Voices of Adoption

Donna Pope
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Voices of Adoption amplifies authentic stories from across the adoption triad - birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive families - along with adoption service providers. Host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart To Heart Adoptions and Clinical Mental Health Counselor and her co-host Nathan Gwilliam, founder & former CEO of Adoption.com, create a safe space for honest conversations about the complexities of adoption. Birth parents share their journeys of love, loss, and healing. Adoptees discuss identity, belonging, and their lived experiences. Adoptive families open up about challenges and beautiful moments. Adoption service providers offer insights from their professional experience supporting families throughout the process. Each episode bridges different perspectives within the adoption community, helping listeners understand that every adoption story is unique yet connected by common threads of resilience and hope. These conversations don't shy away from difficult emotions or complex questions. Instead, they honor the full spectrum of adoption experiences with empathy and respect. Join us for stories that educate, inspire understanding, and remind us that every voice in the adoption community matters.

  1. Aug 31

    They Didn't Need Shared Genes To Become A Family (with Amanda & Tony)

    For Amanda and Tony, becoming parents was never going to be defined by genetics. Adoption had been part of their conversations even before they were married, and after years of navigating fertility challenges, they realized they were genuinely called to adoption and ready to build their family in a different way. In this heartfelt conversation, Amanda and Tony share the emotional and often unexpected journey that led them to their daughter. From the reality of the home study process and the preparation required to become a waiting family, to the shocking moment they learned their birth mother was in labor, their story captures just how quickly life can change. After years of waiting, their match happened fast. They boarded a plane, arrived in another state, and learned that their daughter had been born. Walking into the hospital for the first time, they were filled with nerves and uncertainty. But the moment they met their daughter, those feelings quickly gave way to an overwhelming sense of love and connection. Amanda and Tony also open up about their relationship with their daughter’s birth parents. Rather than viewing them as separate from their family’s story, they describe the birth mother and birth father with deep gratitude, compassion, and respect. Amanda recalls sharing a meaningful moment with the birth mother at the hospital, while Tony explains how reassuring it was to know that the birth father was present, involved, and supportive of the adoption. They discuss the importance of maintaining a relationship with their daughter’s birth family, including sharing pictures, letters, and keeping communication open as their daughter grows. Most importantly, they want their daughter to always know that she was adopted, that she came from a place of love, and that her story will always be honored. Amanda and Tony’s story is a powerful reminder that becoming a family isn't about shared DNA. It’s about love, commitment, responsibility, and the people who choose to show up for one another. Their journey offers an honest and deeply personal look at adoption—and the unexpected ways it can bring people together.

  2. Aug 31

    Matched One Week, Then a Midnight Call Said Baby Was Coming

    Jeff and Christine had been matched with a birth mom for exactly one week when the phone rang in the middle of the night. She was headed into an emergency C-section, and their daughter would arrive within 48 hours. They booked a flight, landed just in time, and met their baby girl in the NICU. Three days later, they sat down with Donna Pope to share what those first days really feel like. This is an honest, in-the-room conversation for waiting families who wonder what happens when the call finally comes. The Tug-of-War They Feared Never Came Jeff and Christine expected to feel anxious every time their birth mom visited the baby. Instead, she was the one comforting them. She told them "you got this," hugged Christine longer than anyone ever had, and framed her goodbye in words this family now lives by. This is not goodbye. This is see you later. They explain why her visits put them at ease instead of on edge, and why they already consider her family. The Hardest Paperwork in Adoption Waiting families know the preference forms, and Jeff and Christine call them the hardest documents they have ever filled out. They walk through how their answers changed on substance exposure, mental health history, race, and gender as they researched and trained. They started with tight limits and finished far more open, and they explain exactly what shifted their thinking along the way. Paying for Adoption on Two Teacher Salaries Jeff and Christine are both teachers, and they are honest about what adoption costs on a saver's budget. They share years of saving, skipped vacations, grant applications, and why a flat fee gave them peace of mind when fees at other agencies fluctuated by tens of thousands of dollars. They also open up about the grief of infertility, the questions that sting, and the instant love they felt for a daughter they had known for 30 seconds. Adoption rarely follows the plan. This conversation shows what it looks like when the plan changes overnight and a family says yes anyway. If you are waiting for a match, or wondering what open adoption can look like in real life, watch this one. Then visit VoicesofAdoption.org for more stories and resources. Follow or Subscribe to Voices of Adoption on your favorite platform - Website: VoicesofAdoption.org | YouTube: @VoicesofAdoptionShow | Twitter/X: Voices_Adoption | Instagram: Voicesof_Adoption | Facebook: Voices of Adoption | TikTok: @Voices_of_Adoption | LinkedIn: @Voices-of-Adoption Follow Donna Pope - LinkedIn: @donna-pope-41652ba

  3. Aug 27

    Adoptive Parents Don't Need More Love, They Need Better Tools

    A startle reflex that didn't fully fade. A nervous system still bracing for danger years after the danger passed. Then one text from an adoptive mom that read, "I think we're eighty percent there." In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Emily Roper, a neuro-developmental delay therapist, doula, and certified midwife's assistant who has spent years tracing kids' hardest struggles back to their first year of life. Roper walks through the same reasoning she uses with the families in her own practice, the reflexes, the exercises, and two real cases, not just the theory behind them. A Little Girl Who Climbed Into a Stranger's Lap The first sibling Roper treated was a young girl with heavy social and emotional delays, the kind of child who would climb into a new therapist's lap within minutes of meeting her, a warning sign disguised as warmth. She was on track to struggle badly in school. About a year of consistent work later, she was making eye contact, managing her emotions, and thriving in class. A Crying Text That Said Eighty Percent There Her younger brother was a different story. He carried a significant trauma history from before his adoption and became one of Roper's most challenging cases, with progress that came in stretches of work followed by pauses. Then his mom sent a text that captured months of quiet progress: he was keeping it together at school, cleaning up his own messes, and telling her that he loved her. This conversation shows what it looks like when big feelings get treated as biology instead of blame, adoptive parents get reassurance instead of guilt, and healing gets treated as a process instead of a verdict. Hear the full clinical picture behind why adopted kids' bodies react the way they do on Voices of Adoption. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. Like, share, and subscribe to spread the word. #VoicesOfAdoption #EmilyRoper #AdoptionSupport #NeurodevelopmentalTherapy #AdoptionCommunity Resources Mentioned: Early Roots Therapy (Emily Roper's practice): earlyrootstherapy.com The Early Roots Podcast, hosted by Emily Roper "Miracle Children: Behavior and Learning Disabilities Uprooted" by Anna Buck "Reflexes, Learning, and Behavior: A Window Into the Child's Mind" by Sally Goddard Blythe Follow or Subscribe to Voices of Adoption on your favorite platform Website: VoicesofAdoption.org | YouTube: @voicesofadoptionshow | Twitter (X): @voices_adoption | Instagram: @voicesof_adoption | Facebook: Voices of Adoption | TikTok: @voices_of_adoption | LinkedIn: Voices of Adoption Follow Donna Pope (Host, Executive Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions) LinkedIn: @donna-pope | Website: HeartToHeartAdopt.com Follow Nathan Gwilliam (Co-Host, Founder of Adoption.com) LinkedIn: @NathanGwilliam | Website: PodUp.com | Podcasts - Why We Believe: WhyWeBelieve.com | Podcasting Secrets: PodcastingSecrets.com Follow Emily Roper (Early Roots Therapy) Website: EarlyRootsTherapy.com | Podcast: The Early Roots Podcast | Instagram: @earlyroots | YouTube: @earlyroots277 | Facebook: Early Roots

  4. Aug 20

    Connection Heals Foster Kids Faster Than Correction Ever Will (with Amie Huggins)

    Foster parent and junior high teacher Amie Huggins wrote two rules on her Utah foster application. No adoptions. No long-term placements. Sixteen years later, she is the adoptive mother of four daughters and a grandmother of five. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, with host Donna Pope, Amie shares how each daughter arrived, why she stopped fighting the word forever, and what 25 years in a junior high classroom taught her about kids who push love away. The Placements She Never Planned to Keep Amie's first foster placement was supposed to last two or three months. The teenager stayed 13 years, earned two degrees under Amie's roof, and now works as a therapist. One by one, four of the five children Amie fostered became her daughters, including a seven-year-old she turned down three times before a single meeting changed her mind. Behaviors That Look Like Manipulation Are Survival As a TBRI practitioner and author of Creating a Connected Classroom, Amie breaks down the brain science behind hoarding food, testing limits, and pushing away affection. Kids from hard places built neural pathways that kept them alive, and punishment cannot rewire them. Connection can, one met need at a time, at home and at school. An Adult Adoption That Became the Real Thing Amie's fourth adoption was a 20-year-old, agreed to as legal protection for a grandbaby. Neither woman felt much affection in that courtroom. Years of showing up changed that, and today Amie counts her among the daughters who gave her more than she ever gave them, a family now connected to Raise the Future's work for waiting teens. Listen to Amie Huggins' full conversation with Donna Pope on Voices of Adoption and learn what happens when connection outworks correction. Hear the whole story behind the foster form that said no on Voices of Adoption. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. Like, share, and subscribe to spread the word. #VoicesOfAdoption #AmieHuggins #AdoptionStory #FosterCare #TBRI #AdoptionCommunity Follow or Subscribe to Voices of Adoption on your favorite platform Website: VoicesofAdoption.org | YouTube: @VoicesofAdoptionShow | Twitter (X): @Voices_Adoption | Instagram: @Voicesof_Adoption | Facebook: Voices of Adoption | TikTok: @Voices_of_Adoption | LinkedIn: Voices of Adoption Follow Donna Pope (Host, Executive Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions) LinkedIn: @donna-pope | Website: HearttoHeartAdopt.com Follow Nathan Gwilliam (Co-Host, Founder of Adoption.com) LinkedIn: @NathanGwilliam | Website: PodUp.com | Podcasts - Why We Believe: WhyWeBelieve.com | Podcasting Secrets: PodcastingSecrets.com Follow Amie Huggins LinkedIn: @amie-huggins-969a31157 | Website: AmieHugginsConsulting.com | Books - Creating a Connected Classroom | Raise the Future: RaiseTheFuture.org

  5. Aug 3

    Standout: The Kjars on Their Adoption Journey to Three Kids

    Ben and LaCol Kjar share their adoption journey to three kids, the movie Standout, and the name written down twice. Ten years of trying. Four rounds of IVF. Two adoption matches that fell apart. Then one phone call, one flight, and three kids in 13 months. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Ben and LaCol, the family behind the movie Standout and two baby reveal videos viewed more than 100 million times. Donna stood beside the Kjars at every step of their adoptions, and in this conversation, the three of them share the parts of the story the movie and the videos leave out. The Name Written Down Twice Ben woke at 3 AM with a single name pressing on his mind. Hours later, in a hospital meeting Donna arranged, the woman who carried that baby boy said she had already written down a name she loved, a name that means protective warrior. It was the same name. Liam came home, and the Kjars gained a relationship they describe as sacred. A Second Baby 20 Minutes Away While the Kjars signed for Liam, Donna took a call about another baby due days later in a neighboring town. LaCol needed clarity, and by the time she got it, she and Ben were ready to say yes. Rowan joined the family five days after her brother. A year later, a single text kept Liam's biological brother Kempton with the family, turning ten years of waiting into a house full of three kids just 13 months apart. This conversation shows the adoption triad at its best, with birth parents honored, children cherished, and a family built through patience and a victor mentality. Hear every part of the story the movie could not fit on Voices of Adoption. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. Like, share, and subscribe to spread the word. #VoicesOfAdoption #KjarFamily #AdoptionStory #OpenAdoption #Standout #AdoptionCommunity Follow or Subscribe to Voices of Adoption on your favorite platform Website: VoicesofAdoption.org | YouTube: @VoicesofAdoptionShow | Twitter (X): @Voices_Adoption | Instagram: @Voicesof_Adoption | Facebook: Voices of Adoption | TikTok: @Voices_of_Adoption | LinkedIn: Voices of Adoption Follow Donna Pope (Host, Executive Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions) LinkedIn: @donna-pope | Website: HearttoHeartAdopt.com Follow Nathan Gwilliam (Co-Host, Founder of Adoption.com) LinkedIn: @NathanGwilliam | Website: PodUp.com | Podcasts - Why We Believe: WhyWeBelieve.com | Podcasting Secrets: PodcastingSecrets.com Follow Ben Kjar Website: benkjar.com | Instagram: @benkjar | Facebook: Ben Kjar | YouTube: @benkjar2609 | LinkedIn: Ben Kjar Follow LaCol Kjar Instagram: @lacolkjar | Facebook: LaCol Kjar Follow Standout Film Website: standoutfilm.com | Facebook: Standout Film | Instagram: @standout.film

  6. Jul 27

    What Foster Care and Adoption Really Ask of Us

    Two child welfare insiders pull back the curtain on foster care and adoption. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope sits down with George Goodlow and Beth Hyerman, hosts of Laughing Through The Struggles, who have spent years in casework, foster care, licensing, and adoption. They get honest about reunification, kinship placement, and what it really takes to help a child reach a safe, permanent home. Reunification Comes First At its core, foster care is about sending kids home when it is safe. George and Beth explain how they fight for that outcome and support birth parents along the way. Adoption With Open Doors Beth shares her favorite kind of adoption, where a foster family kept the birth father in the child's life for birthdays, holidays, and Sunday dinners. Advice for Families Their message for anyone considering adoption is clear. Do it for the right reasons, lead with patience, and do not give up on these kids. No matter where you are in your journey, you'll find people who understand. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. #VoicesofAdoption #FosterCare #Adoption #Reunification #KinshipCare #FosterToAdopt #AdoptionJourney #BirthParents Follow Voices of Adoption Website: VoicesofAdoption.org | YouTube: @VoicesofAdoptionShow | Twitter/X: @Voices_Adoption | Instagram: @Voicesof_Adoption | TikTok: @Voices_of_Adoption | LinkedIn: @Voices-of-Adoption Nathan Gwilliam (LinkedIn): @NathanGwilliam Donna Pope (LinkedIn): @Donna-Pope-41652ba Connect With George Goodlow and Beth Hyerman Laughing Through The Struggles: laughandstruggle.alitu.com | Spotify: Laughing Through The Struggles | Apple Podcasts: Laughing Through The Struggles | Instagram: @lttsbg | Facebook: Laughing Through The Struggles | Email: laughandstruggle@gmail.com

  7. Jul 20

    Finding Family After Foster Care and Adoption

    He called 22 people, mom or dad, before he learned what family really means. Michael Sheaffer moved through eight foster homes by age six, lost his name and his siblings to adoption, and rebuilt his life one honest relationship at a time. Now he runs Welcome Home Youth Advocacy to walk beside foster and adoptive families through the hard middle. In this episode of Voices of Adoption with host Donna Pope, Michael Sheaffer shares his life story, and it is full of hope. Eight Homes, Zero Stability By age six, Michael had lived in eight foster homes and learned to treat every goodbye as the next adventure. He explains how kids build walls to survive and what steady adults can do to help them feel safe again. Adoption Is a Beginning Michael says movies end the story on adoption day, but real life starts there. He shares what adoptive families need most in the years that follow, and why a child's history should stay part of who they are. Found After Forty Years After four decades apart, Michael recently found his biological brother. He opens up about why that reunion matters and what he wishes every foster and adoptive family understood about belonging. Michael turns real pain into real help for families who feel alone. Listen now, then keep the conversation going. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. #Adoption #FosterCare #Adoptee #AdoptiveFamilies #OpenAdoption #VoicesofAdoption #WelcomeHomeYouth Follow Voices of Adoption Website: VoicesofAdoption.org | YouTube: @VoicesofAdoptionShow | Twitter/X: @Voices_Adoption | Instagram: @Voicesof_Adoption | TikTok: @Voices_of_Adoption | LinkedIn: @Voices-of-Adoption Nathan Gwilliam (LinkedIn): @NathanGwilliam Donna Pope (LinkedIn): @Donna-Pope-41652ba Connect With Michael Sheaffer Welcome Home Youth Advocacy: WelcomeHomeYouth.org | Instagram: @WelcomeHomeYouth | Facebook: WelcomeHomeYouth | Email: mikes@WelcomeHomeYouth.org

  8. Jul 17

    What Your Adopted Child Is Really Trying to Tell You

    For twenty-eight years, Cheryl Parkhurst has worked inside school systems with neurodivergent teenagers, and she has watched the same quiet pattern repeat in adoptive families. A child settles in, the calm honeymoon period passes, and then behavior that nobody expected starts to surface. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, co-hosted by Nathan Gwilliam and Donna Pope, host Donna sits down with Cheryl to talk about what that behavior is actually saying and what adoptive parents can do about it. Behavior Is Communication Cheryl's central message is simple and freeing. When an adopted child acts out, they are not scheming or testing you. They are telling you that something underneath needs attention. She walks through the hidden needs that can show up after a placement, the value of gathering information instead of guessing, and the difference between reacting to a behavior and answering the need behind it. Curiosity Changes the Conversation Instead of new rules and firmer consequences, Cheryl offers a gentler starting point. Pick a calm moment, lower the pressure, and ask with real care, what is going on here. Donna shares a tender story about a seven-year old and his birth parent that shows exactly why patience works better than panic. You Do Not Have to Do This Alone Cheryl is firm that families do better when they build a team around the child: a family doctor, a school counselor, a special education contact, and a social worker who all share what they see. She also explains how parents can move from advocating for their child to advocating with their child, so a young person learns to understand and ask for what they need. Listen and subscribe to Voices of Adoption wherever you get your podcasts. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. #VoicesOfAdoption #CherylParkhurst #Adoption #AdoptiveFamilies #Adoptee #BirthParents #Neurodivergent #ADHD #Autism #FASD #IEP #BehaviorIsCommunication #AdoptionSupport #YouAreNotAlone Connect with Voices of Adoption Website | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | X | LinkedIn Connect with Nathan Gwilliam LinkedIn Connect with Donna Pope LinkedIn Connect with Cheryl Parkhurst Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

See All (53)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Voices of Adoption amplifies authentic stories from across the adoption triad - birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive families - along with adoption service providers. Host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart To Heart Adoptions and Clinical Mental Health Counselor and her co-host Nathan Gwilliam, founder & former CEO of Adoption.com, create a safe space for honest conversations about the complexities of adoption. Birth parents share their journeys of love, loss, and healing. Adoptees discuss identity, belonging, and their lived experiences. Adoptive families open up about challenges and beautiful moments. Adoption service providers offer insights from their professional experience supporting families throughout the process. Each episode bridges different perspectives within the adoption community, helping listeners understand that every adoption story is unique yet connected by common threads of resilience and hope. These conversations don't shy away from difficult emotions or complex questions. Instead, they honor the full spectrum of adoption experiences with empathy and respect. Join us for stories that educate, inspire understanding, and remind us that every voice in the adoption community matters.

Information

  • Creator
    Donna Pope
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2025 Voices of Adopton. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Voices of Adoption