Truth, Timing & the Ties That Bind: La Tika Jeffery’s Journey to Her Father of Origin
In this deeply moving June episode of Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World, host April Dinwoodie welcomes back La Tika Jeffrey—youth advocate, mother, and lived expert in foster care and adoption—for a raw and inspiring conversation about the power of uncovering truth and forging new family connections.
Since her last visit back in December 2021, La Tika’s world has transformed in beautiful and complex ways. This episode follows her emotional journey to discover her father of origin after learning that the man she believed to be her biological father was not. With honesty and courage, La Tika shares how therapy, DNA testing, and deep personal work led to the unexpected reunion with her biological father—and the beginning of a meaningful relationship that now includes her children.
Mothering Out Loud: Stacey Gatlin on Advocacy, Identity, and the Yes We Adopt Village
In this Mother’s Day episode, April Dinwoodie sits down with Stacey Gatlin—founder of Yes We Adopt—to explore Black adoption, parenting after loss, and building community that centers authenticity and healing. Stacey shares her path through infertility, post-adoption depression, and the creation of Yes We Adopt—a platform that uplifts Black adoptive families, adopted persons, and birth parents. Together, they reflect on the power of community, the truth-telling needed in adoption spaces, and the mental and emotional load of mothering and leading out loud. A must-listen for anyone in the extended family of adoption or looking to parent with intention and care.
Chapter One and the Innocent People Project with Jeff Forney
In April 2025 I sit down with Jeff Forney, a photographer specializing in advertising, music and celebrity portraiture. Jeff is currently working on “The Innocent People Project” – taking photos of adoptees and sharing their stories. In this episode we dive into the reasons behind starting this project, what it has meant to him and so much more!
Discussing Luck, Burdens & Blessings in Adoption with the Transracial Journeys Community
In March 2025, I am so fortunate and honored to welcome some of the members of the Transracial Journeys Community, Co-Directors Mary Halm and Karen Thomas. We dive into this idea of luck in adoption and the blessings and burdens that come along with this experience. We also hear from one of the Board of Directors of TRJ, and adoptive parent, Michelle Daray. There are so many incredible gems in this one! For any member of the adoption community, this is a must listen episode.
How to Love a Transracially Adopted Person: Unlocking a Deeper Connection
In February 2025, I give you the 9th installment of How to Love a Transracially Adopted Person. In this part of the series I am joined by someone who, for the past year, has been on this journey with me in the most personal way: my boyfriend, David Sutphen. While he wasn’t adopted, he has personal connections to adoption and knows what it’s like to be part of a blended family. These experiences, I believe, have shaped his identity, his sense of belonging, and his capacity to love me, a transracially adopted person. Join us as we talk about connections in adoption, identity, and love. I also humbly share a very personal example of how my default setting of abandonment played out following a very special birthday trip with David.
Chosen, Searching, and Seen: The Community We Need in Adoption
For many adopted persons, the journey to understanding identity and belonging is filled with complexities, questions, and the need for community. In this episode, host April Dinwoodie is joined by Tracie Carlson, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and fellow adopted person, to explore how growing up adopted shaped their identities and how finding community became essential to their journeys. From the experience of being “chosen” to the emotional realities of searching for family, April and Tracie discuss what it means to be truly seen and supported. They reflect on the both/and of adoption, the power of connection, and how creating spaces of belonging can change lives—not just for adopted persons, but for the world.
December 2024: Adoption & Evolving Traditions
Host April Dinwoodie sits with producer Kyle Ferreira to discuss how holiday traditions have evolved over the years. April also shares thoughts about the baby in the manger, the nativity and the “Holiday Miracle” as it relates to adoption.
November 2024: Who is Around Your Holiday Table?
In November 2024, host April Dinwoodie sits with Producer Kyle Ferreira to talk about the both/and of her holiday table. April also shares helpful tips for transracially adopted persons when it comes to the holiday season.
October 2024: Adoption, Costumes and Code-Switching
In October 2024, Host April Dinwoodie sits with producer, Kyle Ferreira to talk about the idea behind code switching and wearing masks as it relates to a transracialy adopted persons experiences. We also hold space for April as her birthday approaches later this month.
September 2024: Moving with Confidence & Clarity
This month host April Dinwoodie sits down with producer Kyle Ferreira to talk about the recent Transracial Journeys Camp that April is involved in each year and how beneficial this camp is to building confidence and clarity around some of the more difficult aspects of transracial adoption.
The Black Paper, with Kamilah Bunn and Toni Oliver
On this week’s episode we talk to Kamilah Bunn, CEO of the National Adoption Association, and Toni Oliver, former president of the National Association of Black Social Workers, about the recently published “Black Paper,” an early look at the effect of NAA’s Ujima Black Family Connection Program. The goal of the program is to convene Black leaders to work on addressing long-standing disparities in child welfare and push back against the stereotype that Black families do not adopt.
Black Paper: Urgent Need for Black Family Connections and Support for Black Leaders Advancing Change Efforts in Systems https://www.adoptnaa.org/page/blackpaper
August 2024: Adoption on MY Terms – Language and Agency For Adopted Persons
As the school year kicks off, host April Dinwoodie sits down with producer Kyle Ferreira to have a conversation about language as it relates to expressing experiences of adoption. In this episode, April breaks down the reasons for why she refers to her self as an “Adopted Person”. And why she refers to her parents as either “Parents of Origin” or “Parents of Experience”.
July 2024: Freedom, Family, & VP Kamala Harris
With July 4th as a backdrop, this month, producer Kyle Ferreira and host April Dinwoodie have a conversation about thoughts and experiences surrounding freedom and independence. We also discuss representation and the impact VP Kamala Harris.
June 2024: The Father of All Holidays
This month, for Fathers’ Day, I sit down with my producer to have a conversation about my thoughts and emotions at the intersection of adoption and Fathers’ Day.
May 2024: Mothers’ Day & Adoption Reflections with JuneinApril
This month, just after Mothers’ Day, I sit down with my producer to have a conversation about my thoughts and emotions as it relates to adoption and mothers, mothering, and Mothers’ Day.
April 2024: I’m Adopted & I Cry A Lot (April Showers Bring May Flowers)
In this episode, host April Dinwoodie shares her very personal journey of sadness, grief, and loss connected to adoption and family separation.
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