Infant Adoption Guide Podcast

Adoption is full of waiting. Laci Richter knows from experience what it is like to wait. She is a Mom to two daughters by infant adoption, a speaker and author of the new book, Refuel Your Wait: Find Hope and Overcome Fear While Adopting. Laci speaks to the hearts of waiting adoptive parents as she shares the story about how she found hope and joy through the wait.   “For 6 years we experienced a waiting season filled with fears, doubts, tears, prayers, heartache, joys and growth. Not one piece of the journey was wasted. There was purpose in each and every decision, twist and turn.”–Laci Richter, Mom of 2 through infant adoption In her book, Laci talks about the hard experiences of going through the failed matches, “in the beginning of our trials, we had a tendency to hide the hard experiences and loss to protect others from our pain. We quickly learned that outside of each other, we also required love and support of family and friends.” You will love listening to Laci as she shares her story. I know that you will find hope and inspiration in this interview. Listen and share with others who may need to the inspiration to refuel their wait. What you’ll hear on this episode: * What led Laci and her husband to infant adoption.* What challenges they faced – including failed matches or interrupted adoptions as she calls them. * Why Laci decided to write her book about the wait when adopting and what it means to refuel your wait. * What she means when she talks about identifying “sorrow triggers”.* Find out Laci’s best tips for when you are waiting to adopt. * How you can get Laci’s new book and why you should read it ASAP. Links we talk about in this episode: * LaciRichter.com – connect with Laci, read her blog and get her new book Refuel Your Wait: Find Hope and Overcome Fear While Adopting. * Connect with Laci on Facebook – keep up with Laci and her wonderful writing on Facebook! * Connect with Laci on Instagram – find out what Laci is up to on Instagram!* FindMyAdoptionAgency.com – a new online course created by me to help you find the right adoption agency for you. * IAG Adoption Support Group – our Facebook group is only for hopeful adoptive families or those who have already adopted. Come join the 2,000+ people in this amazing (and private) group to get support, get answers to your questions and learn from others who are on the same journey as you.* Get my FREE GUIDE: How To Find The RIGHT Adoption Agency in 4 Steps. If you’re new to adoption, have no idea how to find an adoption agency, OR have struggled in your research to find the BEST agency – this FREE guide will help. It walks you through where to find infant adoption agencies, how to evaluate them and then how to choose the right one for you!

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed at trying to figure out just how and where to start your journey to adopt a baby, you are certainly not alone. It is hard to know how to start, what to do first or where to find answers. There is help and I have some for you here. One of the first things to consider when starting your journey is choosing an adoption agency. It is one of the biggest decisions a hopeful adoptive parent will make. The choices can feel daunting with so many agencies out there. It is important to filter out the ones you don’t want to work with and then really dig deep into the agencies that you may want to work with. Today we are going to help you figure out which infant adoption agencies may be right for you by giving you the TOP 10 Questions To Ask An Adoption Agency. These questions are pulled directly from my brand new online course called FIND MY ADOPTION AGENCY. This is the ONLY step-by-step, go at your own pace course that will help you confidently know how and where to find infant adoption agencies, how to evaluate them and then choose the right one for your adoption journey! After adopting 3 times and starting the Infant Adoption Guide blog and podcast, I’ve been able to talk to and learn from many adoption experts, agencies, consultants, authors and adoptive families. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t on how to find the right agency AND actually trust that they will help you successfully adopt. It is so important to find and choose an adoption agency that is ethical, communicates well and you feel comfortable working with all throughout your journey to adopt. This is exactly why I created FIND MY ADOPTION AGENCY, to help hopeful adoptive families like you get step-by-step guidance to sift through all of the agencies, avoid the overwhelm & confusion, so you can find and choose the BEST agency for you to successfully adopt a baby. Go to FindMyAdoptionAgency.com to learn more. What you’ll hear on this episode: * A deep dive into The TOP 10 Questions to ask an adoption agency when you are trying to choose the right one for you.* Find out where to get answers to other important questions you need to ask. * Examples and stories of why these are the “must-ask” questions.* Why it is so important to ask the right questions about the costs and expenses that agencies will charge.* How you can get help directly from me for finding and choosing the RIGHT agency for you through my online course called, FIND MY ADOPTION AGENCY. Listen as we dive into the TOP 10 Questions To Ask An Adoption Agency. * How many adoptions (placements) are completed every year? How many last year?* How long is the average wait time for families to be matched with an expectant mom?* Will you work with us to complete a home study? If not, who can you recommend that will be able to help us?* Can you provide an itemized list of all costs, fees, or expenses and when they are due?* What costs might we have that are NOT part of your agency fees?* What happens if a match falls through after we have paid fees or expenses?* How will you help us create our adoptive parent profile?* How do you help birth families and adoptive families make an open adoption plan?* How much experience do you have with helping families adopt a baby from another...

Starting the infant adoption journey on the ‘same page’ as your spouse can be challenging. Then, as you go through the process to adopt, you may see how the ups and downs can affect your marriage. Kimberly Holmes is a marriage expert and she’s here to talk about how to strengthen your marriage before, during, and after you adopt. Learning how to prioritize your marriage relationship is critical when you are going through the infant adoption process. I’d say, especially after talking with Kimberly, that it is important to do this BEFORE you start the process.   “Adoption is beautiful and it definitely has its hard moments. Just like marriage. Marriage is beautiful. It is amazing. It is the best, most intimate relationship that we can have with someone in our lives, but it is hard and it takes work. You have to really prioritize that marriage relationship.”–Kimberly Holmes, Marriage Expert and CEO of MarriageHelper.com After my wife and I have gone through three infant adoptions, I can truthfully say that it takes work and dedication to make sure your marriage stays strong through the roller coaster ride of adopting children. After so many years of wanting to become parents, it is easy to put all of our focus and energy into our kids. We should put a TON of time and energy into raising our kids, but we cannot lose the importance of strengthening our marriage as well. We’ve learned how much we need date nights and those quality moments of putting the cell phones down so we can have meaningful conversations. You’ll love this conversation as Kimberly and I dive into the how and why of strengthening your marriage before, during, and after you adopt. What you’ll hear on this episode: * How Kimberly and her husband adopted their children.* Why it is OK and is actually healthy if you and your spouse don’t agree 100% on everything. * How and why you should work on strengthening your marriage before, during and especially after you adopt. * What specifically you should watch out for and discuss during the adoption process.* Some of the best ways to communicate with your spouse if they aren’t completely onboard with adopting. * How to find ways to prioritize your marriage to make it stronger while adopting.* How you can get help directly from Kimberly and her team at MarriageHelper.com. Links we talk about in this episode: * MarriageHelper.com – provides a researched based program that thousands of couples have used to strengthen and even save their marriages. * MarriageHelper on YouTube – great videos from Kimberly and others on marriage. * It Starts With Attraction Podcast – listen to Kimberly’s podcast about revealing how to become the most attractive you can be Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally and Spiritually (or as us insiders call it…the PIES).* FindMyAdoptionAgency.com – a community bringing together expectant moms and hopeful adoptive families by connecting them through online profiles. * IAG Adoption Support Group – our Facebook group is only for hopeful adopt...

The high cost of infant adoption can keep people from starting the process of building a family. It doesn’t have to be this way. Thousands of people (just like you) adopt EVERY YEAR, despite the high cost. There are many ways to fund your adoption. Today, we will give you 6 Creative Ways To Fund Your Adoption. Even though adoption can be expensive, now is a great time to adopt AND do it without debt. With so much information all over the internet, it can be tough to find good and even creative resources to help you fund your adoption.   After starting the Infant Adoption Guide blog and podcast several years ago, I’ve been able to talk with many adoption experts, agencies, consultants, authors and adoptive families. I’ve heard tons of stories and examples of how others have funded their adoptions. These 6 ways are not the only ways, but some of the best ones I’ve heard and seen work, which is why I want to share them with you. So, here are the 6 Creative Ways To Fund Your Adoption: 1. BothHands.org (an amazing way to serve and raise funds for your adoption) 2. Adoption grants (how and where to get free money to pay for your adoption expenses!) 3. Crowdfunding (getting others to help you – and yes, this does work and can work well!)4. Personal savings (using what you have and can build in a short amount of time) 5. Fundraising Events (getting creative with fun ways to raise money for your adoption) 6. Selling Other People’s Stuff (you’d be surprised what people are willing to give you to sell) BONUS! Get this FREE GUIDE below with links to everything we talk about in this episode! FREE GUIDE!(click to download) What you’ll hear on this episode: * A deep dive into The 6 Creative Ways for funding your adoption.* Examples and stories of people who have used these ways to fund their adoption.* How and where to get FREE money to pay for your adoption expenses.* How to find even more ways (books and websites) to fund your adoption.* How you can get help directly from me for finding and choosing the RIGHT agency for you through my online course called, FIND MY ADOPTION AGENCY. Links we talk about in this episode: * FundYourAdoption.tv – started by adoptive parents, this site is packed full of great ideas on how to fund your adoption.* You Can Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways To Cover The Cost of Adoption – a great book by Julie Gumm * Infant Adoption Guide Podcast Episode 69 – BothHands.org with JT Olson – listen to this podcast interview with BothHands.org founder JT Olson as we explain exactly how this amazing fundraising project works.* AdoptTogether.org – an awesome site dedicated to helping you crowd-fund your adoption.* FindMyAdoptionAgency.com – a community bringing together expectant moms and hopeful adoptive families by connecting them through online profiles. *

Stories are a great way to get inspiration & hope. They can help you gain insight into how adoption works and you can learn how other people navigate the journey. I love adoption stories because each one is unique and offers a different perspective. The infant adoption story in this episode is told by Brittney Landstrom, a mom who just recently adopted her son as a newborn. Brittney and her husband went through some tough times and a lot of waiting before they brought their son home. They live in Canada but wanted to adopt an infant (which doesn’t happen often in Canada) so they tried adopting from Florida while also getting on the wait list to adopt where they live. As you listen to her story you’ll hear what happened as the adoption in Florida fell through. Brittney shares not only her heart, but tremendous patience and some frustration as they navigated the ups and downs on their adoption journey. You’ll get to hear Brittney share some great tips and lessons learned as she looks back on the whole process. What you’ll hear on this episode: * Why Brittney and her husband decided to build their family through infant adoption.* How they got started with their adoption process (which agencies they worked with and why).* Why their adoption fell through when trying to adopt in Florida.* What she felt when she finally got to meet her son and hold him for the first time.* What open adoption looks like for Brittney and her husband.* How they were able to meet with their son’s birth mother and birth father BEFORE their son was placed with them.* Brittney’s #1 tip for navigating the infant adoption journey. Links we talk about in this episode: * IAG Adoption Support Group – our Facebook group is only for hopeful adoptive families or those who have already adopted. Come join the 2,000+ people in this amazing (and private) group to get support, get answers to your questions and learn from others who are on the same journey as you.* AdoptionProfileVideo.com – check out the only online course to learn how to create and share an amazing adoption profile video.* Get my FREE GUIDE: How To Find The RIGHT Adoption Agency in 4 Steps. If you’re new to adoption, have no idea how to find an adoption agency, OR have struggled in your research to find the BEST agency – this FREE guide will help. It walks you through where to find infant adoption agencies, how to evaluate them and then how to choose the right one for you!

One of the first things to consider when starting your journey is choosing an adoption agency. It is one of the biggest decisions a hopeful adoptive parent will make and it is also one of the most difficult ones. The choices can be overwhelming with thousands of agencies to choose from and each agency operating different from the other. What makes a great agency? Who can you trust? How do you find agencies that you will feel comfortable and confident in working with? After starting the Infant Adoption Guide blog and podcast several years ago, I’ve been able to talk with many adoption experts, agencies, consultants, adoptive families and even birthmoms. Throughout the course of our 3 adoptions and learning from so many others, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. I’ve seen what it takes to find the right agency – especially one that you can actually trust to help you adopt quickly, with less risk and less stress. We are talking about How To Find The RIGHT Adoption Agency in 4 Steps. STEP 1. The 4 Things You Need To Consider BEFORE Choosing an Agency. STEP 2. Make a list of at least 20 adoption agencies you could work with. STEP 3. Create your TOP 10 list of agencies.STEP 4. Interview, Evaluate, & Decide. What you’ll hear on this episode: * A deep dive into The 4 STEPS for finding and choosing the right agency for you, including: * How & where to find agencies. * How much money you’ll need to adopt.* The 4 most important things to consider BEFORE you choose an agency.* Questions to ask agencies.* How to narrow down your list.* Who you should talk to when you get down to 2 or 3 agencies to pick from.* The importance of choosing an ethical agency.* Tips for interviewing and evaluating agencies.* How you can get my FREE guide describing these 4 STEPS.* How you can get even MORE help directly from me for finding and choosing the RIGHT agency for you through my online course called, FIND MY ADOPTION AGENCY. Links we talk about in this episode: * FindMyAdoptionAgency.com – a community bringing together expectant moms and hopeful adoptive families by connecting them through online profiles. * AdoptionCouncil.org – this is a great place to find adoption agencies so you can start building your list. * IAG Adoption Support Group – our Facebook group is only for hopeful adoptive families or those who have already adopted. Come join the 2,000+ people in this amazing (and private) group to get support, get answers to your questions and learn from others who are on the same journey as you.* AdoptionProfileVideo.com – check out the only online course to learn how to create and share an amazing adoption profile video.* Get my FREE GUIDE: How To Find The RIGHT Adoption Agency in 4 Steps. If you’re new to adoption, have no idea how to find an adoption agency, OR have struggled in your research to find the BEST agency – this FREE guide will help.

Matching with your future child’s birth parents is a Big. Deal. It doesn’t matter which agency, attorney, or other adoption professional you work with, putting a great adoption profile online can help make the match happen faster.A lot of hopeful adoptive parents only do what is required by their agency or attorney when it comes to creating and sharing an adoption profile. This means they will create a printed profile, make a PDF version to send over email and then some may take the time to create an online profile.Here’s the bottom line when it comes to your adoption profile:If you want to stand out, you need to do what most others fail to do.You need to do an amazing job of painting the picture for an expectant mom so she sees clearly what her child’s life will look like as a part of your family.Today we are talking online adoption profiles.Back on episode 58, we had an awesome interview with the founder of MyBabysFamily.com Brad Lindemann as we talked about what makes MBF unique as a profile listing service. Today we have the Marketing Director for MBF, Deidra Bekele on the show to dive deeper into how to get the most out of posting your adoption profile online. 5 Tips for getting the most from posting your adoption profile online:1. Share your story the right way. 2. Don’t just put any photos online. 3. Create a profile video.4. Don’t be afraid to change things.5. Invest in online profile services. What you’ll hear on this episode: * What MyBabysFamily.com is and what Deidra does to help expectant moms and hopeful adoptive families.* A deep dive into The 5 Tips for getting the most from posting your adoption profile online:* Share your story the right way. Present what life is like in your family. This is what an expectant mom wants to see.* Don’t just put any photos online. You should use high quality and action oriented photos.* Create a profile video – why and how to put the right kind of video online. This is SUPER important (in my humble opinion). MOST families don’t do this – so it can set you apart from the crowd.* Don’t be afraid to change things. When something in your live changes – then change your profile. If you’ve been waiting to adopt and want to change things up – then change your profile.* Invest in online profile services. These services will help you because you never know when or where you will make the connection with an expectant mom.* How online profile services reach expectant women in a way that we can’t do ourselves. * Why you need to invest in putting your adoption profile online – and how you can do that in a way that will help you adopt faster.* How you can connect with Deidra and get started creating an amazing adoption profile online (including a great profile video!) Links we talk about in this episode: * MyBabysFamily.com – a community bringing together expectant moms and hopeful adoptive families by connecting them through online profiles. * Domestic Adoption USA Support Group – this is the Facebook group from MyBabysFamily for adoptive families and expecting mothers. This is a safe space for you to share your family profile, ask questions, and receive support. * IAG Adoption Support Group – our Facebook group is only for hopeful adoptive families or those who have already adopted. Come join the 2,000+ people in this amazing (and private) group to get support, get answers to your questions and learn from others who ...

Infant adoption doesn’t end when a child is placed with you – it begins. It can be difficult to see and understand what your child (and you) may face as they grow. As parents, we should do our best to prepare and it can start with hearing from an adoptee who has lived through the ups and downs. You can’t Google your way to your child’s happiness. What every parent has going for them is your love for your kid. That is what gets you going. Your love will propel you down the learning curve.Simon Benn – Adult adoptee and Coach at SimonBenn.co.uk Are you worried about your child or your future child? Simon Benn is our guest on the show. He is an adult adoptee sharing his story and what he has learned so he can help to empower adoptees and adoptive parents. He coaches adoptees and parents so they can T.H.R.I.V.E.  So what’s T.H.R.I.V.E.? ​Transformation – releasing adoption trauma Healing – repairing emotional wounds Resilience – bouncing back from setbacks Identity – learning who you really are Vision – mapping out your future Enjoyment – loving your life. In this episode, Simon shares his insights, experiences and stories about what he’s learned as he went through the “fog” or dark times of his life as he dealt with his adoption. Simon posing with the teddy bear he received from his birthmom. We can all learn from Simon’s story and experiences so we can better prepare for our adoption adventure. What you’ll hear on this episode: * Simon’s personal adoption story as he was adopted as a 5 week old.* What triggered his intense anger and feelings of rejection that made him go through a dark period in his life.* How he was able to pull out of the darkness and fog to enter into “brilliant light” time of his life. * What book Simon read that took him down and how he was able to find great personal insights and change to help him back up. * How and why Simon started working with kids and then adoptees and now adoptive parents.* What new book Simon is writing and how it can help us on the adoption adventure.* How you can connect with Simon and get help to empower you or an adoptee to THRIVE on the adoption journey. Links we talk about in this episode: * SimonBenn.co.uk – check out Simon’s site where you can learn more about him, watch videos, read articles and get a FREE confidential chat with him. * A to Z of Children’s Wellbeing – Simon has a wonderful page on his site that has 26 videos and articles to help your child with their happiness, confidence and wellbeing. * IAG Adoption Support Group – come and join the 2,000 people in this amazing (and private) Facebook support group for anyone who is considering infant adoption, has already started the adoption journey, or has already adopted.* Get my FREE GUIDE: How To Find The RIGHT Adoption Ag...

As with any major life change, it is important to do your best to prepare for what is to come. With adoption, it can be hard to know what to prepare for and how to best prepare for the unknown. My North Star is always my children. Whenever you are making a decision on your adoption journey, think about your future child and what would be best for them or what they would want you to do for them.Paige Knipfer – Mom of 2 through adoption and Owner of Love Grown Adoption Consulting Paige Knipfer is a mom of two through infant adoption and now is helping others adopt as owner of Love Grown Adoption Consulting. She is passionate about changing the adoption world by empowering hopeful adoptive couples to push for ethical, inclusive, and honest adoptions focusing on all in the adoption triad (adoptive parents, adoptee, and birth family).In this episode, Paige shares her experiences and stories about the 4 things she could have been better prepared for before she and her husband adopted. She talks about the hospital experience, feelings of isolation, open adoption and transracial adoption. We can all learn how to better prepare for our adoption adventure. These 4 things will definitely help as Paige shares her experiences. What you’ll hear on this episode: * How and why Paige and her husband adopted their 2 kids.* The stories and experiences in the hospital they had when their children were born. Listen to why they felt such joy and sadness at the same time.* How she could have been better prepared for feelings of isolation before and after the adoptions. * What open adoption is like for Paige and her husband as they have built relationships with their kids’ birth families.* How Paige has handled transracial adoption in her family and why it is important to learn about and prepare for it. * How you can connect with Paige and get some free resources to help inspire and prepare you for your own adoption adventure. Links we talk about in this episode: * Love Grown Adoption Consulting – check out Paige’s adoption consulting company where she can help you reach your adoption dreams. Set up a free call with her, watch some cool videos and learn more about how she is helping people just like you.* HelpUsAdopt.org – this amazing non-profit group provides grant money (that’s FREE money) for your adoption journey. As fellow members of HelpUsAdopt.org’s adoption professionals council, Paige and I support their efforts to make adoption more affordable.* IAG Adoption Support Group – come and join the 2,000 people in this amazing (and private) Facebook support group for anyone who is considering infant adoption, has already started the adoption journey, or has already adopted.* Get my FREE GUIDE: How To Find The RIGHT Adoption Agency in 4 Steps. If you’re new to adoption, have no idea how to find an adoption agency, OR have struggled in your research to find the BEST agency – this FREE guide will help. It walks you through where to find infant adoption agencies, how to evaluate them and then how to choose the right one for you!

Adoption can feel like an overwhelming roller coaster ride, making it difficult to find the joy and happiness as you travel on the adventure to adopt a little one. Simone Knego is no stranger to adoption and all the challenges that come along with it. In her brand new book “The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You”, she details her journey of adopting three of her six children with all the heroic stories and hard-learned lessons she and her husband went through along the way.In this episode, Simone tells her stories and shows us how to choose to find inspiration and happiness on our adoption journey. She shares about her realization that adoption challenges are just a part of your story. She talks about what it is like having a multi-racial, multi-cultural family and how they stay positive through any adversity. I was really inspired by Simone so I hope you will be too. What you’ll hear on this episode: * How and why Simone and her husband adopted 3 of their 6 kids.* The stories and hard-learned lessons they had while on their journey to adopt.* What inspired Simone to write her new book “The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You”. * What Simone would tell anyone who is considering adoption but may be a bit afraid to start the journey.* Why Simone says, “Change the way you see yourself and the world around you will change.” * How we can find inspiration and happiness on our own adoption adventure. Links we talk about in this episode: * SimoneKnego.com – check out her site where you can connect with her, learn more about how she is inspiring so many people and you can get her highly recommended new book, “The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You”.* IAG Adoption Support Group – come and join the 2,000 people in this amazing (and private) Facebook support group for anyone who is considering infant adoption, has already started the adoption journey, or has already adopted.* Get my FREE GUIDE: How To Find The RIGHT Adoption Agency in 4 Steps. If you’re new to adoption, have no idea how to find an adoption agency, OR have struggled in your research to find the BEST agency – this FREE guide will help. It walks you through where to find infant adoption agencies, how to evaluate them and then how to choose the right one for you!

Even though it feels like a lot in the world has been put on hold in the last few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the truth is babies are still being born. Adoptions are still happening by the thousands. Yes, the pandemic can at times increase the emotional roller coaster that is the infant adoption journey. The struggles are real, but there is hope. In this episode, we talk about the challenges the pandemic brings but also the positives, the solutions, the work-arounds and the hope that is still here for anyone wanting to adopt. Our guest on the show is Nicole Moore, a Board Certified Adoption Attorney who practices exclusively in the area of adoption law throughout the State of Florida and in conjunction with out-of-state placements. She represents adoptive parents in adoption finalizations and represents several adoption agencies in private adoption placements. Nicole is a member of the prestigious Academy of Adoption and Reproductive Attorneys, the Florida Adoption Council, and the Orange County Bar Association. She handles domestic adoptions and many other forms of adoption. She often speaks publicly on the subject of adoption. We are very blessed to have Nicole on the show to share her experiences and tips with adopting during the Covid-19 pandemic. What you’ll hear on this episode: * How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected infant adoptions in the U.S.* How the restrictions from the pandemic have changed the communication and interaction between hopeful adoptive parents and expectant moms who are planning.* What to expect from adoption professionals (agencies and attorneys) and what work-arounds they are putting in place to make sure infant adoptions are still happening. * How you can make your adoption plans thrive and successfully adopt during the pandemic.* What Nicole says are the most important things that hopeful adoptive parents need to consider when adopting during this pandemic.* Real life stories about how people just like you have successfully adopted even during the Covid pandemic. Links we talk about in this episode: * FloridaAdoptionAttorney.com – Nicole is part of the law offices of Jeanne T. Tate in Florida where they focus on providing legal services to adoptive parents, adoption agencies, and birth parents in a professional and supportive environment. Adoption law is complicated and challenging and requires the dedication of an experienced legal staff. Unlike other family law firms that practice law in a variety of areas, attorneys at Jeanne T. Tate, P.A. focus solely on the practice of adoption.* Email Nicole directly – Nicole graciously provides her direct email address if you have questions about adoption or want to know more about how to work with her on your adoption journey.* Heart Of Adoptions – adoption agency Nicole works with in Florida. They handle domestic infant adoptions in and outside of Florida. * IAG Adoption Support Group – come and join the 2,000 people in this amazing (and private) Facebook support group for anyone who is considering infant adoption, has already started the adoption journey, or has already adopted.*

For most of us hopeful adoptive parents, at least in the beginning stages of our journey we can get hung up on the term ‘open adoption’. It can freak us out. It can hold us back. Open adoption is relatively new to infant adoption in the U.S. as it has only been around for the past 20 or so years. Even though it is new, it is has already been well documented that it helps adoptees, birth families and adoptive parents. So when we (as adoptive parents) think about open adoption, we tend to only think about the amount of contact we have (or will have) with our child’s birthparents. But it is so much more than that. On this episode, our guest is Lori Holden. She is a mom of two through adoption, a blogger, an author, and now host to a brand new podcast called “Open Adoption: The Long View”. The “Long View” is all about opening up the discussion and thoughts around what happens AFTER the baby is placed with the adoptive parents and they are trying to build a healthy relationship with their child’s birth family. You see, sometimes we can get so focused on building our family through infant adoption that we may forget that adoption doesn’t end when the baby is placed with us. It begins. The open adoption relationship also begins at this moment. You’ll love listening to Lori as she shares her experience, her insight as an author and podcast host, so we can all learn more about how open adoption works as our kids grow up. What you’ll hear on this episode: * Lori’s story of how she and her husband adopted their two kids.* How and why Lori decided to write her amazing book “The Open Hearted Way To Open Adoption”. * How and why she started blogging at LavenderLuz.com.* What she says is the biggest lesson she has learned after adopting two times and having raised them into their late teenage years.* What the Open Adoption Grid is and why it is important to know that open adoption is so much more than just about how much contact you have with your child’s birth family.* What it means to keep the porch light on for your child’s birth family.* What her new podcast “Open Adoption: The Long View” is like and who the future guests will be on the show.  Links we talk about in this episode: * LavenderLuz.com – Lori’s wonderful blog about adoption, parenting, and whatever else she decides to share. Her passion about open adoption comes through on her blog. She has a funny video called “The Day I Became a “Real Mom” – I highly recommend. Check out all of her articles and other fun stuff – you won’t be disappointed.* Adoption: The Long View podcast – Lori hosts this fantastic podcast where you’ll get invaluable insights about the all-encompassing journey of parenting an adopted person from people with lived experience in adoption. Make the most of your adoptive parenting journey and arrive at your destination in the healthiest, most connected and integrated way possible.* The Open Hearted Way To Open Adoption – this book is a MUST READ for...

Where are you in the journey to adopt? Have you felt nervous, scared or overwhelmed? You are certainly not alone. I’ve been in your shoes. It can feel so overwhelming when you are just starting the infant adoption journey. It is hard to know how to start, what to do first or where to find […]

Every year, around 1.6 million babies are born to teens in the U.S. and almost all of these teens do not even know that adoption is an option for them. Of these 1.6 million babies, only 18,000 are placed for adoption every year. UnplannedGood.org was founded by Terri Marcroft to promote adoption as a viable, […]

As you heard in Part 2 of this extraordinary adoption story, we can learn from others and get inspired as we find hope for our own adoption adventure. April and Noah Fallon are back as they continue to share their story of adopting 4 times after going through the process 7 times. It really is […]