This blog was written by Allison Olson. Being both an adoptee and an adoptive parent, Allison Olson has a unique perspective on the topic of adoption. She is an award-winning children’s adoption book author and her goal is to change the adoption narrative from the “lucky” child to the “loved” child. Allison lives in Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and their kitties named Bo and Aero.

Podcasts are a great way to hear a variety of voices from the adoption community to continue to enhance our knowledge and understanding of adoption from all sides of the adoption triad (adoptee, birth parents, and adoptive parents). I’ve listened to numerous podcasts, so here is my opinion of the 15 best adoption podcasts. While most of these podcasts have guests spanning across the adoption triad, some podcasts specifically focus on a particular corner, so I’ve grouped the podcast based on Adoptee, Birth Parents, and Adoptive Parents’ Perspectives.

Adoptee Perspectives

  • The Thriving Adoptee – helps adoptees to thrive, heal, and evolve. It’s good for adoptive parents to listen to different adoptee lived experiences along with suggestions around growth and healing.
  • Adoption: The Making of Me – each season these two adult adoptees recap a chapter from a book centered on adoption along with a guest interview to hear an adoptee story.
  • Adoptees On – find real, raw, and deep feelings addressed in these interviews. Adult adoptees share stories of search, reunion, and secondary rejection.
  • Who Am I Really? – the stories will make you smile or bring you to tears, but they’re all true as told by the adult adoptees who lived them.

Birth Parent Perspectives

  • Birth Mom’s Real Talk – birth mothers telling their heartfelt stories of placement.
  • Birth Mothers Matter in Adoption – amplifying birth mothers’ and fathers’ voices.

Adoptive Parents’ Perspectives

  • Funding Love Podcast – two adoptive moms that seek to love, support, and elevate all corners of the adoption triad through honest conversations all while running Funding Love, a non-profit that strengthens bonds, builds community, and restores people post adoption.
  • Open Adoption Project – this podcast is about connecting. It is a safe space for any perspectives and experiences adoptees and first parents share, while adopters and those wanting to adopt listen and learn.
  • Adoption Unfiltered – collectively the hosts (adoptee, birth mom, and adoptive parent) bring 75 years of lived experience relating to adoption and span Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations. They understand the history, challenges, and trends experienced by people living in adoption and the broader adoption constellation. One of the three hosts came from Adoption the Long View, while that podcast is no longer running, former episodes are still available. It explores all aspects of the adoption journey with a variety of articulate and thought-provoking guests.
  • Modern Adoption – from modernizing the laws governing adoption to creating modern access to adoption for adoption professionals, and the expectant and adopting families they serve.
  • Unraveling Adoption – a safe space to delve into adoption’s complexities together.
  • The Adoption Roadmap – if you’re genuinely committed to diving in with an open heart, eager to learn everything there is to know about adopting a baby, this is for you.
  • 2 Adoptive Mamas – they are committed to helping you navigate the day-to-day of adoptive mama-hood through shared resources on adoption and parenting, shared experiences, and by shared opportunities to learn from and growth with one another. This podcast is currently paused but will likely come back later in 2025.
  • Adoption Now – real stories about the joy and challenges of the adoption journey.
  • Voices of Adoption – is dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming space for all adoption triad members to share their unique stories and perspectives.

Learn more about the author:

Website: www.ouradoptionbooks.com

Social Media: @kidsbooksbyallisonolson (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)