Mary Kae Kelsch was adopted in 1970 in North Dakota, but was she born there? Where is her birth certificate located? Please join as we talk about the laws in North Dakota and Minnesota, about reunion, and about the importance of every voice. Mentioned in the episode: https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/adoption.html https://adopteerightslaw.com/north-dakota/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057773/ The opinions of the host and their guest(s) are just that, their opinions. The host is...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Please join us for the conclusion of my conversation with Adriana, a Romanian person fraudulently adopted to Canada as an infant in 1991. Adriana can be found on social media @adriana.citizenornowhere on ig and TikTok. More of Adrianas story can be found using the links below. Adriana was the subject of a documentary in French, as well as several news aritcles. A link to an English translation is included below. https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2024/12/07/adoption-et-trafic-denfants-en-roumanie...
Mar 03, 2025•33 min
Please join us for Part 3 of my conversation with Adriana, a Romanian person trafficked to Canada for the purpose of adoption, who only recently discovered she was adopted under another persons name. This was meant to be the conclusion to the three part series, but we experienced a technical difficulty. The conclusion to the series will be up soon. Adriana can be found on social media on Ig and Tiktok @adriana.citizenofnowhere For people interested in helping support Adriana in her efforts to es...
Mar 03, 2025•26 min
Please join us for part two of my conversation with Adriana, a Romanian person fraudulently transported to Canada for adoption under another persons name. She only recently discovered her true identity and status, while also learning that Canada has known since 2015. Adriana can be found at: @adriana.citizenofnowhere on both TikTok and Instagram Mentioned in the episode and related information: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2024/12/07/adoption-et-trafic-denfants-en-roumanie-jamais-je-nai-rem...
Mar 03, 2025•50 min
In 1991, Adriana was trafficked to Canada from Romania . Hers was the last private adoption allowed before the changing of laws governing children internationally adopted from Romania. Please join us as we talk about how she discovered the reality of her adoption as a person raised with a fraudulent origin story. Mentioned in the episode: https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2024/12/07/adoption-et-trafic-denfants-en-roumanie-une-quebecoise-part-a-la-recherche-de-sa-veritable-identite-1 https://gettotext....
Mar 03, 2025•52 min
Please join me as I talk with Lorah Gerald about her experience taking course modules presented by the NTI as well as working as a presenter and collaborator as they increase their knowledge base. Lorah can be found as The Adopted Chameleon on Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram. Mentioned in the episode: NTI Training: Expert Adoption Support for Professionals | C.A.S.E. Prioritizing trauma-informed care Access to Adoption Records - Oklahoma | Child Welfare Information Gateway Maternal-infant bondin...
Feb 18, 2025•57 min
Please join me as I speak with non-adoptee Andrea Coates and adoptee Greg Gentry as we discuss Greg's pursuit of his non-identifying information from the state of California. Andreas experience as a Search Angel informs how she goes about helping. Greg and Andrea are romantic partners, which brings a layer of complexity to the search. How might non-adopted people be present for adopted people as they pursue their documents? Mentioned in the episode: California adoption law: Adoption Records Cali...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Please join me as I speak with Connor Howe, a California(but also an Irish!) adopted person who has grown up as one of the first generation of "Open" adoptees. After the birth of his child, Connor began to deconstruct from the adoption narrative. As a marketing professional, Connor brings both his lived experience as a young adoptee in open adoption and his education and work experience to the conversation. Connor is known as Adopted Connor on social media and can be found at: Adopted Connor (@a...
Nov 26, 2024•59 min
Please join me as I talk with Andrea and Greg about the challenges of being in an adoptee/non-adoptee relationship. We recognize that this is just one couples relationship. Some of the topics discussed will feel relevant to many others in similar situations. Mentioned in the episode: Air Supply: A band from the 80s that specialized in ballads. They are either one of the worst things to come out of the time period, or a beloved rock band. You decide. Adoptees Connect: Where Adoptee Voices Meet – ...
Nov 24, 2024•57 min
Please join me and my guest Andrea Steiner Coates as we revisit the topic of adoptee/non-adoptee conversations. Curiosity is a necessary component. Andrea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Search Angel, and adoptee advocate and ally. Be advised: this episode contains references to suicide and suicidal ideation. Mentioned or referenced in the episode: The Girls Who Went Away Amazon.com: The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Please join me as I talk with Rena Joy. Rena is a Canadian adoptee, adopted as a toddler from foster care. Rena recently published her first book, a poetry collection titled Almost Loved. On this episode, Rena shares some of her poetry as we talk about how adoption has impacted her life, and some of the ways she copes with the trauma inherent in adoption. Rena can be found at: rena joy poetry | author Amazon.com: Almost Loved: 9781069038128: Joy, Rena, Leigh, Shelby: Books Rena Joy Poetry | Love...
Nov 14, 2024•24 min
Please join me as I talk with Lorah Gerald about the courage required to navigate life as an adopted person, and as an advocate for the rights of children and adopted people. Lorah is a Baby Scoop Era, domestic, same race adopted person. Lorah is also known as The Adopted Chameleon, and can be found at Lorah Gerald (@theadoptedchameleon) • Instagram photos and videos (20+) Facebook Lorah Gerald, The Adopted Chameleon | Kundalini Yoga Classes/Videos, Community, Support Group | Patreon She can als...
Nov 09, 2024•21 min
Please join Haley and I as we speak about pursuing identity in Alberta, Canada. We also talk about finding community in the process of navigating the challenges of being adopted. Haley Radke is a domestically adopted person from Alberta Canada. Seeking answers and connection, she began a podcast to help her feel less alone with the traumas of adoption. In the process, she has grown as an individual while also inspiring others. Haley can be found on numerous social media platforms. Please visit h...
Nov 08, 2024•59 min
Please join me for a brief episode of the podcast. This is from a blog post I wrote in September of 2021. The opinion of the host is just that, their opinion. The host is not a lawyer, or a therapist or an adoption professional. Thanks for listening!
Nov 07, 2024•4 min
As part of NAAM, here is another short blog post from the early days of The Adoption Files.
Nov 05, 2024•21 min
Please join me as I speak with TJ Johnson. TJ is a musician, English teacher and Baby Scoop Era adopted person. She writes on Medium as The Onyx Phoenix. She contributed to the anthology Strangers by Adoption. The Onyx Phoenix. – Medium An Open Letter To My Father. An adoptee writes a letter to her… | by The Onyx Phoenix. | Adoptere: Auditing the Narrative | Oct, 2024 | Medium The Onyx Phoenix (@redbyrde1960) | TikTok This conversation is part of our effort to amplify the voices of adopted peopl...
Nov 04, 2024•44 min
As a part of NAAM, I am sharing a reading of my very first blog post. Thank you for listening!
Nov 03, 2024•9 min
Please join me as I speak with Baby Scoop Era, domestic adoptee Sophi Richman Fletcher. Sophi shares with us a piece she wrote on the search for her father, what she discovered, and how her discovery has been pivotal in her own self-empowerment. Sophi can be found on Facebook as Sophi Richman Fletcher. Sophi welcomes questions about the search process and on managing expectations in search and reunion. She can be messaged through FB Messenger. Mentioned in the show: No Apologies for Being Me, a ...
Nov 02, 2024•24 min
Hi! As we begin yet another National Adoption Awareness Month, the podcast will be sharing on the history and function of the event, along with the stories and perspectives of some of us who are impacted by adoption. Mentioned in the podcast today: About National Adoption Month | Child Welfare Information Gateway Data and Statistics: AFCARS | The Administration for Children and Families https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R43025/11 US Adoption Statistics | Adoption Network Places you c...
Nov 01, 2024•30 min
Please join the host and their guest Dani Joy as we continue talking about the challenges of deconstructing from our beliefs around adoption and religion. This episode, we explore the ways in which entitlement intersects with and is reinforced by the religious and adoption narratives that we were raised with. Entitlement: There are a lot of different dictionaries with slightly different definitions of the concept of entitlement. We used the Oxford Dictionary definition. I am also providing a lin...
Oct 28, 2024•59 min
Please join Dani Joy and me as we have a conversation about how deconstructing from religion and the adoption narrative has affected how we perceive sexuality. Please be aware that the episode includes discussion of sexual assault. (13) Dismantling Purity Culture | Facebook RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization The Trevor Project - Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ+ Young People Human Sexuality | Psychology Today Reproductive Justice — Sister Song The opinions of the host and...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Please join me as I speak with adoptee rights advocates and community builders Anna Thompson and Valerie LeMieux about what they are creating in the state of Michigan. Mentioned in the show: Adoptee Advocates of Michigan Adoptee Advocates of Michigan Adoptee Advocates of Michigan Adoptee Rights Law (Greg Luce) Adoptee Rights Law Center – Legal representation and advocacy for adult adopted people Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2024 Congress Introduces The Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2024 (adopteeright...
Oct 13, 2024•45 min
Please join Dani Joy and I as we discuss some of the pitfalls of deconstructing from the narratives around race, religion and adoption. Dani Joy is a mother of loss to adoption. She can be found on Facebook, as well as on Dani Joy, mother and homesteader – Medium Mentioned in the show: (10) Birth Mom Support And Education | Facebook (10) Estranged & Thriving; Support for Adult Children | Facebook (10) Dismantling Purity Culture | Facebook five-losing-strategies-five-winning-strategies.pdf (m...
Oct 08, 2024•57 min
Please join me as I speak with transracial, transnational displaced person Lina Vanegas, MSW and advocate. We talk about the intersection of transracial and transnational adoption, racism and colonialism and impacts on mental health and suicidal ideation. Lina can be found at: (12) Facebook Lina Vanegas Msw (@linaleadswithlove) • Instagram photos and videos Lina Vanegas - @linaleadswithlove : r/abolishadoption (reddit.com) as well as on X and other platforms @linaleadswithlove Mentioned in the e...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Growing up, the two topics that were taboo at the dinner table were religion and politics. Which may be a big part of how we ended up in the mess we find ourselves in. Please join Dani Joy and me as we ramble a bit about how deconstruction changed our political perspectives, and how those changing perspectives tie into our thoughts on adoption and family preservation. Mentioned in the show: TANF Welfare benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | USAGov Saving our Sisters: Home ...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Please join Dani Joy and I as we continue our conversation on deconstruction from adoption and religious trauma. Todays episode is a discussion on the Ideal Family narrative. We talk about how the Christian belief system that we experienced created an environment where harm was inevitable. Some resources for people deconstructing from religious trauma: A Little Bit Culty with Sarah and Nippy. Lalich Center BITE model (freedomofmind.com) Exvangelical Podcast Series - Apple Podcasts Considering te...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Please join me as I talk the National Council for Adoption conference with Renee Gelin, founder of Saving Our Sisters and fellow board member and founder of The Family Preservation Project Katie Nelson Burns. We begin our conversation with an overview of the keynote speakers address, and then dive into the first two sessions attended by Katie and Renee. Renee heard about how CPS and DCFS partners with medical providers to keep an eye out for prospects in medical settings. Katie listened as a law...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 29 min
Please join the host as they wrap up the review of the book Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer. Mentionedin the episode: Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. ‘Scratching their heads’: State lawmakers take a closer look at personhood laws in wake of Alabam...
Jun 29, 2024•31 min
Please join the host as they review the interlude Supreme Appeal in the book Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Justice by Risa Cromer. Mentioned in the episode: conceiving christian america - Search (bing.com) Planned Parenthood v. Casey - Ruling, Controversy & Legacy (history.com) Planned Parenthood v. Casey - Ruling, Controversy & Legacy (history.com) June Medical Services LLC v. Russo | Oyez The Case in Depth - Center for Reproductive Rights The opinions o...
Jun 28, 2024•17 min
Please jioin me and guest Dani Joy as we begin a conversation about deconstruction, about asking ourselves the hard questions and why doing so is so important. This is the first in a series of conversations with Dani and others about the intersection of adoption and religious trauma. Dani Joy is a mother of loss to adoption who has been on a deconstruction journey from narratives about race, adoption and religion. You can hear more about Danis experience on an earlier episode of the podcast. htt...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 8 min
