This episode is part of our Season 6 series, Helping Your Child Understand Their Journey, focusing on practical conversations about adoption, identity and belonging.

Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Skye Curtis-Guilhen, a dual-heritage adopter to two children and project lead at Yorkshire Adoption Agency, where she focuses on community engagement and supporting adopters from global majority backgrounds. Skye also delivers training, including life story work, and works as a social researcher and inclusive practice consultant specialising in equity-based trauma-informed practice.

Eddie and Skye explore how birth families sit within a child’s sense of self, whether there is contact or not. They discuss how children’s questions can shift over time, what to say when curiosity grows, and how to respond when information is limited or difficult to explain. Skye shares ways parents can support children through loyalty conflicts, grief or confusion, and how to acknowledge heritage and history through meaningful conversations.

They also talk about managing your own emotions so you can stay open when these discussions arise.

This episode offers practical guidance for parents who want to support their child’s questions about where they come from while strengthening belonging at home.

Contact We Are Family & the Adoption Shared Team:
Tweet us @WAFadoption #AdoptionShared
Tweet Eddie @Eddielliott
Email us hello@wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

Join us www.wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

We prioritise the privacy of guests and their children. All identifying information has been changed or removed. We provide guidance to all guests about how and whether details of their adoption journey and their children’s stories are shared.

Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Fiona, an adoptee, adoptive parent, and mentor, about navigating education from both perspectives. With over 20 years of experience supporting women through challenging life circumstances, Fiona is dedicated to helping adoptees overcome emotional barriers and reach their full potential. As the founder of This is Me – I’m Adopted, she provides guidance to adoptees worldwide and has shared her personal journey in two books.

In this episode, Fiona discusses how her own adoption experience shaped the way she prepared her child for school, the challenges she has faced as an adoptive parent, and the strategies she has found most effective in supporting emotional well-being in education. She shares insights from her mentorship work, offering practical advice for parents and schools on creating inclusive environments and advocating for the needs of adopted children.

Contact We Are Family & the Adoption Shared Team:
Tweet us @WAFadoption #AdoptionShared
Tweet Eddie @Eddielliott
Email us hello@wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

Join us www.wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

We prioritise the privacy of guests and their children. All identifying information has been changed or removed. We provide guidance to all guests about how and whether details of their adoption journey and their children’s stories are shared.

Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Kate Elliott, a mindfulness practitioner, parent mentor, and trainee counsellor, about supporting adopted children through the education system. As a parent to a child with developmental trauma, Kate understands the challenges families face and shares practical ways to help children feel secure and supported at school. They discuss strategies for managing emotional and behavioural difficulties, advocating for the right support, and working with teachers to create a more inclusive environment. Kate also reflects on how mindfulness and therapeutic parenting can help both children and parents navigate the complexities of education with greater confidence.

Contact We Are Family & the Adoption Shared Team:
Tweet us @WAFadoption #AdoptionShared
Tweet Eddie @Eddielliott
Email us hello@wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

Join us www.wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

We prioritise the privacy of guests and their children. All identifying information has been changed or removed. We provide guidance to all guests about how and whether details of their adoption journey and their children’s stories are shared.