87. Melissa Guida-Richards on The Nuances of Adoption

Dec 3, 2025

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In this conversation, Keltie sits down with transracial adoptee, author, and advocate, Melissa Guida-Richards, for a conversation about adoption, and the considerations prospective adoptive parents need to make. They discuss:

Melissa's personal experience as an adoptee, and why it's critical that we listen to and learn from adoptees.
The key question prospective adoptive parents need to ask themselves before they adopt.
The myth that adopting an infant offers that child — and its adoptive parents — a "fresh start."
Why adoption agencies who encourage people to adopt outside of their adoption preferences, can be problematic.
The different kinds of adoption, and the respective practical and ethical considerations that must be made.

As mentioned in the show: Find Melissa on Instagram at @adoptee_thoughts Her website is www.adopteethoughts.com Purchase Melissa's book and it's accompanying workbook, What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption: adopteethoughts.com/books For adoption resources, check out adoptionsupport.org (C.A.S.E) and adopteementorship.org. About Melissa: Melissa Guida-Richards is a transracial adoptee, author, and advocate whose work explores child welfare, adoption influencers ethics and reform. She is the author of What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption and she's had her writing and interviews featured on national platforms including NBC, Good Day LA and Tamron Hall. She is currently working on her next book with her agent, Kat Kerr, from Donald Maass Literary Agency. You can find her @adoptee_thoughts or AdopteeThoughts.com.

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