Ever wish you could hear from people who’ve “been there, done that” and lived the adoption journey firsthand? Starting the adoption process can feel overwhelming, and hopeful adoptive parents benefit enormously from hearing what adoption is really like: the joy, the waiting, the paperwork, and everything in between. One of the best things you can do while you drive to work, fold laundry, or go for a run is press play on an adoption podcast built for exactly this moment in your life.
Meet Let’s Talk Adoption
Let’s Talk Adoption is the original adoption podcast, launched in 2003 as one of the first internet radio shows dedicated entirely to adoption. Over the past two decades, it has aired on platforms like Voice America and SiriusXM, earning its reputation as one of the most trusted, longest-running voices in adoption media.
The show was founded and originally hosted by Mardie Caldwell, a well-known adoption expert, author, and the Founder of Lifetime Adoption. Mardie’s vision was simple: create space for open, honest conversations about adoption. That vision is still the heartbeat of the podcast today, now carried forward by hosts Heather Featherston and Kim King, who release new episodes every week covering real adoption stories, expert advice, and in-depth discussions on the topics that matter most to birth parents, adoptive families, and adoptees alike.
Let’s Talk Adoption is proudly sponsored by the Lifetime Adoption Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that encourages and provides adoption education, so you may hear it mentioned from time to time.
What You’ll Learn From the Show
Let’s Talk Adoption covers the full spectrum of the adoption journey, not just one type of adoption. Episodes dive into topics including:
- Domestic and international adoption
- Adoption financing and grants
- The adoption home study process
- Adoptee search and reunion stories
- Adopting older children and sibling groups
- Transracial adoption and fostering inclusivity
- Foster care
- Adoption law
- Open adoption and healthy relationships
Whether you’re just starting to explore adoption, are in the thick of the process, or want to understand it better as a family member or friend, there’s an episode for you.
A Few Recent Episodes Worth Your Time
If you’re new to the show, here are a few recent conversations that show exactly why hopeful and current adoptive parents keep coming back:
The Adoption Hospital Experience: What Really Happens? Heather and Kim walk through what families can typically expect at the hospital, demystifying one of the most emotional and least-talked-about parts of an infant adoption.
What Is ICPC? A Simple Guide to Interstate Adoption: A clear breakdown of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, for any family adopting a baby born in a different state than the one they live in.
Top Adoption Questions We Hear Most Often: A listener-driven Q&A tackling the searched, emotionally complex questions expectant and hopeful parents ask most.
More Episodes Worth Your Time
Beyond the process itself, Let’s Talk Adoption follows families well past placement day:
Adopting as a Single Parent: Maureen’s Two Adoptions: Kim King talks with a two-time single adoptive mom about growing her family through international adoption, including navigating a special needs adoption and an unexpected connection made years later with another family from her daughter’s orphanage.
Why Wouldn’t She Choose Us? Heather and Kim talk honestly about the emotional side of waiting, especially when a family isn’t selected after being presented to an expectant mother.
Christian Parenting Podcasts: Are They Helpful for Adoptive Families? Heather and Kim explore why so many parents turn to faith-based parenting shows, and where adoptive families often need something more: understanding a child’s story, identity, and connection in ways that go beyond general parenting advice.
Adoption Doesn’t End at Placement
A good adoption podcast follows families for the whole journey, not just the paperwork. It’s easy to think of adoption resources as something you need only in the weeks before your baby arrives. But identity, connection, and the birth parent relationship keep evolving for years, through the toddler years, the school years, and into your child’s own questions about where they come from.
Let’s Talk Adoption’s mix of process-focused episodes and long-view conversations with adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoption professionals reflects that reality: the adoption journey doesn’t stop at the hospital doors.
Why an Adoption Podcast Belongs in Your Routine
Hearing other people’s adoption stories provides encouragement along with invaluable guidance as you navigate the unknowns of the process. Listening to families who have already walked this path is one of the most reassuring things a hopeful adoptive parent can do while waiting. An adoption podcast turns commute time, chore time, or workout time into an opportunity to learn, no extra hours required.
Let’s Talk Adoption releases a new episode every week, so there’s always something fresh to listen to, whether you’re deep in the adoption process or simply want to understand it better.
Listen to the Let’s Talk Adoption Podcast
You can subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube Music, and via RSS. New episodes drop weekly at LetsTalkAdoption.com/episodes.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your own adoption journey, Lifetime Adoption has supported families for over 40 years with a free application to adopt, guidance through the adoption process, and real adoption stories from families who’ve been exactly where you are now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Let’s Talk Adoption?
Let’s Talk Adoption is a weekly adoption podcast founded in 2003 by adoption expert Mardie Caldwell and is now hosted by Heather Featherston and Kim King. It covers domestic and international adoption, open adoption, foster care, and adoptee search and reunion stories.
Who hosts Let’s Talk Adoption?
Heather Featherston and Kim King currently host Let’s Talk Adoption, releasing new episodes every week featuring real adoption stories and expert advice.
Is Let’s Talk Adoption connected to Lifetime Adoption?
Yes, it was launched in 2003 by Lifetime’s Founder, Mardie Caldwell, and it is currently hosted by Lifetime’s Heather Featherston and Kim King. Let’s Talk Adoption is sponsored by the Lifetime Adoption Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides adoption education.
Where can I listen to Let’s Talk Adoption?
Let’s Talk Adoption is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube Music, by email subscription, and by RSS feed, with new episodes published weekly at LetsTalkAdoption.com.
Does Let’s Talk Adoption only cover infant adoption?
No. While infant adoption is a frequent topic, the podcast also covers international adoption, foster care adoption, adopting older children and sibling groups, transracial adoption, and adoptee search and reunion stories.
Does Let’s Talk Adoption cover life after placement, or just the adoption process?
Both. Alongside process-focused episodes on topics like financing and the home study, Let’s Talk Adoption features ongoing conversations with adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoption professionals about identity, connection, and parenting through adoption well beyond placement day.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on August 22, 2019, and has since been updated.
Heidi Keefer is a Content Creator for Lifetime Adoption and has over 15 years of experience in the field of adoption. An author of thousands of articles and social media posts over the years, Heidi enjoys finding new ways to educate and captivate Lifetime’s ever-growing list of subscribers.
Heidi has a keen eye for misplaced apostrophes, comma splices, and well-turned sentences, which she has put to good use as a contributor to Lifetime’s award-winning blogs. She has written and published hundreds of adoption articles which explore the various facets of domestic infant adoption today.
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