Maintaining Relationships with Birth Families

About this podcast

In this episode, host Dr Krish Kandiah; an adopter, foster carer, birth parent, and long‑standing advocate for children in care, is joined by adoptive parents Dawn and Steve to explore one of the more sensitive and often misunderstood parts of adoption — maintaining relationships with birth families.

Together, they unpack what ‘contact’ can look like in real life and how these moments can evolve as a child grows. Dawn and Steve share how they introduced safe, supported contact for their son over time, always guided by his emotional readiness and social worker advice.

Whether you’re just beginning to explore adoption or are already on your journey, this episode offers real‑world insight into how maintaining safe, appropriate connections with birth family contact can play a powerful role in forming a child’s sense of identity.