PRESS

Featured on NPR’s 1A with Jenn White

Tens of thousands of children are adopted each year in the United States.

While adoption and its effects are complex, studies show that being adopted is beneficial for children in vulnerable situations, like abuse or neglect.

Data also suggests that adopted children experience more mental health challenges than their non-adopted counterparts, including being at increased risk of suicide.

We speak with two adult adoptees shedding light on the struggles of adoptee mental health. And we also explore the complicated feelings of mothers who place their children up for adoption.

GUESTS

Sarah Reinhardt

co-host, “Adoption: The Making of Me”

Louise Browne

co-host, “Adoption: The Making of Me”

Gretchen Sisson

sociologist; author, “Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood”

Feature in Next Avenue/PBS

“In an effort to bring adult adoptee issues to light, two longtime friends, Sarah Reinhardt and Louise Browne, both adult adoptees themselves, founded Adoption: The Making of Me, a podcast which focuses solely on all aspects of adoption — from adult guest perspectives to DNA testing to theories on nature/nurture.  

“Both Miller and Atiemo-Obeng's stories can be heard on the show along with many others. Now in season two, the podcast recaps a chapter from books such as ‘The Primal Wound’ by Nancy Newton Verrier or ‘Journey of the Adopted Self’ by Betty Jean Lifton.

“Reinhardt and Browne always follow their chapter discussion by interviewing select guests to engage in honest and intimate conversations around adoption struggles. The women have an easy rapport and a directness that ‘gets to the heart of a subject’ and enlightens listeners about bringing adoption issues to the forefront.

“Adoption: The Making of Me uncovers common adult adoptee themes, including what people grapple with as they grow up: how lucky they were to be included in a family, the secretive nature of adoption, genetic questions and fantasies around the biological parents.

“‘You have this realization, you were given this story that you're lucky, that you were “chosen” — that's this narrative. When you finally come out of that, you find that's not true. There are so many different aspects (to adoption),’ says Reinhardt.

“‘Genetics, DNA, is very powerful,’ she said. She remembers never identifying physically with her adopted family and always having a desire to go to New York City, the place where her mother was from. (Reinhardt was born in Missouri.)”

Next Avenue’s mission is to meet the needs and unleash the potential of older Americans through media.

Feature in Severance Mag

“Louise Browne and Sarah Reinhardt created The Making of Me as a platform for conversations about all aspects of adoption. But it’s a podcast with a twist.

“In each episode, the hosts and their guests discuss a book about adoption. In the first season they tackled Nancy Verrier’s The Primal Wound, and now just a few episodes into their second season, they’re exploring another classic, Journey of the Adopted Self, by Betty Jean Lifton.

“Meet the adoptee friends who pivoted from operating an ice cream truck to hosting a popular podcast.”

Severance is a magazine and community for people who’ve been separated from biological family. It’s for anyone who’s fallen out of the family tree and made a hard landing, who’s learned they’re not quite who they thought they were. It’s for conversations about what it feels like to have no genetic connection to the families we grew up with. It’s about adjusting to shifting realities or living with the unknown.

Feature in AGEIST

“‘Our community is the adoption community, and now we’re voices in that community. We get daily messages from all over the world thanking us, asking for advice, and wanting us to continue the conversation. People want to hear stories and tell their stories, or even just have someone who’s been through it and can lend a compassionate ear.

“‘We’re very aware of our role now, and that we have a platform in a community that hasn’t necessarily been publicly understood.  We’d like to help change the narrative about adoption and maybe find new ways in which adoption is handled and talked about — through lawmakers and community organizations and, ultimately, look for ways in which profit can start to be taken out of the equation.’”

AGEIST is a media company dedicated to championing the vitality, influence and contributions of the modern 50-plus demographic, and an agency that advises businesses, brands and organizations on emerging trends and how to better understand, speak to and engage this important and growing segment.

Feature in SHOUTOUT LA

“Sarah and Louise formerly owned a gourmet ice cream truck, The S’Cream Truck, which did high-end catering, including TV and movie sets, along with private parties. The truck was open for six years and they sold it and both went on to other careers. Sarah worked in marketing, and Louise in fin-tech.

“This year, they started a podcast, ‘Adoption: The Making of Me.’ Both adopted, they’d spent hours talking on their ice cream truck about their childhoods and the impact of adoption. Seeing a need for more adoptee voices, they set up shop in their closets and started the podcast. They’ve reached so many people who are touched by adoption, and receive multiple messages daily from people thanking them and wanting to tell their stories.”

SHOUTOUT LA’s mission is to help change the way people spend money. They want people to spend more of their money with mom-and-pops, small businesses, independent artists and creatives. They think one of the most powerful ways to do that is by putting small business owners and creatives at the center of discussions designed to spark conversation within the community.