Adoption Unfiltered™ is presented by adoptee Sara Easterly, birth parent Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and adoptive parent Lori Holden. Collectively, we bring more than 75 years of lived experience relating to adoption, and we span the Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations. We understand the history, challenges, and trends experienced by people living in adoption and the broader adoption constellation, and discuss sensitive and timely issues through the lens of our lived experiences of adoption, and dialogue with others from within the adoption constellation.
Adoption Unfiltered
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32 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Adoption Unfiltered™ is presented by adoptee Sara Easterly, birth parent Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and adoptive parent Lori Holden. Collectively, we bring more than 75 years of lived experience relating to adoption, and we span the Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations. We understand the history, challenges, and trends experienced by people living in adoption and the broader adoption constellation, and discuss sensitive and timely issues through the lens of our lived experiences of adoption, and dialogue with others from within the adoption constellation.
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Publishing Since
5/2/2023
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Recent Episodes
December 3, 2025
Ethics in Adoption Tour: Salt Lake City
<p>This episode finds Adoption Unfiltered™ on the road for its "Ethics in Adoption" tour. Our first stop on this three-city tour could be none other than Salt Lake City, Utah. As attorney and panelist Wes Hutchins said, "Utah has legalized fraud in the context of adoption." Calling out exploitative practices and calling for better policies is of utmost importance.</p><p><br></p><p>Joining the authors of Adoption Unfiltered™ in this episode are four panelists: adoptee Dani Zimmerman, adoptee and birth mom Jori Victory, birth mom and activist Ashley Mitchell, and adoptive father and attorney for birth father rights, Wes Hutchins.</p><p><br></p><p>Kelsey and Ashley begin the conversation by telling us about Utah Adoption Rights and why they founded it. Next, we talk with our panelists.</p><p><br></p><p>Questions we ask Dani Zimmerman, Adoptee: </p><ul><li>You seem high functioning and successful. As an adoptee, what are some of the challenges you've faced that people wouldn't know about? </li><li>You have stayed in contact with the agency that handled your placement. What draws you to continue that relationship?</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Questions we ask Jori Victory, Adoptee and Birth/First Parent:</p><ul><li>In what ways did your pregnancy trigger unacknowledged grief as an adoptee? What feelings did this bring up for you as you walked through the adoption process?</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Questions we ask Ashley Mitchell, Birth/First Parent:</p><ul><li>In Chapter 8, I wrote about informed consent. When asked if there was anything you wish you had been told before relinquishment, you replied, “I was not told how hard open adoption would be. I was not told that my child would want and need to be part of my life. I was never supported in how to process things as they come up in open adoption. I had to figure it out on my own.” We are standing here in your home state of Utah. Knowing what you know now, what should Utah adoption professionals be doing to convey that information to moms before relinquishment? </li><li>Can you speak more about what is missing? How can we convey that information to moms who are going to make this decision?</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Question we ask Wes Hutchins, Adoptive Parent:</p><ul><li>Ethics can be costly, but fraud costs more. You resigned as president from the Utah Adoption Council in 2012 amidst your concerns about what you called “egregious cases of fraud” from a few of the other members of the council. There have been a lot of conversations about the concerns of fraud in many Utah adoption tourism cases in the legislature and the media. Can you speak more about the long-term impact of fraud and what the aftermath may look like?</li></ul><p><br></p><p>This episode concludes with Kelsey, Sara, and Lori reading their own published thoughts about ethics in adoption."Through trust, we can have an experience of healing. The systems that exist in many ways to exploit us can also be used to heal us." -- panelist and adoptee Dani Zimmerman</p><p><br></p><p>Resources: </p><ul><li><a href="https://www.utahadoptionrights.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Utah Adoption Rights</a></li><li><a href="https://www.utahadoptionrights.com/news" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Compilation of Utah Adoption Rights in the news</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/10/19/utah-adoption-tourism-adoptee-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Sara's op-ed in Deseret News</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRC3i1aD17R/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Receipts about what's happening in Utah</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/detroit/news/press-releases/fbi-warns-the-public-about-domestic-adoption-fraud-schemes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">An FBI warning about adoption fraud schemes</a></li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>Adoption Unfiltered™ book, events, book club discussion guide, resources, and more: <a href="https://adoptionunfiltered.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://adoptionunfiltered.com</a> </li><li>Want more Sara? Visit <a href="https://saraeasterly.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://saraeasterly.com</a></li><li>Want more Kelsey? Visit <a href="https://kelseyranyard.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://kelseyranyard.com</a> </li><li>Want more Lori? Visit <a href="https://LavenderLuz.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://LavenderLuz.com</a></li></ul>
April 12, 2024
Bucking Societal Pressure and Deciding NOT to Adopt with Guest, Jess Tennant
<p>“There’s so much out there about the people who are ‘successful’ at adopting, but there’s nothing about people who have walked away from the process.” — <strong>Jess Tennant</strong>, a woman who decided NOT to adopt, due, in part, to predatory adoption agency practices, in ep 31.</p> <p>Jess, is an ally in unfiltering adoption. In 2017 after waiting to adopt for many years, Jess and her husband decided to halt their efforts. Some of the reasons are chilling, as you’ll hear in her story.</p> <p>Jess is a beloved public school teacher in upstate NY, specializing in middle school special ed. She shares sentiments prospective adopters hear from adoption agencies that will make you squirm. She also shares observations about the culture of pronatalism and the ways it shows up pervasively for those wanting to adopt, and even more loudly for those who decide not to.</p> <p><strong>Engage Further</strong></p> <p>Resources:</p> <ul> <li>Jess is featured in Chapter 19 of <a href="https://adoptionunfiltered.com/book"><em>Adoption Unfiltered</em></a></li> <li>Jess’s current blog: <a href="https://findingadifferentpath.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finding a Different Path</a></li> <li>Jess’s infertility and adoption blog: <a href="https://mypathtomommyhood.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">My Path to Mommyhood</a></li> <li><a href="https://lavenderluz.com/evolution-of-openness-jess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jess’s journey to openness</a></li> <li>Interview with Jess in <a href="https://www.adopting.com/adoption-podcasts/adoption-the-long-view/what-if-adopting-doesnt-work-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ep. 306 of Adoption: The Long View</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/i-told-mom-find-birth-mother-blind-side-adoption-1870606" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sara’s <em>Newsweek</em> article</a> (mentioned)</li> <li>Jess’s panel for World Childless Week: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dth5LNrJ7Dg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Oops! I completely forgot I could just adopt! Thanks for reminding me.”</a></li> <li><a href="https://gateway-women.com/community/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gateway Women’s Collective via Childless Collective</a></li> <li><a href="https://worldchildlessweek.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Resources through World Childless Week</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.thenotmom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The NotMom by Choice or by Chance</a></li> </ul> <p>Sara Easterly:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://saraeasterly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sara’s Website</a></li> <li><a href="https://saraeasterly.com/books/searching-for-mom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Searching for Mom: A Memoir</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.adoptee-voices.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adoptee-Voices.com</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/saraeasterlyauthor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@saraeasterlyauthor</a></li> </ul> <p><br></p> <p>Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.twistedsisterhoodpodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twisted Sisterhood Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.loveyourbirthmom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Love, Your Birth Mom</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/fromanothamotha/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@fromanothamotha</a></li> </ul> <p>Lori Holden:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://lavenderluz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lori’s Website</a></li> <li><a href="https://lavenderluz.com/books/#OHOA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption</a></li> <li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6GO7G4d8wxbTubbMRrPfB8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adoption: The Long View Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lavluz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@lavluz</a></li> </ul>
April 5, 2024
Dr. Patrice Martin
“Let’s start talking about mothers in crisis.” — Patrice Martin, DBA, on the many failures of baby boxes, in ep 30. Patrice Martin is uniquely qualified to speak on the topic of baby boxes, which is a phenomenon that takes existing Safe Haven laws an unnecessary step too far. Patrice herself was abandoned as a newborn. Hear why, in spite of — because of! — her own history as a “foundling,” Patrice is arguing in front of state legislatures around the country against baby boxes and how to get better results with proposed funding than putting babies in boxes. Sara talks about what this extra disconnection from humans and from one’s origins means to adoptees. Kelsey explains the differences between existing Safe Haven laws and the Baby Box movement, and the false dichotomy about Baby Boxes. Lori suggests that when a supporter of this legislation holds up the use of a baby box as a success, that instead, it is a failure. Engage Further Dr. Patrice Martin: Patrice’s story on TLC’s Long Long Family Angela Tucker’s interview with Patrice Patrice’s testimony on TN HB2067 (begins at 55:40) Continuity of Care study Patrice on Instagram Adoptee Prayer Collective on Instagram Sara Easterly: Sara’s Website Searching for Mom: A Memoir Adoptee-Voices.com @saraeasterlyauthor Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard: Twisted Sisterhood Podcast Love, Your Birth Mom @fromanothamotha Lori Holden: Lori’s Website The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption Adoption: The Long View Podcast @lavluz Adoption Unfiltered’s episode on the Abortion/Adoption debate Colorado’s Baby Box Bill: Lori’s Testimony At The State Capitol
32 total episodes available
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This podcast updates weekly.
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