In this episode of Stay Planted: Life, Faith, and Adoption, hosts Lo & Em share important international adoption updates based on information Lo received directly from her adoption agency regarding recent U.S. immigration changes and how they are being applied in practice.

Rather than simply reading policy language, Lo explains what agencies are currently communicating to waiting families, specifically around fully restricted and partially restricted countries, how cases may be affected, and what families are being told to expect right now. This episode offers real-time insight for hopeful, waiting adoptive families seeking clarity during an evolving, uncertain season.

Before diving into the heavier conversation, Lo & Em kick off the episode with a lighthearted (and unforgettable) high school dance story, bringing humor into an otherwise weighty topic. Emilee also shares a hopeful update on receiving her son’s Social Security number after adoption, offering encouragement for families navigating post-adoption paperwork.

We also discuss how listeners can let their voices be heard. For families and advocates looking for constructive ways to engage, we share ways to reach out to organizations like the National Council for Adoption (NCFA) and the White House to help raise awareness around how current immigration changes are impacting adoptive families.

Click here to advocate for adoptions to be explicitly exempt under the new proclamation.