Episodes

Saturday Sep 25, 2021
#AdoptionConversations - Becky
Saturday Sep 25, 2021
Saturday Sep 25, 2021
Hello and welcome to conversations from the adoption and fostering podcast.
In this podcast we spoke to Becky a parent of two biological and one adoptive children. Becky shares their story of an unsuccessful adoption assessment that led to her and her husband having to repeat the process with a voluntary adoption agency. They were approved and half way through introductions the country went into the first lockdown.
This is an honest conversation and Becky describes some difficult experiences that they faced as a family on their adoption journey. Becky is also a social worker and shares her perspective on social work practice from that experience.
We hope you find it interesting and 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
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here
Music by
Together, We Can Make It by Neutrin05 | https://soundcloud.com/neutrin05
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Adoption Conversations - Lynne
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
In this conversation we speak to Lynne who has experienced the loss of her children through adoption as well as foster care. Lynne is searingly honest in relation to her experiences and story and consequently we advise caution as you listen. It's a profound interview as well as a collection of other recordings that Lynne has done for other organisations in relation to some of her experiences.
We hope you find it thought provoking and 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
If you’ve a story of care or adoption and would like to share your perspective or experience then please do direct message us at our twitter feed here, our facebook page here or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here
Music by
Together, We Can Make It by Neutrin05 | https://soundcloud.com/neutrin05
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Episode 125 - News, APPGs and Swearing
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Be warned, there's swearing in the worst possible way in this episode, if it's not for you then steer clear. Seriously, we quote some pretty shocking stuff as well as some comical examples but you listen at your own peril.
We start with a round up of some of the latest goings on, the new report form the The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence and the comings and goings of ministerial changes are all discussed. Then we get to the main event all prompted by the report from the National Institute for Health Research on adoption children and PTSD. Well, as Scott would say, 'No S**T Sherlock'. This led us into a very frank discussion in relation to swearing. We know that not all adopted or fostered children swear but we talk about some of our challenging family experiences as well as some of the views and anecdotes shared by twitter with us.
This episode is not for everyone and we quote some examples that are beyond the pale so if it's not for you then don't listen. You've been warned.
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
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here

Thursday Sep 16, 2021
Podcast Special with Jo Garofolo
Thursday Sep 16, 2021
Thursday Sep 16, 2021
In this episode we acknowledge that September is FASD awareness months and we speak to Jo Garofolo the founder of Voice in a Million and she tell us about the upcoming documentary she has produced looking specifically at FASD The Hidden Disability which will be streaming on September the 9th here on VIMTV .
We chat about Jo's experience of becoming a parent though adoption as well as the work that she achieves through Voice in a Million. As always there's plenty of chat and banter.
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
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here
For clarification 'Male Grooming' was the phrase that Al was looking for in the intro and outro.

Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Podcast Special - An interview with Julie Selwyn
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
In this episode we speak to Professor Julie Selwyn academic, social worker and author of several key academic studies and reports including the seminal Beyond the Adoption Order.
Julie shares her experience as a professional and how that influenced her later academic research as well as the impact of what is now seen as a seminal report for the adoption community 'Beyond the Adoption Order'. We chat about the lead up to the report, it's impact and legacy as well as considering adoption 6 years on from that report and where we're at now.
Please note, after we recorded and Julie checked the stats she recalled from memory during the interview and asked that this correction was popped in:
"I was correct with 50% of 4-7yrs don't know why they're in care and it is 46% of 8-10yrs, but I think I said a third for the 11-17yrs group when it is 22%"
We really enjoyed chatting to Julie and her depth of knowledge and insight and hope you did too. If you like the podcast we'd really appreciate a review on iTunes as it helps get more people listening to us. If you're up for that then pop here and it will only take a minute.
Also, while you're here you could pop along here to The No Borders podcast and listen to some helpful stuff re supporting resilience training.
As always we're very happy to hear from you all and if you want to get in touch please email us at aandfpodcast@gmail.com or through our Twitter or Facebook page.
As always, thanks for listening and you can also listen to the podcast:

Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Adoption Conversations - Two Good Mums
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
In this episode of Adoption Conversations we speak to adopter Peggy and birth parent Laura in relation to their experience of creating an open an ongoing relationship to best support the needs of the two children they are parents to. Their full story can be heard on another podcast, Two Good Mums, so here we open up some of the less talked about challenges in what is a really honest and open conversation.
You can find their social media links here.
We hope you find it enlightening and 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
If you’ve a story of care or adoption and would like to share your perspective or experience then please do direct message us at our twitter feed here, our facebook page here or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here
Music by
Together, We Can Make It by Neutrin05 | https://soundcloud.com/neutrin05
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

Saturday Aug 21, 2021
Adoption Conversations - Carol Atherton
Saturday Aug 21, 2021
Saturday Aug 21, 2021
Hello and welcome to conversations from the adoption and fostering podcast.
In this, slightly unusual episode, Al speaks to adoptive parent and teacher Carol about the themes and narratives that are portrayed in literature and media representations of adoption. It an interesting conversation and everyone who's life has been impacted by adoption will have seen how adoption can be represented in, often, less than helpful ways.
We hope you find it thought provoking and 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
If you’ve a story of care or adoption and would like to share your perspective or experience then please do direct message us at our twitter feed here, our facebook page here or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here

Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Podcast Special - An interview with Dr Amber Elliott
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
This week we speak to Dr Amber Elliot about her book 'SuperParenting'. It's a refreshing look at therapeutic parenting and we were given free copies to review so we thought we would.
To help us along we also invited Elaine Amy from that Twitter to join in as she'd actually read it in depth and had some insight to share. As the conversation progressed we spoke in more general terms in relation to caring for children with complex needs and behaviours as well as the usual level of banter.
There's also a competition to give the book away and if you know the answer to the question that's posed then pop us a DM for a chance to win. Or you could buy it here.
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
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here

Saturday Aug 14, 2021
Episode 124 - Adoptee Futures
Saturday Aug 14, 2021
Saturday Aug 14, 2021
In this episode we speak to Annalisa and Shania the founders of Adoptee Futures. They share the story of they how they came together as well as their hopes for the organisation and how it can be a positive environment to develop wider understanding of the adoptee experience in social workers, adoptive parnents and beyond.
As always, we go where the conversation takes us and we touch on a raft of issues that are relevant including the 'fog' that is often referred to within the adoptee community as well as how we can centre the adoptee voice in policy making, adoptee preparation and all aspects of this community.
Shania and Annalise also share with us there plans for specific workshops that they are doing to start that process of centring the adoptee voice and you can find details on their website here.
Here's some specific links as well.
There are a few internet blips on this podcast but they are minor and infrequent so hang in there it was a four way call!
Also, while you're here you could pop along here to The No Borders podcast and listen to some helpful stuff re supporting resilience/NVR and Transitions training.
As always we're very happy to hear from you all and if you want to get in touch please email us at aandfpodcast@gmail.com or through our Twitter or Facebook page.
As always, thanks for listening and you can also listen to the podcast:
iTunes here Spotify here Google here

Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Episode123 - Becky Brooks and the Adoption Barometer
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Hi, In this episode we take the opportunity to catch up with AUK's Becky Brooks and talk about the Adoption Barometer. We also asked her to share a few thoughts on the recently released Adoption Strategy.
We chat through specific elements such as education and ongoing support but the main thrust of the discussion was the contribution of adult adoptees to the Barometer. These focus largely on the transition to adulthood for adoptees and we discuss the specific challenges that families face in relation to access to appropriate support and services. As always with Becky it's an interesting and fun discussion with her passion shining through the minor bickering of Scott and Al.
If you like the podcast we'd really appreciate a review on iTunes as it helps get more people listening to us. If you're up for that then pop here and it will only take a minute.
Also, while you're here you could pop along here to The No Borders podcast and listen to some helpful stuff re supporting resilience training.
As always we're very happy to hear from you all and if you want to get in touch please email us at aandfpodcast@gmail.com or through our Twitter or Facebook page.
As always, thanks for listening and you can also listen to the podcast:
iTunes here Spotify here Google here