A couple of months ago, Al kindly invited me onto the Adoption and Fostering Podcast to talk about adoption disruption. It’s such an important topic, and one that people often don’t want to believe happens.

Sitting on an adoption panel and providing therapy means I see both ends of the process: the hopes and preparation at the beginning, and the complex realities that can unfold over time. While prospective adopters receive a lot of training covering a wide range of topics, for me the real gap lies in ongoing support and learning throughout family life.

The training adopters need at the start is very different from what they’ll need when supporting their young person through the teenage years, identity exploration, and growing independence. We also can’t shy away from the realities of social media and how it plays a role in maintaining, or reopening, birth family connections.

This is why I feel so strongly about adoptees knowing their story in an age-appropriate way. When young people grow up with honesty and openness about their beginnings, they’re less likely to go searching for answers online, or to feel betrayed when they discover information that’s been kept from them.

Sadly, we’re seeing more adoptive families reaching crisis point. This makes it even more vital that we look at how we support the whole family, not just the child. Adoption is a lifelong journey for everyone involved, and our support needs to reflect that.

🎧 To listen to the full conversation, you can find the episode https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-adoption-and-fostering-podcast/id1164600703?i=1000734578763