Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

David and Susan Durovy fostered 27 kids and adopted 4 from the Virginia foster care system at ages 6, 16, 17, and 21.

He was the President of The Post Institute for 10 years and now writes articles for parents and professionals with adopted/foster children in their care.

He is the Director of The LoveMore Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people learn to love one another, no exceptions. This requires an evolutionary move toward becoming more fully human by enlarging our capacity to love more.

Here's the blog post he talks about on the podcast.

https://lovemoreblog.org/?p=1099

Here are links to check him out

https://www.lovemoreinstitute.org/home

https://lovemoreblog.org/

https://daviddurovy.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-durovy-15074923/

https://www.facebook.com/ddurovy

https://twitter.com/DavidDurovy

He used to work at https://postinstitute.com

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Adrienne Elliott has worked in all aspects of the child welfare system including intake, child protection, permanency and adoption. She was an adjunct faculty member for the University of Denver and Metropolitan State University and taught courses in Family Social Work, Foster Care and Adoption and co-taught a college level course for caseworkers and mental health professionals in Adoption Competence. Adrienne holds her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver and her Bachelor of Science from Purdue University. Adrienne just recently moved from Denver Colorado where she was the ED for a private non-profit adoption agency and CEO of a social enterprise focused on online post adoption services for families.

Adrienne is the parent of two sons, ages 20 and 23 years old.Her oldest just graduated from CU and her youngest is attending MSU in Denver. Adrienne has lived in Denver for 25 years and prior to that she lived and grew up in Carmel, Indiana.She was part of the poms dance team and performed at football and basketball games. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-elliott-a9059b49/

Heart of Adoptions, Inc. is a licensed, private adoption agency designed to help create families through adoption. We are committed to working with birth parents to find children a forever home.

https://www.heartofadoptions.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HeartOfAdoptionsInc/

https://twitter.com/HeartAdoptions

https://www.instagram.com/heart_of_adoptions/

https://www.pinterest.com/heartofadoption/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Tamekia Swint founded Styles For Girlz, NFP, in 2010 after teaching a hair braiding class on a Missions Trip to Poland to a group of students at an English Language learning camp. Upon returning to the United States, an associate introduced her to a transracial adoptive mom who needed hair care for her two daughters. Pleased with Tamekia's work, Mary referred her to a network of adoptive parents, who also required hair care services for their little ones. They found a safe place to learn how to properly care for their transracial children's hair without judgment and negative criticism. 

Discovering that there was a need for Styles For Girlz not only among Mary and her friends but among multiracial families and transracial foster and adoptive families throughout Illinois, the organization grew from serving three clients in 2010 to over a thousand clients throughout the United States in recent years.

In 2013, the organization expanded its mission to provide in-home hair care education, training, and services to children in foster care residing in residential facilities and detention centers and special needs children with textured hair, changing its name to Styles 4 Kidz (S4K) in 2016. 

Eight years later, S4K opened one of the first, nonprofit—501(c)(3) tax-exempt—salons of its kind; a salon where multiracial, adoptive, and kids in foster care are empowered to embrace their natural, ethnic crown. It's "Hair Care With Heart."

Check out her book and her non-profit at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Hair-Crown-Tamekia-Swint/dp/1636251080

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Hair-Crown-Tamekia-Swint/dp/1636251080

https://www.styles4kidz.org/

https://www.facebook.com/styles4kidz

https://twitter.com/styles4kidznfp

https://www.instagram.com/styles4kidznfp/

https://www.youtube.com/c/Styles4KidzNFP

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Fiona is responsible for service delivery and development across Scotland. Fiona manages a team of skilled and experienced staff members who have personal and professional experience allowing them to offer information, advice and support to adoptive families in Scotland.

With a degree in Sociology and a qualification in Speech and Language therapy,  Fiona comes from a child focussed professional background. Previous roles involved developing and coordinating family support services for children and families affected by disabilities, and working in a residential respite environment. She has a further qualification in Autism, and an interest in therapeutic interventions. Fiona believes that Adoption UK in Scotland offers unique support to families, with a foundation of peer support and shared learning and experiences, and is keen to develop the support services to help meet the needs of families and raise awareness of adoption in Scotland.

Connect with Fiona at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-aitken-5a382a34

Adoption UK in Scotland operates from their office base in Edinburgh, providing information, support and advice to those parenting children who are no longer able to live with their birth families, across Scotland. Their services are provided through their helpline, online support systems, training workshops and support groups. 

They work closely with voluntary adoption agencies and local authorities across Scotland.

Find out more at:

https://www.adoptionuk.org/Scotland

https://twitter.com/AUKScot

https://www.facebook.com/AdoptionUKScotland/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Xinthia was adopted from China and grew up in the Netherlands. She works in IT and volunteers with Adoptiepedia.

Connect with her here 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinthiakrielaart/?originalSubdomain=nl

The Adoptiepedia Foundation  is the first interest group for all Chinese and Taiwanese adoptees in the Netherlands. The target? Provide support, aftercare and safety to Chinese and Taiwanese adoptees. Adoptiepedia does this by means of projects, activities and a website to create as many possibilities as acceptance, connection and recognition.

Find out more at

https://adoptiepedia.nl

https://www.facebook.com/Adoptiepedia

https://www.linkedin.com/company/adoptiepedia/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Here's what Meaghan says about about herself:

"I am a Master Therapeutic Counsellor (registered) and Late-Discovery Adoptee. A survivor of trauma and abuse. A wife and mother. For many years, I worked as a Birth Doula, and later as a Shantala Baby Massage Instructor. Our family has fostered teens, and been a perspective adoptive family at one time. In my counselling work, I use art, writing, and play as a primary means of emotional processing and healing in my work with youths.

The work I do is healing, intuitive, rewarding, and creative. Expressive art and play is a powerful and dynamic way to move forward in one’s journey. It is a privilege to witness clients process and find their inner voice, courage, and strength. In my local practice, I work primarily with youths and their families, supporting them in learning new skills such as: communication, emotional regulation, increased self awareness, managing anxiety, boundaries, and how to deepen family connections. Clients learn how to tune into their bodies and their emotions. One of the fundamental skills they learn is how to practice self-care when they recognize they are experiencing troubling emotions; they learn that the emotions are a signal to them that something needs their attention. Together we learn how to pay attention, how to process, how to hear the message and transform, moving forward."

Her website and group is a safe space especially for Late Discovery Adoptees to make connections, learn and share:

https://www.latediscoveryadoptees.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/355308151597261/

Connect with her on social

https://www.instagram.com/late_discovery_adoptees/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Born in 1969, leading international foster care expert, consultant, and TED Talk speaker Dr. John DeGarmo has worn many hats throughout his life. Singing and dancing while touring around the world in the international super group, Up With People, serving as a D.J. at four different radio stations on two different continents, working in the professional wrestling industry, teaching English and Drama at the high school and college level, director of The Foster Care Institute, and founder and national development director of Never Too Late, a residential group home for boys in foster care.  Dr. DeGarmo has had a variety of experiences.
 

He is the author of several foster care books, including the new book The Little Book of Foster Care Wisdom: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement for Foster Care Families, the best selling book Faith and Foster Care,  as well as the foster care children's book A Different Home: A New Foster Child's Story.  He is the director of The Foster Care Institute, and acts as a consultant to foster care agencies as well as an expert witness to legal agencies across the USA and globe. Dr. John is a High Content Speaker and informative trainer on the foster care system, and travels extensively across the globe, meeting with foster parents, child welfare workers, churches, schools, and organizations.  Dr. John has appeared on several TV programs, including CNN, Good Morning America, and ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, PBS stations.  Dr.John and his family have even appeared on the popular show Wife Swap. He writes regularly for many magazines, and is a regular contributor to several publications, both in the United States and over seas.

Dr. DeGarmo is married to Dr. Kelly DeGarmo, who hails from Australia, and the two of them have six children, both biological and adoptive.  Dr. DeGarmo and his wife are also currently foster parents to three siblings, bringing their household to nine children.  Dr. DeGarmo has been a foster parent to over 60 children over the years.

Dr. DeGarmo and his wife are the recipients of the Good Morning America Ultimate Hero Award,  and the Up With People Every Day Hero Award.  The two also were honored with their city's Citizens of the Year Award.  Dr. DeGarmo has also been honored with a Hero of the Homeless award, the Olivet College Distinguished Alumni Award,as well as an Exceptional People recipient. 

Find out more about John at 

https://www.drjohndegarmofostercare.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DrJohnDeGarmo

https://twitter.com/drjohndegarmo

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6BOwPoasdJ5FfdxYZJlAKQ

#adoption  #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney

#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory

#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

St Elizabeth Foundation is a non-profit adoption agency in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Find out more about them at

https://stelizabethfoundation.org/

https://www.facebook.com/stelizabethfoundation/

https://www.instagram.com/saintelizabeth88/

https://twitter.com/stelizabeth88

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5a1SigRo4vOyKJPBNUlIjQ/featured

#adoption  #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney

#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory

#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt 

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Connect with Angie at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-brunhart-8a1b246/

Adoption Services are a licensed private, non-profit Wisconsin Adoption agency with offices in Appleton, Milwaukee, and Waukesha. They serve adoption needs throughout Wisconsin.      

Find out more about agency at

https://www.adoptionservicesinc.com/

https://www.facebook.com/adoptionservicesinc

https://www.instagram.com/adoptionservicesinc/

#adoption  #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney

#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory

#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Heather originally joined the DPA family in 2011 and served as the Child Placement Supervisor for six years.  After living out-of-state for a year, she was thrilled to re-join the team in 2018 as Executive Director.

Heather has long had a heart for children and families and became interested in adoption during college through an internship at an adoption agency.  Throughout her career, she has worked in many areas of the field, including infant and older child adoptions as well as international adoption and foster care.  Most recently, Heather served as a Clinical Manager for an intensive in-home therapy program in Colorado and designed an early intervention program targeted to increase attachment and parent confidence.   Heather’s belief is that God created us for relationship and she desires to see relationships strengthened and valued through the work DPA does with our clients, staff, and our community.

Heather has a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Services from Oklahoma State University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver.  Outside of work, Heather loves spending time with family and friends, being in the mountains, and cheering on her favorite sports teams, especially the OSU Cowboys.

Connect with her here https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-hails-0a6a7619/

Check out her agency at 

https://deaconessadoption.org/

https://www.facebook.com/deaconessoklahoma

https://www.youtube.com/user/DeaconessAdoption

https://www.instagram.com/deaconessadoption/

#adoption  #adoptionawareness #adoptionevent #adoptionislove #adoptionjourney

#adoptionlove #adoptionresponsable #adoptions #adoptionstories #adoptionstory

#adoptionsupport #adoptiontails #search #birthmother #biomom #YouCanAdopt

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.