Kevin Barhydt is an adoptee living in New York who wrote a memoir about his adoption, childhood sexual abuse, addiction and recovery called 'Dear Stephen Michael's Mother'. By the age of 20, Kevin had succumbed to a suicidal lifestyle of drug dealing and prostitution. At age 45, and after many years of recovery, he began a painful journey to uncover his origins and the hopeful search for his mother. In this first episode of a two-part series on adoption and addiction series, Jo talks to Kevin about his personal story and memoir. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

This year (2021), marks 30 years since the 1991 amendments to Queensland's 1964 Adoption of Children Act. The 1991 amendments entitled adopted people and their parents to receive identifying information about each other - unless the other party had lodged an objection (veto). Parents and adopted people tirelessly lobbied for the amendments for more than a decade and almost saw their efforts fail when the Adoption Privacy Protection Group launched an eleventh hour campaign to maintain closed records. In this episode we speak to former Qld MP, Anne Warner who championed and sponsored the amendments when she was Minister for Family Services and Minister for Aboriginal and Islander Affairs. Anne reflects on this period, the compromises she was forced to make and the legislative amendments she says she is most proud of during her time as Minister. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. Former information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Suz Bednarz is an American mother who lost her daughter to adoption in 1986 and began the process of searching for and attempting to reconnect with her then 18-year old daughter in 2005. Suz began a blog to document her journey and that is how she and Jane became friends. In this episode, Suz speaks to Jane about her story and experience. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Today's guest is a well known figure in the Queensland adoption community. At age 17, Vivienne Timmermans was an Australian Champion figure skater with big plans for her future. Around the same time, she discovered she was pregnant and her daughter was placed for adoption in 1980. In this episode, Jo Sparrow speaks to Vivienne about her experience and the book she wrote about it. They also discuss Vivienne's work supporting other mothers who have lost children to adoption through a support group she founded called, You Gave Me A Voice. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Jo Sparrow speaks with a mother and an adoptee who wrote a book about their reunion experience. Susannah McFarlane is an adoptee and author, creator and publisher of some of Australia's most successful children's book series and Susannah's mother, Robin Leuba taught English and English literature for many years. 'Heartlines: The Year I Met My Other Mother' the memoir they wrote together is a fast-paced, warm, funny and at times heartbreaking book. The book jacket describes it as a wobbly, roller coaster ride of loss and love, confusion and connection. Jo describes it as a unique, and at times piercingly raw inside look adoption reunion. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Jane speaks to Professor Daryl Higgins about the study titled, "Past Adoption Experiences: National Research Study on the Service Response to Past Adoption Practices" he contributed to and co-authored in his role of Deputy Director (Research) at the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Prof Higgins is a registered psychologist who has researched in the area of child abuse, family violence and family functioning for more than twenty-five years and is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Institute of Child Protection Studies at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

In part two of our discussion about discharging an adoption, Jo talks to Jigsaw Qld's Forced Adoption Support Service (FASS)Team Leader, Andrea Lynch more generally about the process and things to consider. The FASS role is not to provide legal advice, but rather to support people to think through their decisions and deal with the emotional responses that may be experienced during the process. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Michael Costello was born in Brisbane in 1970, at the height of the closed and forced adoption eras. He was initially placed in an orphanage, and then extended foster care, despite his mother making several attempts to regain custody. Michael went on to be adopted by his foster carers at the age of five where he was physically, sexually and emotional abused. Five years ago, he began the process of discharging his adoption, having his original birth certificate reinstated and his mother legally recognised as such. In this episode, Jo Sparrow talks to Michael about why he pursued a discharge and the process involved in achieving it. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

In this episode Jane speaks to Cath Mundy and Jay Turner, a singer-song writing duo who worked with Jigsaw Qld and our client and stakeholder groups to write a song to represent the Forced Adoption experience. They then performed the song with some of the group participants at the 2020 7th Anniversary of the National Apology for Past Forced Adoption Practices in Australia. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

In the first episode of 2021 we talk to adoptee, Psychotherapist, cancer survivor and author, Pam Cordano about her book, "10 Foundations for a Meaningful Life (No Matter What's Happened)". Most of Pam's work over 30 years has been focused on clients who experience serious illness or tragedy, where life was one way and suddenly changed in a moment. Pam's greatest passion is helping people awaken their human capacity to move from despair to living a life of meaning and empowerment which Pam calls 'finding a deeper yes to life'. Inspired by Victor Frankl, she helps clients identify and cultivate what is uniquely meaningful to them, which allows for increased vitality and new possibilities. This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to https://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes