Our Story
A Journey of Purpose: How it All Started
Three decades ago, The Ties Program was founded by two women, Becca Piper and Bea Evans, both touched by the adoption constellation, and today, we are adoptee-owned and operated. Today, The Ties Program is led by Tanya Kaanta, a Korean adoptee and former academic. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology and a M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education with a focus on intercountry adoption, identity formation, emotion work, advocacy, and agency.
Founders, Becca Piper and Bea Evans
Today’s Directors, Tanya Kaanta and Ben Kaanta
Guiding with Expertise and Leading with Heart
We bring over 100 years of combined experience and knowledge to our work. As professionals in post-adoption and homeland journey services, we offer adoptees, their families and loved ones a curated, seamless and supportive way to connect with their country of birth.
Comprised of adoptees, parents, siblings, partners, and spouses, we humbly serve adoptive families from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia, traveling with adoptive family groups to Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa.
Transforming Lives Through Compassion and Meaningful Connection
We’re adoptee owned and operated. The core team members are adoptees and/or experts in the field with a connection to adoption. Together, we bring 100 years of combined experience.
In addition to our core team, our travel staff are adoptees, therapists, social workers, counselors and/or post-adoption specialists who provide emotional support and coaching to adoptees and their families while traveling.
Rooted in Care and Understanding
We are the longest standing adoptee focused homeland journey organization in the world.
We’ve helped more than 4,000 people experience their country of birth, in over 20 countries, for over thirty years. And we’re just getting started.
A Journey of Identity and Cutural Discovery
For adoptees, the desire to reconnect with their birth country often comes from a deep need to understand their roots, culture, and identity.
A bespoke, curated heritage trip offers an opportunity to explore these complex layers in a way that’s both personal and transformative.