You Can Adopt

Welcome to episode 29 of the You Can Adopt podcast. In this episode, host Dr Krish Kandiah, an adopter, foster carer, birth parent, and long‑standing advocate for children in care, is joined by adoptive parents Dawn and Steve to explore one of the more sensitive and often misunderstood parts of adoption - maintaining relationships with birth families. Together, they unpack what “contact” can look...

Welcome to episode 28 of the You Can Adopt Podcast. Worried your home isn’t “perfect”? Or that you’re not quite ready to adopt? You’re not alone. In this special episode for National Adoption Week 2025, adopters Emma and Mike share their real experiences of preparing (and feeling unprepared!) to welcome their two children home in January of this year. Hosted by their social worker, Cat, they unpac...

Welcome to episode 27 of the You Can Adopt Podcast. Host Isma Almas – comedian, writer, and adoptive mum – speaks with Michelle and Laura, a same-sex couple raising their two adopted daughters. Their journey began nearly seven years ago with a simple Google search, and they now share what they’ve learned along the way. They discuss the early stages of adoption: from initial research and enquiry, t...

In this special episode of the You Can Adopt podcast, we explore the topic of transracial adoption 🎙️ Yoni Ejo, a social worker, adopted person, adoptive mother, and founder of Diversity Adopt, engages in a heartfelt conversation with Rabail, a 20-year-old who was adopted at just eight months old by parents from a different ethnic background. Like any other young person, Rabail is trying to figure...

Welcome to a special episode of the You Can Adopt podcast for National Adoption Week 2024. This episode features Al Coates MBE, social worker and adoptive father to six, in conversation with 27-year-old Carla who was adopted aged six, and her father, Andrew, discussing their lifelong adoption journey. From maintaining relationships with those important to them to identity – the honest conversation...

Welcome to episode 24 of the You Can Adopt Podcast. This episode features Miles Asteri, former contestant on BBC’s ‘The Traitors’, and single adopter Alex, in conversation about their journey to adopt their children. From deciding to start the process, navigating challenges, bringing your child home, to receiving support throughout – they discuss the bumps in the road, but how the rewards of provi...

Welcome to episode 23 of the You Can Adopt podcast. Debbie Bright, mum of four, has fostered over 200 children over the last 30 years. She has looked after children of all ages, with a variety of needs, and for variable periods of time. Her and her husband, Dave, did this while raising their birth children Lydia, Georgia, Romana and Freddie. Lydia Bright, TV personality, influencer, author and mot...

Welcome to episode 22 of the You Can Adopt podcast. In this episode, TV presenter, culture expert and adopted person Nick Ede speaks to Samantha, who is part of three generations of adopted people. As a special episode for National Adoption Week, the episode explores how adoption has changed through the decades, through the voices of two people who have seen or heard first-hand how it has evolved....

Welcome to episode 21 of the You Can Adopt podcast, hosted by actor Jimmy Akingbola. In his 2022 ITV documentary ‘Handle with Care’, Jimmy explores his journey through the care system, and his experience of being fostered long-term by a white British family – particularly around themes of identity, the importance of role models, and cultural connection. In this episode, Jimmy speaks to Sarah Livin...

Welcome to Episode 20 of the You Can Adopt podcast, hosted by former children’s social worker and Love Island winner, Sanam Harrinanan. In this episode, Sanam speaks to Emma, who adopted two children with her husband, to explore the theme of the support available to adopters. There are a variety of support services available to adopters throughout their journey, from therapeutic and financial supp...

Welcome to episode 19 of the You Can Adopt podcast, hosted by radio DJ Pandora Christie, who speaks to guest Jonny about his experience of adopting through early permanence. Early permanence refers to the situation where children in care are placed in a permanent family home at the earliest opportunity to prevent additional moves between carers. A child would be placed into care with carers who ar...

Welcome to episode 18 of the You Can Adopt podcast, hosted by actor and activist Charlie Condou, who speaks to couple Adam and Daniyal, who adopted their son, about adopting as a same sex couple. They discuss being LGBTQ+ parents, the process of adoption, the support they received along the way, and how they came to adopt.   Charlie Condou, ex Coronation Street actor and LGBTQ+ activist, shares tw...

Welcome to episode 17 of the You Can Adopt podcast, hosted by Debbie, a returning host to the podcast, talking to mother and daughter Lizzy and Lilybelle about their experience of adoption, growing up with foster carers, and maintaining contact with foster and birth families. Debbie and her husband Dave have fostered over 200 children over the span of 30 years, after ‘falling’ into fostering when...

Welcome to episode 16 of the You Can Adopt podcast, hosted by BBC Presenter Ashley John-Baptiste, talking to Jamal, who was adopted at the age of three. They share memories of their lives as children growing up – for Ashley in the care system, and for Jamal being transracially adopted by his two mums. They discuss their heritage, belonging, and how they found their identities through the people ar...

In this 15th episode of the podcast, Carrie and David Grant are joined by parents of 3, Kathryn and Adrian, to talk about their experiences of adopting children that face the greatest delays in finding a home. Today also marks the launch of ‘A Life Less Ordinary’, a new campaign from You Can Adopt, to encourage the public to think differently about adoption and these children waiting longest to fi...

This week, Ashley John-Baptiste, BBC reporter and presenter, who grew up in foster care, meets Luke, who was adopted at the age of three. In this 14th episode of the podcast, Ashley and Luke explore their early memories of growing up, how Luke settled into life with his adoptive parents, being adopted with one of his birth siblings, his connection with his other birth siblings, and how his experie...

Nicky Campbell talks to Professor Beth Neil, an expert in post-adoption contact, about the topic. Beth is a Professor of Social Work, and Director of Research in the School of Social Work at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Before joining the Department as a Ph. D. student in 1996, she worked for several years in social care and social work. Her research interests are in the field of adop...

This National Adoption Week, campaign supporter Matt Barbet sits down with Mark Owers, expert in the field, and Chair of the National Adoption Recruitment Steering Group, to answer your questions on adoption. As a registered social worker, Mark is passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people and families, and is also the Director of Safeguarding and Care and Chief Social Worker f...

This week, Carrie and David Grant speak to single dad, Ben, from West Yorkshire, who first became a father at 21. Since his first adoption, he has adopted a total of six children with complex needs – Jack, thirteen, Ruby, ten, Lily, eight, Joseph, five, Louis, two, and son Teddy (who sadly passed away at the end of 2019). Now 36, Ben always had the desire to become a dad. He recalls that he found...

Today, we’re speaking to Jennifer, who has adopted her two sons with her husband. We’ll be talking about her adoption journey, as well as her experience of being a Black adopter. It’s an unfortunate fact that Black children and children of mixed-heritage wait the longest of any children to be adopted, and there are also a number of barriers and misconceptions that deter members of the Black commun...

This week, with the launch of the refreshed #YouCanAdopt campaign, which hopes to encourage more people to consider adopting groups of brothers and sisters, pop star and adoptive mother Sinitta sits down with Hafsa and James to talk about their experience of adopting brothers. Latest figures show there are currently 2,030 children waiting to be adopted in England and, of those, 44% are in family g...

Nicky Campbell talks to birth parent Angela about her story, experiences of adoption, and her relationship with her birth children and their adoptive parents. This episode explores a different perspective, shining a light on birth parents, and their important role and voice in the adoption process. Nicky himself was adopted a few days after he was born, and eventually sought out his birth parents...

This episode explores the journey of being an adopted adult, from adoption through to life now. Joy Carter, comedienne, writer and poet hosts the episode, speaking with fellow adoptees Dawn and Fran. The ultimate aim of this episode of the podcast is to show adoption from the adoptee’s perspective, as well as to broadcast a variety of voices and help potential adopters understand the different vie...

Adoption, the Process and Fertility Issues with Anna Richardson by You Can Adopt

Adopting a Child of a Different Ethnicity with Annie Price by You Can Adopt