Whose experiences are we relying on to explain what the reality of adoption feels like for adoptees?
Young people today are growing up during a time which has been shaped by the prevalence of the internet and a shifting landscape of digital communication. For young people of this generation who were fostered or adopted, this period has also included much wider discussion around care history and experience, a discussion that has become more prevalent and explicit over time. Despite this, Scottish Adoption and Fostering’s Young Ambassadors felt that voices from their demographic were often missed in discussions about fostering and adoption, or not heard more publicly – that’s when the idea of the We Talk Adoption and Fostering podcast came about.
Reclaiming the narrative
Adoption and fostering podcasts are increasingly popular for sharing experiences and learning. Some of the most listened to adoption and fostering podcasts in the UK, such as ‘Adoption and Fostering’ and ‘Adoption, Fostering and Tea’ focus on stories that are mainly from adoptive and foster parents, from birth parents and from older care experienced voices. Adoptees who are vocal about their adoption experiences and those of others are often over the age of 35 or have had an experience of international or transracial adoption (for example, Simon Benn from Thriving Adoptees, Emily Welsz from Becoming Chosen, and Hayley Radke from Adoptees On). In many adoptee-led podcasts, adoptees describe their drive to create content to support others. They speak of the focus in the adoption constellation conversations – in-person conversations which include everyone involved in the adoption process – as being a ‘how to’ guide, including information on how to adopt, how to therapeutically parent, how to support an adoptee, and how to heal.
The young people involved in the We Talk Adoption and Fostering podcast are instead focused on reclaiming the narrative for their generation – this is adoption, this is our experience, this is how we can heal. Reclaiming the space and the narrative is a theme that strikes a chord with the people at We Talk Adoption and Fostering – as one member of the group explained, “If you are adopted you will understand the passion to help others”. However, the space is often dominated by voices that aren’t representative of them – people in the 18-25 age range. The team at We Talk Adoption and Fostering acknowledge that all adoptee voices resonate to some extent but are aware that adoption has changed, and there is an openness surrounding adoption that was not necessarily present for adoptees in older generations. Records searching and searching for birth families feel different for this cohort of young people who grew up knowing a lot of detail about their history yet continued to be surrounded by misconceptions around care experience.
By care experienced young people, for care experienced young people
The We Talk Adoption and Fostering podcast created by our young people has taken several months to come to fruition. Funding was sought and the group were assisted by an intern, Joy, through the Finding a Solution programme, a 12-week internship scheme run by the University of Glasgow. The members of the group have been meeting to discuss their shared and differing experiences and to map out the types of podcast episodes that they would like to listen to when exploring their own adoption identities.
The podcasts are conversational in nature and focus on key issues for young people but also have key insights for parents and professionals. They focus on children’s rights, education experiences, dealing with adoption assumptions, searching for answers in care records and about birth families, and even include some tips on how to manage Christmas. The young people at We Talk Adoption and Fostering hope to support others in the 18-25 age range in having their voices heard and not feeling alone. One member of the team described the loneliness that can occur when you don’t know others in a similar position to you. She hopes, “that it will come across to people about how it really is, rather than just the stereotypes”.
The young people involved do not claim to have a one-size fits all approach; their commonalities around care experience are what brings them together, but each journey is unique. They hope that through collective and differing voices, their stories will resonate more widely. One team member suggested that there will still be lots of people out there typing into Chat GPT, “Is it normal that I feel like this? Why do I still care that I am adopted?”, and she hopes that through hearing these conversations, some of those people will feel less alone.
Social work practice continues to evolve, whether that is the way that children are supported to move into a different home environment, how their life journey is explored with them or indeed for how long they are entitled to support. The adoption and fostering narrative continues to evolve as do the emerging voices. We Talk Adoption and Fostering gives a platform to a new generation of care experienced young people telling their unique stories, in the age-old hope of connecting with others seeking answers about their own identities.
Listen to the We Talk Adoption and Fostering podcast
Find out more about the podcast
The views expressed in this blog post are those of the author/s and may not represent the views or opinions of CELCIS or our funders.
Commenting on the blog posts: sharing comments and perspectives prompted by the posts on this blog are welcome.
CELCIS operates a moderation process so your comment will not go live straight away.