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. 2d ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Jun 30

    A Korean Adoptee Filmmaker Turning Truth Into Belonging

    Shelby Kilgore was seventeen when she traveled to the country she was born in and met the woman who had named her Beautiful Truth. One trip to South Korea became the beginning of a calling she has spent more than a decade pursuing. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Shelby Kilgore, a Korean American adoptee and filmmaker who documents the stories of the adoption constellation, about the parents who prepared to raise her, the birth father who saved her photographs, and how telling the truth became her path toward healing. Preparation Is Its Own Kind of Love Long before the homeland trip, Shelby's mother went looking for answers. In the 1980s, when few resources existed, she sat in on conferences, listened closely to grown adoptees, and did her own work in therapy so her feelings would never crowd out her children's. Adoptive families know that quiet labor, because loving a child well so often begins with the humility to learn who that child really is. Telling the Truth Can Set Someone Free Shelby's Korean name, Yeonmi, means beautiful truth, and she has built her life around it. She films the stories of adoptees so no one feels alone in theirs, and the people she interviews keep telling her that speaking it aloud lifted a weight they had carried for years. For every member of the adoption triad, her work is a reminder that an honest story, shared with care, can reach a person you will never meet. This episode offers hope and honest reflection for every member of the adoption triad, and especially for adoptees still finding the words for their own story. Looking for support on your adoption journey? Visit VoicesofAdoption.org for support, resources, and community from every corner of the adoption triad. Subscribe to the Voices of Adoption show for real stories and the encouragement that helps birth parents and families find their footing. #VoicesOfAdoption #ShelbyKilgore #KoreanAdoptee #TransracialAdoption #AdopteeVoices #AdopteeFilmmaker #IntercountryAdoption #OpenAdoption #AdoptionStory #AdoptiveFamilies #AdoptionTriad #BeautifulTruth #AdopteeHealing #AdoptionCommunity #HopeInAdoption 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 Nathan Gwilliam LinkedIn: @nathangwilliam | Website: PodUp.com Follow Donna Pope LinkedIn: @donna-pope-41652ba | Website: HearttoHeartAdopt.com Follow Shelby Kilgore YouTube: @shelbyredfieldkilgore | Instagram: yoonmeichae | Twitter/X: KilgoreRedfield

  5. Jun 29

    An Autism Advocate's Lessons for Adoptive Families (with Sara Bradford)

    When Sara Bradford's son was identified with autism at 14 months, she started recognizing the same traits across her family and eventually in herself. One diagnosis became a new way of seeing the people she loved most. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Sara Bradford, an autism advocate, author, and founder of SJ Childs Global Network, about what curiosity and acceptance teach every family, and what they mean for the families built through adoption. Behavior Is Communication Sara's guiding idea is simple. Behavior is communication, and a child who is acting out is usually trying to tell you something words cannot. Rather than asking what is wrong with a child, she asks what the child needs and what the moment is asking of them. For any parent still learning who a child is, that single question turns a hard moment into a chance to understand. Acceptance Comes Before Expectation Sara believes a parent can be the guide while still letting the child lead. She talks about meeting her son exactly as he is, setting down any picture of who he was supposed to be, and watching him grow because someone finally saw him. Adoptive families know that work, because every child arrives with a history and a way of seeing the world that love learns over time. This episode offers hope and honest, practical wisdom for every member of the adoption triad, and especially for families raising a child whose mind works in its own way. Looking for support on your adoption journey? Visit VoicesofAdoption.org for support, resources, and community from every corner of the adoption triad. Subscribe to the Voices of Adoption show for real stories and the encouragement that helps birth parents and families find their footing. #VoicesOfAdoption #SaraBradford #Autism #AutismAcceptance #Neurodiversity #AutismParenting #AdoptionStory #AdoptiveFamilies #AdoptionTriad #SpecialNeedsAdoption #BehaviorIsCommunication #AutismAwareness #ParentingWithCuriosity #AdoptionCommunity #HopeInAdoption 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 Nathan Gwilliam LinkedIn: @nathangwilliam  Follow Donna Pope LinkedIn: @donna-pope-41652ba  Follow Sara Bradford Website: sjchilds.org | Instagram: sjchildsllc | Facebook: Sara Gullihur Bradford | LinkedIn: @sjchilds

  6. Jun 22

    Open Adoption Meant She Never Had to Say Goodbye (with Sarah Neff)

    Living in California, far from her family, working two jobs, and facing the loss of her housing, Sarah found herself with an unexpected pregnancy and a decision she had no map for. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Sarah Neff, a birth parent who chose open adoption for her son. Her story moves through a prayer request she posted in a Facebook group, the stranger who answered it, and the open adoption that now connects her son to two families who love him. A Prayer Answered Unexpectedly Sarah was not looking for an adoptive family when she asked an online prayer group to pray for her. A week later, a woman she had never met wrote to say she was praying for her, that she would be a wonderful mom whatever she chose, and that she and her husband had just been approved to adopt. Sarah felt what she calls a tug, and as the two families grew close, she discovered an answer to a prayer she had never said out loud. Open Adoption Keeps Her in His Life Sarah had always pictured adoption as a goodbye. What she found instead was open adoption, raised by the adoptive parents themselves, who wanted her to stay part of her son's life. Today her son knows he has two families who love him, and not long ago he asked to FaceTime the woman he calls mama Sarah. This episode offers hope and honesty for every member of the adoption triad, and especially for birth parents weighing an unexpected pregnancy. Looking for support on your adoption journey? Visit VoicesofAdoption.org for support, resources, and community from every corner of the adoption triad. Subscribe to the Voices of Adoption show for real stories and the encouragement that helps birth parents and families find their footing. #VoicesOfAdoption #SarahNeff #BirthMom #OpenAdoption #UnplannedPregnancy #AdoptionStory #BirthParents #ChooseLife #FaithInAdoption #AdoptionTriad #OpenAdoptionJourney #BirthMomSupport #AdoptionCommunity #HopeInAdoption #AdoptionAwareness 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 Nathan Gwilliam LinkedIn: @nathangwilliam Follow Donna Pope LinkedIn: @donna-pope-41652ba

  7. Jun 5

    What Nobody Tells You About Being a Birth Father (with Jason Coombs)

    Birth father Jason Coombs carries a story most birth fathers never get to tell. At twenty-six, after four felony charges and a substance use disorder he could not shake, he learned he was going to be a father. His first reaction was to disappear. What happened over the next eighteen years became one of the closest open adoption relationships in the country. In this episode of Voices of Adoption with host Donna Pope, Jason shares what birth fathers carry that the adoption world rarely names, and the choices that turned his son's birth into the catalyst for seventeen years of sobriety. A Pregnancy Test on the Doorknob The news came in a text message from a friend, not from Nathan's birth mom herself. The pregnancy test was hanging on Jason's apartment doorknob when he got home. Jason walks through the manila envelope of felony charges that arrived months later, the years of street drugs, and the denial that kept him from accepting responsibility for the child he knew was his. The Hospital Letter That Changed Everything Standing at the nursery glass watching his newborn son fight to breathe on oxygen, Jason saw his own life clearly for the first time. He went downstairs, grabbed a legal pad, and wrote Nathan a letter promising to become the kind of father his son could be proud of. That promise unlocked the deepest internal motivation he had ever felt and started the journey toward sobriety. What Makes Open Adoption Actually Work Jason credits Nathan's birth mom and the adoptive Martin family for the choices that built what they have today. Polaroids in the mail. Soccer game invitations. Boundaries that kept everyone safe. He explains why strong fences and open hearts work together, why birth father involvement is possible when conditions allow it, and why his story is heart breakingly rare among the birth fathers in his son's adoptive family. Birth Fathers Deserve a Voice in Adoption Seventeen years sober, Jason now leads Brick House Recovery and uses his voice to advocate for birth fathers who have been silenced, shamed, or written off. He teaches the three elements of hope he discovered through Nathan's birth, visualizing the goal, seeing the path, and believing you have what it takes. His message to the adoption community is direct. Birth fathers love their children. Birth fathers carry pain too. Birth fathers deserve to be heard. Listen to Jason Coombs' full conversation with Donna Pope on Voices of Adoption and discover what becomes possible when a birth father chooses to show up. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. Like, share, and subscribe to spread the word. Follow or Subscribe to Voices of Adoption on your favorite platform Website: http://www.VoicesOfAdoption.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@voicesofadoptionshow Twitter/X: https://x.com/voices_adoption Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voicesof_adoption Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577208399818 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@voices_of_adoption LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voices-of-adoption Follow Nathan Gwilliam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam Follow Donna Pope LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba Follow Jason Coombs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondcoombs Follow Brick House Recovery Website: https://brickhouserecovery.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Getunhookedpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brickhouserecovery

  8. May 29

    When Your Child Chooses You Back

    Brian J Baker and Lachandra Baker made family happen three times over: Brian adopted Aujie at ten. Brian's father adopted Brian at twenty-one. Lachandra's father adopted her sister. When Your Child Chooses You Back explores how kinship adoption, blended families, and interracial marriage taught them what family truly means. When Love Needs Legal Permission For Brian, adoption came late. His biological father was absent. His adoptive father was there. At twenty-one, that father asked: can I legally adopt you? Brian said yes. In the courtroom, the judge asked if he felt safe at home. They laughed. This wasn't about safety. It was about making permanent what was already true. Choosing Each Other at Ten Lachandra raised Aujie alone for six years. Then Brian entered their lives. When Aujie was ten, they sat down and asked: do you want me to officially adopt you? Do you understand what that means? Aujie said yes. Most adoptees never get asked. They had a choice. That choice changed everything about how family felt. Standing as Allies in an Interracial Marriage Brian and Lachandra built their life on one principle: nothing about us without us. When you affect someone's life, they're at the table. When they see broken basketball hoops in their neighborhood, Lachandra knocks on the door. Brian steps back. They let families own the gift. That's real allyship.

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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
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2025 Voices of Adopton. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Voices of Adoption