Hello and welcome to this edition of conversations from the A&F network. 

In this episode I speak Adoptive parent Matt, he shares his experience, with his partner, of adoption. It was a complicated and challenging path having to change agency mid assessment. They are now parents and Matt is open and honest thoughout this interview.  

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 page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast. 

In this episode we welcome Professor Laura Machin from the Lancaster University. She is an an adult adoptee, adopter and academic and has set up Adopters Advocacy who seek to "highlight the voices and needs of adopters during the adoption process and after a child has been placed, without diminishing the importance of adoptees and their birth families.". 

Before we get into the heart, vision and work that they do we dance lightly across the latest hot topics and issues in the news. It was a cracking chat and we had a wonderful hour with Laura whose passion and enthusiasm for the research and work was infectious.

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 page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to this episode of the Better Me Better Us Podcast with Vicki and Hayley.

It’s the start of GCSE exams so we talk about how to support our children and young people through this difficult time. We also highlight Foster Carers week and the amazing work that they do every month not just in May.

Connect with us -

Instagram- BMBUltd

Facebook – Better Me Better Us

Twitter – BMBUltd

Email – [email protected]

Hello and welcome to this edition of conversations from the A&F network. 

In this episode I catch up with Kinship carer and researcher Michelle Hall, she is looking at the issue of contact between kinship carers and birth parents for her PhD. Michelle highlights the ongoing and complex challenges that can be present and shares the experiences of those she has spoken to. You can find access to her research 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 page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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We're back in the same room after a year online. Consequently, we're a little giddy but get ourselves on track and discuss the CVAA strategy update that we were attending in that London. We ask the question that many prospective adopters ask, RAA or VAA? Then we unpick adopter sufficiency, PP+, the three year rule and more. 

Here's a link to the new Adoption England Strategy that we mention, we'll unpick it more in another episode.

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 page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to this edition of conversations from the A&F network. 

In this episode I speak to adult adoptee Julie McGue, she was adopted in the US with her twin sister and grew up in the 60s knowing she was adopted. Julie shares her story of fighting to get access to her birth records and the names of her biological parents and the support that she received through a post adoption support group. 

Julie’s website here shares more of her story and her writing and is an excellent resource and window into the US system. You can also look at the book, Twice a Daughter, that Julie wrote documenting her experience 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 page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to Episode 185 of the Adoption and Fostering Podcast. 

In this episode we interview  transnational/transracial Adoptee and Sexologist Anna Linde.

Anna's research, website and social media can be found below

Free Discovery call and my ”workbase” at Healing Exchange LLC:

https://www.healingxchg.com/booking-calendar/discovery-meeting-with-anna?category=0ec8fc3e-78a2-4ef9-921b-
40851f4b1fa5&referral=service_list_widget

Intimacy coaching group for Adult Adoptees:
https://www.healingxchg.com/intimacy-for-adult-adoptees

Instagram here.

Linkedin: here

We took our time getting to the interview so it starts at 

There were quite a few other things on our list to talk about prior to the interview, so some links below - 

You can read the statistics for the Adopters and Special Guardian Fund here.

The Ofsted article is also here. 

You can watch Gay Adoption Grandad on TikTok here.

We’d love to hear from any other carers or adopters from far flung lands so if that’s you please do get in touch through the Facebook page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to this episode of the Better Me Better Us Podcast with Vicki and Hayley.

As it’s National Stress Awareness Month we thought we’d talk about expectations both of ourselves and others and how it contributes to our stress levels.

We would love to hear your experiences and open up the conversation.

Connect with us -

Instagram- BMBUltd

Facebook – Better Me Better Us

Twitter – BMBUltd

Email – [email protected]

Hello and welcome to  Conversations from the the A&F Network. 

In this episode I speak adult adoptee Courtney-Grace. She shares her experience of adoption and is frank in relation to the challenges she faced growing up and re entering the care system as a teenager. Courtney-Grace is honest and frank about the impact of her experiences and the challenges that she has navigated. 

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 page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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In this episode we speak to Jenny Ginger in relation to her Phd looking at the issue of adopting when you've already got a biological child. 

It's a fascinating subject and we drew on Jenny's research and knowledge as well as a raft of interesting comments and questions that came from listeners though our FB page. You can read them here. 

We mentioned a new research project 'family routes' you can find more details of that 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 page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

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In this webcast we discuss the latest updates in the world of fostering and chat about FosterWiki’s latest independent survey. We cover a lot of ground and reference comments from our FB page here. Please follow and like to recieve notifications and info about what we're discussing and upcoming episodes. 

You can participate here in the FosterWiki survey here. 

We’d love to hear from any other carers or adopters from far flung lands so if that’s you please do get in touch through the Facebook page, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at [email protected]

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here

Spotify here

Google here