Adoption Advocacy Podcast Francie Frisbie

This is the December 2020 episode. Today we chat with Stephanie Oyler, Melissa Guida- Richards, and Ferera Swan - three transracial and transethnic adoptees. We discuss their collective experiences with the holidays, and they explain why it is so important to hold space for adoptees who come from different backgrounds and cultural traditions than their parents. We also discuss how important it is for adoptive families to be sensitive to the emotions and feelings that might arise during this time of year. Lastly, we talk about how they are all feeling as transracial and transethnic adoptees during this political climate, and how it has affected their relationships with adoptive and extended family members.
 
Connect with Stephanie:
Facebook
Instagram
Consulting Site
 
Connect with Melissa:
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Instagram
Website
Twitter
 
Connect with Ferera:
Facebook
Instagram
website
twitter
 
For more information on Adoption Advocacy Podcast, and to participate in this episodes discussion board, please visit:
http://www.adoptionadvocacypodcast.com
 
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This is the November 2020 episode of the podcast. Today we have Tiffany Henness with adoptee influencer network as our special guest. Tiffany discusses how she emerged from the fog after giving birth to her first born, it was an experience that brought her closest to experience of her first mother. She tells us how she began learning about adoption trauma and found it helped to processed it all through writing and sharing her experience with others. Before becoming involved in the adoption advocacy community, Tiffany was a fitness influencer on social media and during this time learned how to boost content and create community among others doing the same work. Tiffany shares that the fitness influencer groups she was a part of really helped give advice and feedback, keep creativity, inspiration, and connection flowing which really helped members to create content. Tiffany saw a this as a huge need in the adoptee community of influencers. She created adoptee Influencer Network as a group where adoptees could come together, work together, problem solve, get support, and  share each others content. Please check out Tiffany and adoptee influencer network online.
Connect with Adoptee Influencer Network:
Facebook Page
Facebook Group
Instagram
Twitter
Website
Connect with Tiffany:
Facebook
Instagram
Website

Brittany Nash is a Black domestic transracial adoptee and the founder of The Daily Adoptee blog and soon to be online publication that highlights the experience and expertise of transracial adoptees.
 
As an adoptee, turned foster child, who from Southern MN, she uses her experience of growing up in predominantly white spaces to connect the dots of the intent and impact of the adoption industry and foster care system as they align with history, politics, racism, discrimination, and mental health. 
 
She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Communication from Bethany Lutheran College where her emphasis was Journalism and Business. While there she also worked for the college's Diversity Center where she started to kindle her passion for social advocacy. She combines her love for investigative journalism, descriptive writing, and racial justice to bring a unique adoptee narrative to adoption and foster care spaces.
Timeline of Events and Key Legislation: 
1921: Tusla Race Massacre
1935: Social Security Act
1939 -1945: World War ll 
1945: Baby Scoop Era begins
1947: Cold War begins
1948: Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces 
1954: Civil Rights Movement
1955 - 1975 Vietnam War
1954: Browning vs Board of Edu
1961: ADC Foster Act
1962: Aid to Families with Dependent Children
1962: Public Welfare Amendment 
1965: Death of Malcolm X
1964: Civil Rights Act
1968: Death of Martin Luther King Jr.
1968: Civil Rights Movement
1969: Death of Frank Hampton
1967: Loving vs the State of Virginia 
1970: Baby Scoop Era ends
1971: War on Drugs begins
1978: Indian Child Welfare Act
1980: The Adoption Assistance & Child Welfare Act
1991: Cold War ends
1993: Family Preservation & Family Support Services Program (MEPA) begins
1994: The Multi-Ethnic Placement Act
1996: Inter-Ethnic Placement Provisions (revised parts of MEPA)
1997: the Adoption & Safe Families Act
 
Reference Articles:
A Brief Legislative History of the Child Welfare System
Brief History of the Drug War
The case for national action- the negro famil
Donate to the TRA Writers & Educators Fund
 

Kate Carper comes on the podcast to discuss her experience with adoption. Kate tells us how she grew up with adopted siblings, and always felt like adoption was a part her future family making plan. After having two biological children, Kate and her husband explored how they could help a child in need through adoption. Through much research and soul searching, Kate discovered an agency that specialized in the adoption of children with down syndrome. Kate explains a lot about this agency and how they support expectant parents who have discovered their child has down syndrome, as well as facilitate adoptions. Kate and her husband adopted their son, and then later adopted a daughter. We further discusses how her family has sought out a more diverse community in which to raise their children, and how important that is, especially in transracial adoption. 

Matt comes on the podcast to discuss his experience as an adoptee, and how his life experiences shaped him. We also discuss his heartfelt reunion. 
 
Connect with Matt:
mattsevenoaksuk@gmail.com
Twitter
Instagram
Article
For more information on Adoption Advocacy Podcast, and to participate in this episodes discussion board, please visit:
http://www.adoptionadvocacypodcast.com
 
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Geri Pfieffer comes on the podcast to discuss the reality of America's child welfare system. Geri began working and creating America's Taken when she lost her grandson to child protective services. I encourage everyone to take a listen to todays episode to further understand what is going on in this country's child welfare system, and the reform that needs to take place now. I was very happy to bring this topic to light through this episode and hope to do more episodes like this one in the future. 
 
Connect with Geri:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
 
For more information on Adoption Advocacy Podcast, and to participate in this episodes discussion board, please visit:
http://www.adoptionadvocacypodcast.com
 
Find the podcast on social media:
facebook
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