Today’s guest, Karen Chaston, was just 16 years old when she lost her daughter to adoption in Sydney in 1973. Nearly three decades later, after 28 long years, they were reunited. In this special two-part series, we’re privileged to hear from both mother and daughter as they share their perspectives on separation, reunion, and what it means to rebuild connection after adoption.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes 

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Today we're joined by Professor Daryl Higgins, Director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies at the Australian Catholic University. For nearly 30 years, Daryl has researched child abuse impacts and prevention, family violence, and family functioning, with a focus on public health approaches to keeping children safe and building child-safe organisations.

A registered psychologist and author of more than 250 publications, Daryl’s work spans child protection, out-of-home care, family law, disability and family care, welfare reform, jobless families, past adoption and forced family separation practices, and community development. Before ACU, he was Deputy Director (Research) at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, where he co-authored the Past Adoption Experiences study and later led the Forced Adoption Support Services scoping study—research that continues to shape service design and policy today. He is also a contributor to the landmark Australian Child Maltreatment Study.

In May 2025, the Queensland Government announced an inquiry into the child safety system and linked it with a review of Queensland’s adoption legislation. Prior to his election, Premier David Crisafulli called to “bring back adoption” as a solution to youth crime. In this episode, we explore what the evidence really says:- Is adoption the answer to challenges in child protection and youth justice?- What are the risks of framing it this way?- And what evidence-based alternatives exist for supporting children, families, and communities?This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)Connect with usInstagram - adopt_perspective_podcastFacebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre QueenslandWe acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. #adoptionlawreform #adoptiontrauma #davidcrisafulli #amandacamm #jigsawqueensland #forcedadoption #forcedadoptionsupportservice #josparrow #darylhiggins #childsafetyinquiry2025 #Qldchildsafety #adoptionact2009 #adoptionactreview #brisbanepodcast #queenslandpodcast #australianadoptionpodcast

Today’s guest is someone whose work is reshaping how we think about adoption, identity, and intimacy. Anna Linde is an adoptee, a Dance & Movement-Therapist, a Sexology researcher, and the founder of The Adopted Sexologist. Her work focuses on the often-unspoken intersections between adoption, sexuality, race, and belonging — exploring how adopted people, especially transracial adoptees, experience the body, desire, and self. (The Adopted Sexologist)

Anna's writing is rich, provocative, and deeply grounded in lived experience. Whether you’ve read her article “Unfolding Our Sexual Identity as Black Adoptees”, discovered her through The Adopted Sexologist platform, or come across her research in scholarly journals, you'll know she is bringing vital — and often invisible — conversations into the light.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

While adoption stories often share familiar threads, each one is deeply personal and unique.

In this episode, we're joined by Brett Kable, who was born in Nambour, Queensland in 1975 and adopted at six weeks of age into a family with an adopted sister. It wasn’t until reuniting with his mother that Brett discovered just how different his story was from most.

Brett shares his adoption journey and reflects on his recent pilgrimage to Spain, where he walked the Camino Trail—a test of physical endurance and a chance for deep personal reflection. He’s not the first adoptee I’ve spoken with who has felt drawn to the Camino, and after hearing his story, you may understand why.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

In this episode, Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow is joined by Professor Nahum Mushin AM—former Family Court Judge and Chair of the Forced Adoption Apology Reference Group—for a timely conversation as Queensland reviews its Adoption Act 2009 and ties it to the Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety System.

With Premier David Crisafulli calling to “bring back adoption” in response to youth crime, Jo and Nahum explore whether this move risks repeating painful mistakes of the past.

Topics include:

• Adoption as a trauma-laden, lifelong experience

• Alternatives to adoption that preserve a child’s identity

• The risks of oversimplified permanency thinking

• Plenary vs. simple adoption models

• Why lived experience must shape policy

If you're affected by adoption, Jigsaw Queensland offers monthly peer support groups and a welcoming community. Visit www.jigsawqueensland.com to learn more.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

At Jigsaw Queensland, we’re excited to be offering another exciting project made possible through our Forced Adoption Support Service Small Grant Funding. We’ve partnered with Axis Clinic to offer a powerful new 10-week online group therapy program designed specifically for adopted people impacted by Australia’s forced adoption era - starting 21 August 2025. It’s called How Attachment Styles Affect Adopted People, and it offers a safe, trauma-informed space to explore the lasting impacts of adoption on identity, relationships, and how we connect with others.

To tell us all about it and how you can get involved, we're joined by two wonderful guests: Helen Angela Taylor, CEO of Jigsaw Queensland, and Anna Lanyon, a Mental Health Social Worker from Axis Clinic.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Back in Season 2, (21 April 2021), we spoke with Vivienne Timmermans — a much-loved and well-respected voice in the Queensland adoption community. In 1980, Vivienne was an Australian Champion Figure Roller Skater from Inala when, at 17, she became pregnant and lost her daughter — whom she named Sheree — to adoption.

Vivienne went on to write about her experience in her memoir You Named Me Sheree and now facilitates a support group called You Gave Me a Voice.

Today, we are privileged to hear another perspective of that story — from Vivienne’s daughter, now known as Tash Hope, who lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

DNA testing has become a powerful tool for many people impacted by adoption — whether it’s used to search for family, confirm relationships, or update legal records. But with so many types of DNA testing now available, it can be difficult to know which option is right for your needs.

In this episode, we're joined by Kate Pippia, Director of identilab — an Australian-owned and operated DNA testing laboratory based in Brisbane. Identilab specialises in accredited legal DNA testing, including paternity, maternity, kinship, and peace of mind testing — all of which can play a vital role in post-adoption discovery and reunion.

We discuss the differences between legal and genealogical DNA testing (such as through AncestryDNA), what to expect from the testing process, and how DNA can help clarify family connections and support legal recognition.

On a personal note, our host, Jo Sparrow used identilab in 2024 to confirm legal paternity and was able to add her father’s name to her pre-adoption birth certificate — a meaningful and validating step in her adoption journey that she hopes will lead to a future application for an integrated birth certificate (IBC) showing the truth of her parentage if legislative reviews are successful in Queensland.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes 

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com) 

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Today we’re joined by a very special guest—renowned addiction specialist and psychotherapist, Paul Sunderland.
With over 35 years of experience, Paul’s groundbreaking work has illuminated the deep and often-overlooked links between adoption, trauma, and addiction. His powerful presentations—shared widely by the adoption community—have resonated with thousands around the world, especially his insights for Life Works and the Adult Adoptee Movement on YouTube.

In this episode, we explore the lifelong impact of early maternal separation, how adoption shapes identity and mental health, and why adopted people may face a heightened vulnerability to addiction. Whether you're an adopted person, a parent of loss, an adoptive parent, or a professional working in the therapeutic or community services space, Paul’s wisdom offers invaluable understanding and hope.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Today’s guest is Geraldine Hunt, whose story offers a deeply personal and layered look into the experience of being adopted. Born in Melbourne in 1974, Geraldine spent her early weeks in foster care before being adopted at around eight weeks old.

Her journey has since led her to reconnect with both her biological mother and father, as well as with siblings on both sides. Now living in Brisbane, Geraldine describes her story as unique — and after hearing it, we’re sure you’ll agree.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing.