When They Were Young: Amplifying Voices of Adoptees

This show is super helpful to listen to as an adoptee. In other words, this is a space where I feel belonging, validation, and vulnerability. Lanise brings enlightened conversations with relevant folks and often offers stirring monologues for us to listen and marinade upon. Thank you!!

This work is so important, and Lanise’s voice is one that needs to be heard.

She talked about the hard stuff. Everyone involved in adoption would benefit from listening.

Love this podcast so much. So raw & truthful. So much to learn & process as a adoptive mom of a child from Haiti. Thank you!

Thank you for getting these enlightening conversations out to us who have been ill-informed and ignorant for far too long. So many deeply held beliefs and assumptions about adoption are simply not true. If we would only listen to the adoptees whose stories are finally being heard and acknowledged, we would discover quite another reality from the one that often describes adoption as “Win/Win”.

My take away from this great interview with Gretchen Sisson: Is it really about what a child needs, or... more

Amazingly beautiful and empowering conversations. I love listening and learning so much about adoption. There is so much to unfold with adoption and these conversations are so important.

This podcast is so beautifully done. While the conversation can be based on sensitive subjects the message is always from a place of healing and empowerment.

She also makes great book recommendations. As a new reader I️ am always appreciative of good recommendations. Overall great series! Excited for the next season!

Beautiful podcast, adoptees have the safety, understanding and acceptance from the gentle and loving host, my favorite podcast of all I listen to. Thank you

I’m often amazed by what I didn’t know I didn’t know. Lanise shines light on a world I thought I knew but did not. She opened my eyes to the complexity of a system we often take for granted a must listen to for anyone but especially those considering or with adopted children. A very important, needed podcast doing great things.

A podcast for anyone who is - or loves someone who is - a part of the adoption constellation (which means pretty much EVERYONE).

Lanise has a way of conveying things that makes me stop what I’m doing and immediately post her episode with timestamps and say “Look! I’m not the only one that thinks this! (as an adoptee).”

It’s so helpful for me as an adoptee who was adopted by parents who were born in the same country I was to listen to someone whose adoptive parents weren’t. There are many, many reasons to listen to Lanise interview others and to also share her own thoughts, but the fact that her life both resembles mine and is very different was what brought me here. I want to learn. I want to know what it is like to be born to one culture in raised in another so maybe, maybe, maybe, we could make the experienc... more

Love this show and how Lanise is intentional about amplifying the many different voices that make up our community. We need more conversations like these 🙏🏼

I came across this podcast through one of my adoption FB groups last month and I can’t get enough. Honestly, this podcast should be a prerequisite before adoption approval. And for those who have already adopted interracially this is a must resource. Some stuff will be hard to listen to, it might burn a little or be a little close to home but that’s ok. What is shared is not meant to offend you, to point fingers. If you take to heart the experiences shared, you will begin to know better therefor... more

So pleased to have found this one. Not only am I getting validated but I’m also learning new information to keep the expansion going. I’m so appreciative of Lanise and her guests who devote their voices to helping us all keep learning and growing about life and the full complexities of adoption.