Let's Talk Adoption

What Does Attachment Feel Like After Adoption? ❤️

Is there supposed to be an instant feeling of attachment when you bring your adopted child home?

MaryAnne Budden gets honest about a question many adoptive parents may quietly wonder: What is attachment supposed to feel like?

She also talks about the extra layer of guilt adoptive parents can sometimes experience: the feeling that they should be endlessly grateful and happy because of everything it took to bring their child home.

But having difficult emotions doesn't make you a bad parent. Parenting is full of moments of uncertainty, frustration, joy, and growth—and attachment doesn't have to look exactly the way you imagined it would.

If you've ever wondered, "Is what I'm feeling normal?" you're not alone. 🤍

🎙️ Hear more of MaryAnne's honest story on Let's Talk Adoption.

When Tammy brought her four-year-old son home through international adoption, she experienced something she never expected: he lost his first language faster than he learned English.

Suddenly, he was navigating a new country, a new family, and big emotions without having the words to explain what he was feeling.

As Tammy shares, telling a child to “use your words” doesn’t work when they simply don’t have the words yet.

This powerful moment from Let’s Talk Adoption offers an important reminder for families adopting older children: language transitions can affect much more than communication.

Patience, understanding, and realistic expectations can make a tremendous difference as a child adjusts to their new home and family.

Watch or listen to the full conversation for more of Tammy Young’s experience with international adoption and bringing her son home from Kazakhstan.

https://letstalkadoption.com/2026/08/18/wait-what-realizations-in-international-adoption-tammy-youngs-story/

How are hopeful adoptive parents screened before they can adopt? 💛

In this episode, we explain the adoptive family screening process, including the home study, conversations with a social worker, education, support systems, reasons for adopting, and how families are prepared to provide a safe, loving home for a child.

For expectant parents considering adoption, knowing how adoptive families are carefully evaluated can bring greater confidence and peace of mind when choosing a family for their baby.

https://letstalkadoption.com/2026/08/11/how-are-adoptive-parents-really-screened-what-every-expectant-mom-should-know/

There are a lot of opinions about adoption…
But what are the facts?
In this fun game-style episode, we tackle 14 common statements about adoption and decide whether they’re fact or fiction.
Some answers may surprise you.
🎙️ Listen at this link, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://letstalkadoption.com/2026/08/04/adoption-fact-or-fiction/

Could your employer help cover some of your adoption expenses? You may have financial benefits available and not even know it. 💼❤️

In this episode of *Let’s Talk Adoption*, Heather and Kim explain how employer adoption reimbursement works, what questions to ask Human Resources, and how these benefits may work alongside the federal Adoption Tax Credit.

A quick conversation with HR could potentially save your family thousands of dollars and uncover additional benefits, such as paid parental leave. Before assuming you have to cover every adoption expense yourself, take the time to ask!

🎧 Listen now to learn what to look for in your employee benefits package and what to do if your employer does not currently offer adoption assistance. Visit LetsTalkAdoption.com or find us wherever you get your podcasts!

https://letstalkadoption.com/2026/07/28/how-to-get-your-employer-to-help-pay-for-your-adoption/

Have questions about adoption? You’re not alone.

The Let’s Talk Adoption podcast offers honest conversations, helpful information, and compassionate guidance for anyone touched by adoption. From hopeful adoptive parents and expectant mothers considering adoption to birth parents, adoptees, and adoption professionals, each episode explores the questions, experiences, and emotions that are part of the adoption journey.

Join hosts Heather Featherston and Kim King as they share practical insights, answer common questions, and speak with guests who bring valuable perspectives to the conversation.

Listen, learn, and discover more about adoption, one conversation at a time. 🎙️💛

Every adoptee has questions. Every parent wants to help.

How can you help your child build confidence, resilience, and a healthy identity through every stage of life?

In this episode of Let's Talk Adoption, Kim King sits down with educator, Certified WISDOM Coach®, and adoptive mom Tammy Young to share practical, faith-centered tools for helping adoptees navigate difficult thoughts, build self-esteem, and discover their identity in Christ.

Whether you're parenting a toddler, teen, or adult adoptee, this conversation is filled with encouragement and actionable wisdom you'll want to carry with you.

🎧 Listen now and be encouraged! https://letstalkadoption.com/2026/07/21/adoptees-resilience-tammy-young/

What really happens at the hospital during an adoption?

It’s one of the biggest questions expectant parents and hopeful adoptive families have and one that is not talked about nearly enough.

In this episode of *Let’s Talk Adoption*, Heather Featherston and Kim King walk through the hospital experience, from labor and delivery to time with the baby, adoption paperwork, discharge, ICPC, and more.

Every adoption experience is unique, but knowing what to expect can help replace uncertainty with understanding and confidence. 💛

🎧 Listen now for honest answers to common hospital adoption questions and a look at what TV often gets wrong.

Adopting a baby from another state? One term you’ll likely hear is **ICPC**—and it can leave many hopeful adoptive families wondering, “Why can’t we go home yet?”

In this episode of *Let’s Talk Adoption*, Heather and Kim break down ICPC in simple terms: what it means, why it matters, how long it may take, and what families can do while waiting for approval.

Those extra days may feel uncertain, but they can also become a beautiful time to bond with your baby and settle into your first moments as a family. 💛

Listen now to learn what to expect during the ICPC process.

https://letstalkadoption.com/2026/07/07/what-is-icpc-a-simple-guide-to-interstate-adoption/

We’re rereleasing this powerful *Let’s Talk Adoption* episode with adoptee and entrepreneur John Knox.

John shares the story behind “The Girl in the Middle,” the Super Bowl commercial viewed over 100 million times, and opens up about his own adoption journey, reunion, and the importance of changing the way we talk about adoption.

Watch or listen, and share with someone considering adoption.
https://letstalkadoption.com/2026/07/01/rerelease-john-knox-on-the-adoption-is-an-option-movement/ or wherever you get your podcasts!