DR JO-ANN SPARROW

Jo Sparrow was born in 1971 at the Royal Brisbane Womens Hospital at the pinnacle of the forced & closed adoption eras, and was adopted at three weeks old. Her adoptive family lived on the Darling Downs in regional Queensland and her new parents had three existing biological children. Jo was always told she was adopted and felt stymied by the closed adoption system that would stop her from searching for her origins until Queensland legislation changed in 1991, allowing her to contact and meet her mother and brother. Twenty years later she searched for and met her father. Jo has worked in public relations for close to two decades and has a Bachelor of Journalism, Masters of Public Relations and completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) exploring the construction of identity after adoption using story. 

JANE SLIWKA

Jane Sliwka was born and adopted in Brisbane, Queensland in 1987 and grew up as an only child. From a young age she had an inkling that she may one day work in the counselling or mediator professions. She started studying psychology straight after high school and realised during these studies that adoption had impacted her development. For her Honours thesis she decided to explore how adoptees attachment styles and self-esteem might differ to their non-adopted peers. Whilst she was studying, she searched for and found her biological family and discovered her parents had later married and that she had two siblings. Following her degree, Jane began working as a counsellor and completed her Masters degree in Social Work. Jane began her association with Jigsaw Queensland, volunteering as a support group co-facilitator and on the management committee. This confirmed her desire to work in the adoption field and she worked as a counsellor for another post-adoption support service before joining Jigsaw Qld's Forced Adoption Support Service where she continues to work as a Post Adoption Practitioner.  (Photo by Slugs, Snails & Fairytails)