In this open and reflective conversation of A Home and Healing for Every Child, Board Member and Adoptee Gabrielle Stricker-Phelps sits down with Ambassador and fellow Adoptee Jonah Bobongie for a conversation about growing up, identity, and the many sides of adoption. Jonah shares what it was like to grow up in Brisbane with a loving adoptive family while feeling disconnected from his Papua New Guinean roots and how that shaped his understanding of culture, identity, and belonging. Together, Ga...
Aug 11, 2025•21 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this heartfelt episode, journalist and FutureWomen founder Helen McCabe speaks with former AFL player Brad Murphy about his early years in foster care, being adopted into a loving family and the lasting impact those experiences have had on his life. Brad reflects on growing up surrounded by strong support, the values instilled by his adoptive parents and how those foundations helped him navigate the demands of elite sport and life beyond the game. He speaks openly about how his upbringing has...
Jul 14, 2025•37 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this moving second episode of A Home and Healing for Every Child , Ambassador and lived experience advocate Emily Hikaiti speaks with Phoebe Garland – Co-founder of a successful brand management and fashion & business consultancy agency, intercountry adoptee from Vietnam and advocate for ethical adoption and permanency. Phoebe shares her powerful story of being adopted to Australia in the wake of the Vietnam War, and the lifelong journey of navigating identity, belonging and reconnection....
Jun 30, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In the first episode of Season 2 of A Home and Healing for Every Child , our CEO Renee Leigh (Carter) sits down with Emily Hikaiti, a passionate advocate with lived experience in the foster care system. Emily shares her powerful story navigating placements, finding moments of belonging and what the word home has come to mean for her. Now a strong voice for change, Emily uses her experience to advocate for better support, greater understanding and long-term outcomes for children and young people ...
Jun 16, 2025•53 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode Bruce. D. Perry, MD, Phd. and Adopt Change Founder Deborra-lee Furness AO chat about understanding trauma and its impacts on healing. Dr Perry is an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and neurosciences holding a variety of academic positions. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on the developing brain has impacted clinical practice, programs, and policy across the world. He is also co-author of best-selling book “What Happened to ...
Dec 25, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode, Dr Stacy Blythe, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University discusses the latest research on caring for infants in out-of-home care. You can read the research via the link below. Drawing on her skills as a nurse, knowledge as a researcher and experience as an authorised carer, her research focuses on the health and well-being of children in out-of-home care and their families. This talk was recorded for the Adopt Change Thrive Nationa...
Nov 29, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Adopt Change ambassador Lisa Sthalekar chats with Sue Brierley, the adoptive mother of Saroo Brierley, whose memoir was adapted into the Oscar-nominated Australian biographical drama film “Lion” starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. This episode discusses Sue’s experiences as an adoptive mother as well as her book “Lioness”. This chat was recorded for the Adopt Change National Permanency Conference 2021. Help us find #aHomeForEveryChild Get in touch: You can see more from Sue Brierley here. Get ...
Oct 30, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this episode co-founders Joe and Tom Bennett chat about their charity ‘Foster the Future’ which aims to connect high school youth in out-of-home care with university student tutors. They founded Foster the Future in 2019 after seeing how mentoring and support can drastically improve the lives of young people in out-of-home care. This episode was recorded for the Adopt Change National Permanency Conference 2022. Help us find #aHomeForEveryChild Get in touch: Find out more about Foster the Futu...
Oct 02, 2023•21 min
In this episode Dr Jessica Pryce, chats about inclusive, equitable and effective child welfare. After earning her PhD at Harvard University and working in New York state for two years, Dr Jessica Pryce was appointed in 2016 the new Executive Director of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. Her research has focused on the training and education of the workforce, racial disparity in child welfare decisions, and the disproportionality in the United States foster care system. This episode was re...
Sep 05, 2023•26 min
Welcome to this special bonus episode where Adopt Change ambassador and TV Personality Daniella Park shares her personal story. Help us find #aHomeForEveryChild Get in touch: Like this episode? Share your thoughts with us on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok Credits: Host: Michelle Stacpoole Guests: Daniella Park Audio Producer: Fernanda Dedic Executive producer: Lily Allsep Adopt Change acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora ...
Aug 22, 2023•3 min
In this episode Adopt Change ambassador Zufi Emerson chats with April Dinwoodie about integrating the voices of children and young people. April Dinwoodie is the host and founder of ‘ Born in June, Raised in April’ , a podcast which covers her personal experience in her adoption journey as a thought leader in transracial adoption, offering tools to help people navigate differences of race, class, and culture. This conversation was recorded for Adopt Change Virtual National Permanency Conference ...
Aug 08, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Olympic gold medallist, Australian rugby sevens star and Adopt Change Ambassador Ellia Green talks about his personal journey to finding his identity. He shares intimate details from his upbring and how he stayed connected to his Fijian cultural heritage while growing up in Australia. Help us find #aHomeForEveryChild Get in touch: You can find Ellia on Instagram here . Like this episode? Share your thoughts with us on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok Credits: Host: Michelle Stacpoole Guests: Ellia ...
Jul 24, 2023•9 min
In this episode, global leader in therapeutic life story work, Professor Richard Rose talks about ‘making sense of fragmented lives’ a model of practice currently engaged in the United Kingdom. Richard shares how we can use therapeutic life work to make sense of the past and work out how our pasts may be affecting our capacity to feel confident and loved in our relationships today. This talk was recorded as part of the Adopt Change Thrive Virtual National Permanency Conference 2020. Help us find...
Jul 10, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The BackTrack program is for young people who are having a tough time and has helped decrease Armidale’s youth crime rate by more than 38%, keeping children out of correctional systems. In this special bonus episode, Adopt Change Ambassador Emily Hikaiti chats to ‘Backtrack Youth Works’ founder Bernie Shakeshaft about the innovative program. Bernie is joined by Zach, who has participated in the program, and 'Trigger' and 'Striker', two of their working dogs. This conversation was recorded as par...
Jun 26, 2023•12 min
In this episode, Adopt Change CEO Renée Carter speaks with Bruce. D. Perry, MD, Phd. about children with an experience of trauma, navigating the school setting. Dr Perry shares how educators can bring a climate of respect, regulation and innovation into the classroom for kids who have trauma backgrounds. Dr Perry is an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and neurosciences holding a variety of academic positions. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma...
Jun 09, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 1
