This week’s episode is one I hope every adoptive and foster parent listens to - and listens with an open heart.
I’m honored to sit down with Sydney Curtin - birth mom, author of Courageous Considerations, speaker, life coach, and founder of Curtin Call - as she shares the raw and painful truth about her adoption story, and why she’s now advocating for ethical reform across the entire industry.
In 2019, Sydney made what she believed was the most loving and selfless decision a mother could make - placing her daughter for adoption. What followed was a heartbreaking unraveling of promises made to her and her child. From being coerced into signing away her rights to experiencing the gut-wrenching reality of an unenforceable open adoption, Sydney’s story exposes what many don’t realize about the current adoption system.
Together, we talk about: • The myth of open adoption • Why adoption must be treated as a lifelong relationship, not a transaction • How faith, courage, and grief shape the journey for birth moms • What it looks like to center the child while honoring both families involved
Sydney’s book, Courageous Considerations, is a powerful tool designed to help both adoptive and natural families ask the hard questions before, during, and after placement. Because adoption, when done right, is not the severing of one family - it’s the joining of two.
Whether you’ve adopted, are considering adoption, or want to better understand the full picture of what ethical, relational adoption can look like - this conversation will challenge you, stretch you, and invite you into something deeper.
☕ Grab your coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in. XO, Christine Marie
💕 PS — Want to join a supportive space for women who are navigating foster care, adoption, or just want to love others well?
Come join us here: 👉 facebook.com/groups/fostercareandadoptionforchristianwomen
Connect with Sydney Curtin: 🌐 Website: www.coachcurtin.com 📘 Courageous Considerations – now available on her website 📲 TikTok & Instagram: @Coach_SydneyCurtin 📘 Facebook: Sydney N. Curtin
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.