In this episode, we explore the reality of international adoption through the powerful story of Jodi Slein’s journey to adopt her son from Romania. Host Anna Bernacki sits down with Jodi, a parent coach and adoptive mom, to talk about the moment she first learned about Romania’s orphanage crisis, what it was like to walk inside an institution where infants had stopped crying, and how she navigated the complex process of adopting a child internationally in the 1990s. Jodi opens up about the early signs of trauma, sensory challenges, and attachment needs that emerged after bringing her son home—and how adolescence brought even deeper layers of grief, identity, and healing. She also discusses the long-term impact of institutional care, the closure of Romania’s international adoption program, and what happened to children who were never adopted. What You’ll Learn: • The truth about international adoption in the 90s • Conditions inside Romanian orphanages • Early trauma and sensory needs in adopted children • How attachment forms after institutional care • Challenges during school years and adolescence • Reunion with birth family and its emotional impact • Why Romania closed international adoption and what came next If you want to understand the real, unfiltered story behind international adoption and the resilience of children who survive early neglect, this episode is essential viewing.

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