Conversation & discussion on contemporary Adoption & Fostering
Episodes
Friday Feb 02, 2018
Friday Feb 02, 2018
In ths episode we speak to Catt Peace an adult adoptee. Catt is a member of the Patches Family Foundation on Facebook and aims to raise awareness, help and offer practical support to families worldwide caring for children suffering from unattachment and developmental trauma.
Catt is very open and honest about her life before and after adoption, having been adopted in the 90's her experience is very contemporary and reflects similar experiences to the children of many contemporary UK adopters and adoptees. She is very honest about her own challenges as a teenager and young person but also comments on life as an adult, birth family reunion and relations with her adoptive parents. I can't recommend this interview enough.
As usual Scott and Al bookend the interview with a little news, chatter and comment.
As always comments and reviews welcome.
Sunday Jan 21, 2018
Sunday Jan 21, 2018
After a mini January relaps/break we've hit 2018 with vim and vigour. As ever there's usual banter with Al & Scott, with a look at the New Year and the podcast for 2018. We cover some topical stuff and with relentlessness and unwavering mockery Scott turns on Al (the highly recognised and praised adopter and MBE holder), ha ha ha ha. We do touch on plans for guests for the year, briefly on the Children's Minster, though the full details hadn't really come out, and the Child on Parent Violence and Aggression Survey 2018.
We also speak to adoptee Shona White an Ambassador for Adoption Uk. Shona is a long time friend of Scott and trained at The Royal Academy of Music in London at which she is now an Associate Artist. She has had a long successful career in London's West end having starred in a range of musicals including Mama Mia! West Side Story, Chess, the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Les Miserables and the first patron of the West End’s Playhouse Theatre.
Shona was adopted in the 70's, we explored some of her perspectives on adoption and she talk candidly in relation to some of her adult experiences as an adoptee
Shona was adopted in the 70's, we explored some of her perspectives on adoption and she talk candidly in relation to some of her adult experiences as an adoptee.
Saturday Dec 30, 2017
Saturday Dec 30, 2017
This is the year end podcast so we reflect on some of the highs and the lows, ramble a little and ask each other some questions.
Jacob makes a micro appearance and Al's children make noise.
Al caught up with Blair and he talks a little about fostering at Christmas and thoughts on times of celebration and challenges
Saturday Dec 16, 2017
Saturday Dec 16, 2017
It’s the Christmas Podcast!
With a sense of festive fun and mirth we speak to Sally Donovan, we ask some listeners questions, add a little frivolity and have a good old chinwag.
Of course, we discuss all manner of things, self regulation, writing books, an all kinds of other stuff. We play the infamous Adoption & Fostering Christmas Quiz, Scott and Al have a full on Podtiff and Sally D leads us onto the rocks of questionable taste.
To round it off we have what is now another tradition of our Christmas message from secret adoption blogging royalty. We hope you enjoy, thanks for listening and we wish you well as you navigate the festivities!
As always if you’re bored and feeling benevolent you could seek us out on iTunes and give us a wee review!
Hold Fast!
Friday Dec 01, 2017
Friday Dec 01, 2017
This week we speak to Head Teacher and adoptive parent Stuart Guest. He has taken an innovative approach to create a nurturing, supportive and safe learning environment for all the children in his primary school. This approach has been informed by an understanding of the impacts of early life adversity.
Scott and Al have a brief intro then we get straight into the interview. Stuart shares his experience and thoughts on a range of issues including; pupil premium, pupil premium plus, partnership with schools, information packs, secondary schools, homework and of course the now legendary #CookieNookieNight
Thank you for all the questions that were sent in and we hope you enjoy this episode and we aspire to get Stuart back to the podcast in the new year.
Stuart has sent a link to some resources and they can be found here
I appologise that there's a wee bit of 'clipping' in the audio quality for the first 4 minutes of the interview with Stuart. It does pass and so please bare with it.
#cookienookienight
Friday Nov 24, 2017
Friday Nov 24, 2017
This week we see Scott return to the land of his ancestors, Scotland. He talks to three Scottish guests in honour of Adoption Week Scotland, which is now in its second year.
Firstly Fiona, an Adopter and foster carer from Edinburgh - a real character - and provides peer support through her work with Adoption UK.
Then Mark, an Adopter from a same sex couple - currently going through the process to adopt for a second time. And finally Jess, an administrator got the Adoption Register in Scotland.
As always banter and humor bagpiped into infopodcastainment!
Saturday Nov 18, 2017
Saturday Nov 18, 2017
This week we spoke to Jenny Jones and Suddenly Mummy about moving from adopters to working in the adoption world. Actually, that was the plan and it kind of went a little askew and spiralled into other issues and topic including mountains, affecting change and representation.
Al made Scott talk about the Adoption UK conference and in a bizzare twist Al insulted Scott and he fell out of the podcast and was lost in the internet for a few minutes until he found himself again by sending a text to Al.
As always banter and thought turned into podcasting shenannegans.
Sunday Nov 05, 2017
Sunday Nov 05, 2017
In this episode we talk about the voices of adoptees in the context of #NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth. It's a subject that raises a raft of questions in relation to the differing cultures, systems and contexts that adoption inhabits and how we listen to each other. As adoptees we question if we can ever even know our children's perspectives.
To that end we also have a short interview with my Daughter and she shares a few thoughts and experiences.
You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here
or on the Podbean site here
If you're feeling kind a cheeky review would always be appreciated on either site.
Wednesday Nov 01, 2017
Wednesday Nov 01, 2017
On this special episode Al talks to Phil Green from Home for Good about the work that they do in the UK with local churches supporting and promoting adoption and fostering. It's Adoption Sunday on the 5th November and many UK churches will be highlighting the work that many families and individuals do to support some of the most vulnerable children in our society.
We discuss a range of issues including the challenges that many foster carers and adoters feel within church communities, motiviations to foster and adopt, social work perceptions, future plans and lots of other stuff.
If you would like to know more about the work that they do and how to access the support that they offer you can head to their website at
You can also find them on twitter
@home4Gd
Saturday Oct 21, 2017
Saturday Oct 21, 2017
Its a year since we started the podcast and look how far we've come, or fallen, depending on your perspective. It seems like an opportune moment to reflect on the last years but we were mainly distracted by bickering. Al tells a dull, and irrelevent, story about annual appraisals. We ponder our year, the unexpected outcomes and who a dream guest would be for the future. We disagree over #NationalAdoptionWeek and unpick some past activites and future hopes in relation to #CPV.
A veritble all you can eat buffet of banter, prattle, incisive thought and insight.
Thanks for the year and all the listening.