Adoption Shared

Season 6: What I Wish My Parents Knew About Adoption

Adoption Shared

Show Notes

Adopted people often reflect on their experiences differently as they grow older, gaining new perspectives on identity, belonging, family and what support felt most meaningful along the way. This episode centres adoptee experience, offering parents an opportunity to hear directly from someone who has lived it. Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with James, a screenwriting graduate, care-experienced advocate and adoptee, about his experiences of growing up adopted and the things he wishes hi...

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Jun 14, 2026

Stories play a powerful role in shaping how adoption is understood, both within families and in wider society. For adoptees, writing can offer a way to explore identity, make sense of complex experiences and reclaim narratives that have often been told by others. This episode focuses on the role of storytelling in adoption, and the opportunities and challenges that come with putting personal experiences into words. Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Dr Liz DeBetta, adoptee, author, sch...

Jun 7, 2026

Children's books can play an important role in helping young children understand adoption, explore questions of identity and belonging, and find language for feelings that can be difficult to express. This episode focuses on how parents can choose books that support meaningful conversations about adoption and help children see themselves reflected in the stories they read. Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Robin Stevens, author of Ezra and the Great Bin Jah Meen and an adoptive parent...

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Stories can help adoptive parents see adoption from a different perspective. Whether through memoirs, books, articles or personal accounts, they can open up new ways of understanding a child’s experiences and create opportunities for more thoughtful conversations at home. Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Lisa Mainwaring, a journalist, writer, communications professional and adoptive mum of two boys. Together, they discuss the value of reading different lived experiences and how...

May 6, 2026

This special episode is part of our Teens and Tweens Support Programme, funded by Adoption England, which supports adoptive parents as their children move into adolescence. It focuses on what adoption can feel like during the teenage years, drawing directly on the voices and experiences of adopted young people involved in Adopteens. Adopteens is a peer support space for adopted teenagers, where they can meet others with shared experiences, talk openly, and build connections outside of adult-l...

Apr 20, 2026

Films and documentaries can be powerful tools in helping children and young people understand their adoption story and explore questions of identity, belonging and origin. This episode focuses on how visual storytelling can support meaningful conversations about adoption, particularly as children grow and begin to make sense of their experiences in more complex ways. Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Louise Ndibwirende about how adoption is represented on screen, and what kinds of sto...

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