup of the 2022 this was our second most listened to episode, again we see the experience of developing contact with birth parents as an issue that attracts interested.
In this episode we respond to a listeners question in relation to meeting adopted children's birth parents. We had a fantastic response on Facebook to the question and we also asked birth mother Charlotte (see this episode) to share her thoughts. We included her contribution via recorded message at the end of the podcast and really appreciate her contribution. Meeting parents can be a difficult for everyone involved and we unpick some of the issues and reflect on the shared comments and perspectives.
We also unpick some of the issues raised by the recent Somerset judgement and the impact on some prospective adopters and those with children just joined.
As always there's plenty of banter and inappropriate email shenanigans, as well we also announce an upcoming guest and ask for a little help from you.
As always if you’ve experience of adoption, Fostering or special guardianship from any perspective and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook or twitter page or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
It's the end of 2022 and we're re releasing the top three downloaded podcasts of the year. In third place we have Episode 132.
In this podcast we are joined by adoptive parent Elaine Amy, from that Twitter, and we open up a discussion in relation to adoptive parent’s responses to the changing landscape and criticisms of adoption. This is a conversation between adopters about adoption and that’s the focus of the conversation hence no adoptee voices.
We chat in relation to the questions of human rights, birth parent’s perspectives and our perspectives on the difficult issue of contact. We also discuss the challenges of supporting children when they have different views to their siblings as well as how our views have changed across our experience of being adopters .
It’s a fairly open discussion and looks at a range of topics that are a little less travelled, we would of course welcome any comments or thoughts on what we chat about.
We are always happy to hear from anyone who may have experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective and would like to share your views of perspective please get in touch on Facebook, Twitter or email at aandfpodcasst@gmail.com
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