Podcasts
Podcasts
If you are thinking about adoption it can help to hear from real people who were once right where you are. We created Adopter Stories by Adoption Now to bring you real life stories from real life adopters. You will hear that no two adoption journeys are the same and not every adoption is the same. We talk about the challenges that people face during the adoption process but we also talk about the highs too!
Neurodiversity week 2026 special!
In this special episode for neurodiversity week I sat down to chat with Alison, a family support worker here at Adoption Now, who shares her experience of supporting children in preparing for adoption and working alongside families.
Work, home and adoption: the early journey
In this episode I sat down to chat with Simon, who, along with his partner Hannah, have adopted 4 children. We talk about how daily life changes when you adopt your child and Simon reflects on what helped and what they found challenging as a new family.
Adoption in the age of AI: Your questions answered. Myths, facts and the adoption process
From quick, everyday tasks to life-changing decisions, more and more people are turning to Online and AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT and even TikTok to research topics that really matter to them. Curious to see what people are most commonly asking and searching for, we decided to explore those questions that come up time and time again about adoption and the adoption process.
A birth parent's perspective
In this episode, we’re honoured to share the powerful and deeply personal story of Kay, a birth parent. It’s a perspective we don’t often hear, but one that is vital in helping us all understand the wider picture of adoption — emotionally, practically and personally.
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 14
In this episode we will be finding out about our latest campaign 'You’re more ready than you think, we’ll find out the latest, breaking news with regards to our information events and as usual I will be highlighting a previous episode that you may have missed and that we think could be good for you to listen to if you are currently considering about adopting.
You're more ready than you think
In this episode, we speak to two adopters, Linzi and Dan, who share how they realised they were ready — and what helped them take that first step.
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 13
In this episode we find out about the recent north west adoption day, Bolton’s Best nominations, the new milestone this podcast has hit, the latest news on our roadshows and we round up with and short interview with Sophie, a member of our recruitment team here at adoption now and a recommended episode from the adopter stories by adoption now vault!
From hope to home
In this episode of adopter stories by adoption now, we sit down to chat with Matthew, who shares the heartfelt journey he and his husband took to become parents through adoption.
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 12
In this episode we catch up with how our Bobbert campaign is going as it enters the final month of the campaign, and as the Bobbert campaign is ending we find out about the latest campaign from Adoption North West that kicked off this month. We also find out where our roadshows have been in March and I'll be highlighting a previous episode that you may have missed and that we think could be good for you to listen to if you are currently considering about adopting.
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 11
In this second episode of the year we catch up with how our Bobbert's adventures campaign is going, we find out where our roadshows will be in March and I’ll be highlighting a previous episode that you may have missed and that we think could be good for you to listen to if you are currently considering about adopting.
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 10
In this first episode of the year we are kicking things off with 2 campaigns that are running contiguously but both have the same aim in encouraging prospective adopters to come forward. 1st up we have 'Bobbert's adventures' and secondly 'This is a sign'.
Planning to adopt?
In this episode, the first of 2025, we thought it would be the perfect time to hit the ground running and help direct you to some of the best places that you can go to to get the best research information before starting your adoption journey.
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 9
In this final episode of the year we hear about our most recent event here at Adoption Now – Winter Wonderland. We'll also be taking a look back across our latest series of Christmas special episodes of the podcast, finding out about our latest blog post, how our most recent roadshows along with a message from our head of service, Katrina, and finally Welcome team manager, Dan, will be back along with Amy, an advanced practice manager on our Care Planning team here at adoption now where they will be rounding off our getting ready to adopt segment – which, for the final time looks at introductions.
Adopter stories for Christmas! Episode 4
In the weeks leading up to Christmas we are excited to bring you very some special, brand new festive episodes of our Adopter Stories podcast.
Adopter stories for Christmas! Episode 3
In the weeks leading up to Christmas we are excited to bring you very some special, brand new festive episodes of our Adopter Stories podcast.
Adopter stories for Christmas! Episode 2
In the weeks leading up to Christmas we are excited to bring you very some special, brand new festive episodes of our Adopter Stories podcast.
Adopter stories for Christmas! Episode 1
In the weeks leading up to Christmas we are excited to bring you very some special, brand new festive episodes of our Adopter Stories podcast.
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 8
With National Adoption Week taking place 21 – 27 October we will be rounding up our activity across this important week and beyond. We'll also be finding out about our brand new, pre-recorded information events, the latest national adopter journey practice standards from Adoption England and finally welcome team manager, Dan, will be back along with Luisa, a car planning manager here at adoption now and they will be continuing our getting ready to adopt segment – which this time looks at the matching process once you have been approved as an adopter.
Dad pod 2!
More than a year on we felt it was high time we brought together more adoptive dads for the sequel, Dad pod 2!
Extra time with Adoption Now! Episode 7 - National Adoption Week 2024
With National Adoption Week taking place 21 – 27 October we will be finding out about this national week of celebration - www.youcanadopt.co.uk . We’ll also be finding out about our brand new, revamped website, the latest on our roadshows and finally welcome team manager, Dan, will be back with the next feature in our getting ready to adopt segment – which this time is all getting ready for panel!
Proud 2b Parents
I sat down to chat with Matt Taylor-Roberts, who is the founder and managing director of Proud 2b Parents. We talk about how Proud 2B Parents came about, the work they do and what advice they would give to LGBT+ people who are thinking about adopting.
There is a community in your corner...you are not alone!
In this second of a 2 part series of interviews for our 'you are not alone' campaign, I sat down to chat with Natalie and Helen, two of our amazing mentors to talk about their own support network, family and what adoption means to them.
Extra time with Adoption Now - Episode 6
In this episode we will be finding out about our brand new campaign 'you are not alone', our latest Roadshow in which we attended Family Pride in Manchester with our friends at Proud2BeParents, how Adoption Now were on local BBC radio and finally welcome team manager, Dan, will be back with the next feature in our getting ready to adopt segment – which this time is all about Stage 2!
It takes a village to raise a child...you are not alone
They say it takes a village to raise a child and when it comes to adoption this saying takes on even more significance. In this first of a two part series of interviews for our You are not alone campaign, I sat down to chat with Clare and Abubakar, two of our amazing mentors to talk about community, family and what it means to them to be a mentor.
Extra time with Adoption Now - Episode 5
In this episode we will be finding about the brand new, national campaign 'the journey from you can adopt', the exciting plans we have in place for Dad pod – Episode 2!, our latest roadshow and finally, Dan, the welcome team manager will be back with the next feature in our getting ready to adopt segment – which this time is all about Stage 1!
Extra time with Adoption Now - Episode 4
In this episode we reflect on our 'hope for a brighter future' campaign which is coming to an end this month.
What is adoption preparation training?
This is a 3 day, in person course in which we aim of to prepare our adopters for what's to come during their adoption journey, so they know what to expect and also build on their knowledge of what adoption is. An interactive course across 3 working days right at the start of any process can understandably sound a little daunting to anyone, let alone those who are looking to adopt. And we get that. So to give you a little jump start on what's to come if and when you start your adoption story, I sat down to chat with Kayleigh, one of our experienced social workers here at adoption now, who delivers this training.
Extra time with Adoption Now - Episode 3
In episode 3 of extra time we recap on our current 'hope for a brighter future campaign', finding out about the pressing need we have for adopters to come forward, our adoption now roadshows across our local authority areas carries on with Bolton and Blackburn, part two of our brand new, monthly feature – getting you ready to adopt. In this series of interviews with our welcome team manager Dan, we will be running through each step of the process so you will know what to expect as part of your adoption story and in this episode Dan talks to us about initial visits.
Extra time with Adoption Now - Episode 2
In this episode we are taking a look at our brand new campaign with Sarah, a member of our welcome team and our marketing team. I'll be chatting with Amanda about our recent adoption day and also Catrin, one of our social workers here at Adoption Now about the brand new, regional campaign 'adoption north west'.
Hope for a brighter future
In this latest episode we catch up with Dan and Hayley who adopted siblings, and find out the positive difference that they have made to the lives of their adopted children.
Extra time with Adoption Now - Episode 1
Going forward this podcast is changing with the addition of a new, extra episode each month! In this new episode we are going to be able to bring you more about what's going on within the agency by going behind the scenes, important dates for your diary, occasional case studies of some of the children that we are finding families for, updates on any campaigns that we are currently running and much more. In this first episode we take a look back at our recent 'I became a parent when…' campaign, and we also find out about our roadshow and much more!
How choosing to adopt can lead to making big changes in your own lifestyle
Choosing to adopt is not a decision that is taken likely. We get that. It’s a life changing decision that can often lead to making big changes in your own lifestyle before you take on the responsibility of a child or children. That could be choosing to become a little healthier, gaining more experience in child care or even moving house.
What is care planning?
For this episode I sat down to chat with 2 members of our care planning team to find out how they go about finding a family, some of the challenges that they face and what they look for in adopters for their children.
I became a parent when...
For this campaign tie-in episode we put the call out to some of our amazing adopters to find out just when they felt that spark, that time when they felt like they felt that special moment happen and they answered with some amazing memories!
There's so much love in our house! LGBT+ adopter special
Our guests on this episode are Emma, Jo and Rhiannon. Emma and Jo are a young LGBQ+ couple who have adopted two children and Rhiannon, along with her partner has adopted via the fostering for adoption route.
Start your adoption story!
For our first episode of 2024 we wanted to take things right back down to basics and give you the best advice possible for starting your adoption story. There are a lot of myths that still exist around adoption and the adoption process and often a lot of these myths will tie in with your own questions that you want to find the answers too.
Preparing for Christmas with our therapeutic parenting expert!
At Adoption Now we take great pride in the way we are able to support our families so, with Christmas just on the horizon we thought it would be good to offer some extra support and advice for the holidays. In this episode I sat down to chat with Rita, one of our resident therapeutic parenting experts to get some hints and tips around making the most of the festive period and creating the best time possible for children and the wider families.
Keeping family groups together - adopting siblings
For our current 'do you know our children?' campaign I sat down to chat with Andrea, who along with her husband adopted their two boys. We not only find out about their story, but we also talk openly about the challenges that they encountered and the fantastic joys too.
Could you adopt an older child? Adoption Now roadshows!
The overwhelming majority of people who contact our agency and are thinking about adopting do so with the intention of adopting a child that is aged 0 to 2 years old. However, our latest figures show that 40% of our children that have a placement order are in fact 3 years old or older and with this group of children waiting the longest for their forever families, we have more need than ever for adopters to consider whether they could adopt an older child. The team at Adoption Now hit the road at shopping centres in Bolton, Blackburn and Bury to challenge these preconceptions at our recent July roadshows!
No one get's adoption like another adopter - Adoption Now's mentor service
In this episode I sat down to chat with members of our mentoring service to find out how it all works, when it started and just how much our adopters value the service.
The breadth of adoption support that we offer and 'you can adopt 2023!'
Our guest in this episode is our head of service Karen Barrick. She tells us about the breadth of adoption support that is available here at Adoption Now. We cover the adoption support fund and we also find out about the goals of this years 'you can adopt national campaign!'
The benefits of therapeutic parenting!
In this episode I sat down to chat with one of our adopters who accessed our therapeutic parenting course. We find out how they accessed the course, how they found it and how it helped their family.
Come and join our team!
On 1 June we are holding our online jobs fair and we are inviting you to come and find out what it's like to be part of this amazing team along with finding out about the roles that we currently have vacancies for. In this episode you will get a sneak preview by hearing from some of our team talking about their roles and what they enjoy most about working at Adoption Now.
We're with you every step of the way!
The beginning of April saw the launch of our 'We're with you every step of the way' campaign in which we focus on the support that we offer here at Adoption Now. In this episode I sit down to chat with Sarah, a member of our welcome team and who is often the voice that you will hear answering the phone. You will hear that no question is a bad question and that between them, our welcome team have probably heard your question many times before. What you can expect is a warm, friendly greeting from someone who is there for you right at the start of your adoption journey!
Dad pod!
In the longest episode we have ever done we sat round the table with 4 of our adoptive dad's to find out about their experiences of adoption and the adoption process itself!
They are there to help people on their first steps through the adoption process - online information events special!
Have you been to one of our online information events? When the Covid 19 pandemic started we had to stop hosting our in-person information events. However, this enabled us to re-evaluate how we do them and by taking them online we have made it easier than ever for any one who is thinking about adoption to attend from the comfort of your own home!
Could you be part of a life story?
One of the ways in which we help our children maintain some form of link to their past is by creating a life story book for them. In this episode I sat down to chat with Kerry, a member of the team here at Adoption Now to find out more about life story books and the critical role that they play in an adopted childs identity.
Adopted at 6 years old
The 'you can adopt national adoption week' campaign this October aims to highlight the importance of identity and to recognise the significance of identity for children who are adopted. Our guest in this episode is Nicole. She was adopted at 6 and in this episode she tells us her story and experience of adoption, sharing with us her memories of that time and her life growing up as an adoptee.
Involve your children from the start - adopting whilst already having a birth child
Our guests are Nicky and Simon, once they were thinking about adopting sat down with their birth children to discuss what they were thinking, what it could mean for their family and they also gave their children a veto if they weren't comfortable with the idea of adopting. As we will hear their children were fully behind their parents and as well as this we will be hearing about some of the challenges that were presented to them but we also find out about the joys too.
Growing your family by choosing to adopt
In this episode we are talking with Kathryn who, along with her husband adopted their daughter after having their birth son. We find out about their adoption story and why they chose to adopt.
'We've not been treated any differently'... David and Michael's adoption story
In this episode we are talking to David who, along with husband Michael adopted their 2 boys. We find out about their adoption story, how they came to adopt and also what advice they would give to anyone from the LGBTQ+ community who is thinking about adopting.
Catching up, one year on
In this very special episode we are catching up with Rav and Phil, who are previous guests on the podcast. It's been a while since we first spoke to them about adopting siblings so we thought it would be great to catch up with them and to see how they are. It's fair to say that they have had some ups and downs along the journey since we last spoke however, what is in no doubt is that they are an amazing, strong and loving family unit who are constantly learning from and inspiring each other.
Still think you can't adopt if you're in a same sex relationship?
In this episode we are going to be hearing from not 1, not 2 but 3 of our adopters! Sam, who adopted with his husband Tom, Heather and Emma and Lee. As we always say, no two adoption stories are the same and that is certainly the case with the adopters featured in this episode. But you will be hearing about their adoption journeys and some of the challenges they faced during the adoption process.
We are with you every step of the way and beyond!
Across our website and social media we talk a lot about adoption support. The support we provide for our children is our number one priority and we are also passionate about supporting adopters throughout the adoption process and beyond. We are extremely proud to have our own team of specialist, therapeutically trained adoption support workers who are there for you once you have been approved and matched with a child or children. In this episode we are talking to Elaine and Laura, two of our social workers who are on our adoption support team. They are here to talk about what that support actually looks like and how they go about delivering that support.
Could you consider adopting siblings?
Throughout June we have been focusing on our need to find adopters who can consider adopting siblings or family groups. So in this latest episode we thought it would be good to talk to one of our team about the siblings groups that we are currently finding families for. I sat down to chat with Lisa, one of our social workers on the family finding team here at Adoption Now. We talked about the role that the family finding team carry out, along with an insight into how they go about keeping siblings together as best as they can.
Adopting a family group
In this latest episode we are revisiting our conversation with Shauneen who, along with her husband Oliver adopted siblings. Adoption can have challenges, so we will be hearing about those but we also talk about the highs too!
Could you adopt siblings?
In this latest episode we are revisiting our conversation with Rav and Phil. This particular episode has been our most popular show across all platforms and I think their story is one that is absolutely fantastic and shows the magic of adopting a sibling group aswell as the challenges and surprises that can happen along the way.
Being single and achieving the dream of being a parent
In this episode we finish our month long focus on being single and adopting by speaking to Lyndsey. She has always wanted to be a mum, however after her marriage sadly ended and finding herself single, she had to think about how she was going to achieve that dream. In this episode we find out about Lyndsey's adoption journey, how she found the adoption process and completing her family unit.
Adopting as a single adopter - forming an extra special bond
Children need a loving stable environment and adopting a child on your own means that you may well build an extra special relationship together. As you will hear in this episode featuring Emily. You'll be hearing about her adoption journey, how she came to the decision to adopt on her own but also the bond between Emily and her adopted son.
Adopting as a single woman
Throughout May we are talking about being single and adopting. We are continuing our interviews with some of our adopters who were single when they adopted. In this episode we are talking to Zoe, where among other things you will be hearing about her adoption journey and how she came to decision to adopt on her own.
Can I adopt if I'm single?
In this episode we are going to be talking about being single and adopting with out special guest Sharon. Sharon is a social worker who is a member of the recruitment team here at Adoption Now and she has a wealth of experience in helping and guiding single adopters throughout the adoption process. In this episode she talks about some of the challenges that anyone who is single and thinking about adoption may face, and she will also be talking about some of the benefits too, for both the child or children and the adopter.
Adopting as a single man
A common misconception when it comes to the adoption process is that you can't adopt if you're single or not in a relationship. In this podcast we sit down to have a chat with Christopher who made the decision to adopt on his own. We will be finding out more about what it was that lead him to make that decision, as well as what it was like going through the adoption process as as single male adopter.
Care for me first? Adopting via the fostering for adoption (FFA) route
In this latest episode we are continuing to focus on fostering for adoption (FFA) by talking to Laura who, along with her husband adopted via fostering for adoption. She tells us about their adoption journey, why they chose to adopt via this particular route to adoption and also about the challenges and highs that can come with Fostering for Adoption.
Fostering For adoption (FFA)
In this episode we sit down to talk about fostering For adoption (FFA). Our guest is Kayleigh, one of our team of social workers here at Adoption Now and she is here to tell us just what fostering for adoption is. She talks about some of the challenges of this particular route to adoption but she also talks about the fantastic the highs too.
LGBT+ adoption and fostering week 2022 special!
The LGBT+ adoption and fostering week is back for its tenth year. Led by new family social the campaign looks to encourage more LGBT+ people to consider both adoption and fostering as routes to parenting. The first LGBT+ adoption And fostering week was back in 2012 and the campaign has gone from strength to strength each year. Adoption Now are once again proud to be supporting this year's campaign and so, as a special episode we felt a great way to finish the weeks celebration would be to speak to Sam who, along with his partner Tom adopted their amazing little boy. In this episode we find out about their adoption journey, and amongst other things, how, as part of the LGBT+ community, they found the adoption process.
Adoption fun day special!
On Saturday 26 February 2022 children from across the north west of England who are waiting to be adopted, along with approved and prospective adopters, all came together for a day of fun and finding families at the 'north west adoption agencies together' adoption Fun day. In this adoption fun day special we will be hearing from social workers who were at the event, getting their take on why adoption fun days are so important. And we will also be hearing from two prospective adopters who attended the event, finding out about their thoughts on the day itself.
Why you should come to us if you're thinking about adoption
We thought a great way to start the new year off would be to do a small episode about who we are as an agency, what we do, and why. If you're thinking about adoption then you should speak to us. There’s no guest in this episode so instead our host, Ian, will be telling you a little bit about the history of Adoption Now, our reputation as an agency and about your first steps on your adoption journey.
Adopting a child With complex needs episode 2
In this latest episode of adopter stories we are once again talking about adopting a child with complex needs by speaking to our guests Kathryn and Adrian. Having adopted 3 children already, with each child having some form of additional needs, Kathryn and Adrian are currently waiting to be matched with their fourth child. In this episode we talk about their adoption story, the battles that the couple have faced and also about why they are adopting for a fourth time!
Adopting a child with complex needs episode 1
Some children with a plan for adoption have complex medical needs and many people who consider adoption will often think that adopting a child with complex needs can at first be a little overwhelming. However, Nas and Rick's story will go to show that although it does without doubt have it's challenges, adopting a child with complex needs has fantastic highs that for them, far outweigh the challenges that they faced. Nas and Rick adopted their child 6 years ago and in this episode we will be talking about how they came to adopt, the challenges and difficulties they faced adopting a child with complex needs and we'll also talk about the fantastic highs too.
#YouCanAdopt black adopters campaign special
The nationwide campaign #YouCanAdopt has been relaunched to positively improve perceptions and break down any barriers that people from the black community may have in coming forward when considering adoption. In this episode of adopter stories we are speaking to Prossy. She started her adoption journey last year and adopted her child in the midst of the covid 19 pandemic. Prossy is of black African heritage so we wanted to catch up with her and find out about her adoption journey and her thoughts on the national campaign. Just to note, we did have some technical issues during the recording process so we apologise that audio quality of the interview isn't always as perfect as we would like – but what Prossy has to say is totally perfect!
LGBTQ+ pride special - episode 2 - Heather and Emma
In 2020 1 in 6 adoptions in England were to same-sex couples and with the Manchester Pride Festival due to take place over the August bank holiday weekend, we thought it would be a great time to talk about adoption and LGBT+. In this episode we speak to Heather and her partner Emma. We talk about their adoption story and why they came to adopt.
LGBTQ+ pride special - episode 1 - Lee
In 2020 1 in 6 adoptions in England were to same-sex couples, and with the Manchester Pride Festival due to take place over the August bank holiday weekend, we thought it would be a great time to talk about adoption and LGBT+. In this episode we speak to Lee, who along with his husband adopted their little boy. Just to note that the name he refers to in this interview has been changed for the safety of all involved.
Shauneen and Oliver: adopting brothers and sisters
23 April 2021 see's the start of a new national adoption campaign from #YouCanAdopt that focuses on the need for more adopters to consider adopting brothers and sisters. Often taking longer to place, we wanted to shine a light on the process of adopting siblings by talking to one of our amazing adoptive families. In the episode we talk to Shauneen, who along with her husband Oliver adopted siblings. We talk about how they both arrived at the decision to adopt more than one child, the challenges they faced and also the highs of adopting brothers and sisters.
Rav and Phil: adopting brothers and sisters
23 April 2021 see's the start of a new national adoption campaign from #YouCanAdopt that focuses on the need for more adopters to consider adopting brothers and sisters. Often taking longer to place, we wanted to shine a light on the process of adopting siblings by talking to one of our amazing adoptive families. In this episode we talk to Rav who, along with his husband Phil adopted siblings. We talk about how they both arrived at the decision to adopt more than one child, the challenges they faced and also the highs of adopting brothers and sisters.
Gill and Paul: faith and adoption
We understand that if you are a person of faith it is a significant part of what makes you, you. Here at Adoption Now we welcome people of all faiths who are considering adopting a child or children through us. In this latest episode of adopter stories we welcome on to the progam Gill and Paul. Their Christian faith is a very important part of their life so, in this episode we find out about their adoption story, finding out just how much their faith helped in their decision to adopt and during the adoption process itself.
Julie's story
In this feature length podcast we are sitting down to have a chat with Julie, who along with her husband made the decision to adopt after they were initially considering fostering. We will be finding out more about that decision to adopt as well as talking about the process as a whole, adopting whilst having 2 birth children and we also talk about fostering for adoption.
Adopter stories by Adoption Now
If you are thinking about adoption it can help to hear from real people who were once right where you are, and at Adoption Now we fully understand that. So, to help we spoke to some of our amazing adopters about their own personal experiences and what they had to share is just superb!