Show Notes
Adopted in 1947, Janice Jones grew up as a lonely, privileged only child in a family where adoption was known but never discussed, inspiring her lifelong search for truth and connection. A freelance writer and editor, dog-obedience instructor, children’s book buyer, and puzzle inventor, Jones is the author of Dr. Beare’s Daughter: Growing Up Adopted, Adored, and Afraid, her fourth published book.
More from Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
Dana was adopted through Catholic Charities in 1973 and, after learning her biological mother had passed away, continued searching for her roots, eventually discovering her biological father and four paternal half-brothers through Ancestry DNA. Today, she shares her journey through podcasts and blog posts and is writing a memoir, A Girl and Her Four Families, believing every adoptee has the right to know where they came from.
Jeanette Yoffe, M.A., M.F.T., is an adopted person and former foster youth who has spent over 20 years as a clinical psychologist specializing in adoption, foster care, trauma, and attachment. She is the founder of Celia Center, a nonprofit supporting the adoption and foster care community, and the Clinical Director of Yoffe Therapy, as well as an author, educator, and advocate for adoptees and families.
Wilson Munsterman is a 20-year-old author, adoptee, and advocate whose book Marked by Adoption explores the complexities of adoption and the diverse experiences of adoptees. Adopted from China, Wilson has testified before the Nebraska Legislature and uses his writing, advocacy, and mentorship to encourage adoptees to acknowledge their past while recognizing their ability to shape their future.
Candi, born in the Baby Scoop Era and adopted at five days old in a closed adoption, spent much of her life understanding adoption through the lens of being “chosen,” until her adoptive mother’s death and a 2017 DNA test opened the door to deeper questions about her identity and biological family. In recent years, discovering adoptee-centered language and healing has transformed her understanding of her experiences, inspiring her to build community, advocate for adoptee rights, and create an in-person peer support group, while embracing her favorite role of all: mom to her three children.
Samantha Verrone is an interdisciplinary artist and Baby Scoop Era adoptee whose work explores identity, belonging, loss, connection, and integration through found materials, natural dyes, hand stitchwork, and foraged objects. Her journey out of the fog of adoption, along with caring for her mother with dementia, has shaped her belief in art, craft, and connection as powerful forms of healing, care, and preserving identity.