エピソード

  • Ep. #151: Ethical Adoption Practices: What Every Hopeful Adoptive Parent Should Know | Robert LaMarche

    Ep. #151: Ethical Adoption Practices: What Every Hopeful Adoptive Parent Should Know | Robert LaMarche
    2026/09/23
    Rob LaMarche has seen adoption from nearly every angle—and he’s sharing what families should know before taking the next step.When Rob LaMarche met Casey at age 11, he was simply his client. Three years later, after a legal battle against a Florida law that prohibited gay people from adopting, Casey became his son. That fight changed the course of Rob’s life, leading him to law school and a career advocating for children and families through adoption.Today, Rob is the executive director and in-house attorney for ACF Adoptions, a nonprofit agency that has been placing babies since 1992. He’s also an adoptive parent of three, a licensed clinical social worker, and someone who understands adoption from nearly every angle.In this episode, Rob pulls back the curtain on how adoption agencies actually operate. From the real costs of running an ethical agency and why adoption expenses can vary so dramatically, to the safeguards that protect expectant parents and the red flags hopeful adoptive parents should watch for, he offers a level of transparency families don't often get.In this episode, we talk about:How adopting Casey after a legal battle in Florida led Rob to law school and a career in adoption advocacyWhy adoption costs vary so dramatically, from expectant parent living expenses to advertising, legal fees, and agency operating costsThe ethical safeguards Rob believes every adoption professional should prioritize, including transparency, independent legal representation, and informed choiceThe questions hopeful adoptive parents should ask when evaluating an agency—and why you should pay attention to how they handle failed matchesThe red flags that should make you pause, from pressure to make decisions quickly to agencies that aren't transparent about fees or the adoption processWhy nonprofit versus for-profit status doesn't automatically determine whether an agency is ethicalThe advice Rob gives hopeful adoptive parents about staying committed, navigating uncertainty, and not throwing in the towelAbout Rob:Robert LaMarche is the executive director and in-house attorney for ACF Adoptions, a private nonprofit adoption agency that has been placing babies since 1992. He is also a licensed clinical social worker and an adoptive father of three.Rob began his career in child protective services in Massachusetts before moving into adoption work, including matching and supporting pre-adoptive families. After moving to Florida, he adopted his son Casey following a legal battle challenging the state's ban on gay adoption. That experience inspired him to attend law school and pursue a career advocating for children and families. Since joining ACF Adoptions in 2011, Rob has worked across the legal and social services sides of adoption, bringing his professional experience and personal journey to the work of building families.Connect with Rob:Website: https://www.adoptionflorida.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-lamarche-lcsw-jd-00a6346 About: https://adoptioncouncil.org/guest-contributor/robert-lamarche/ RG Adoption ConsultingDo you have an adoption "Kismet Moment" you'd like to share? Tell us the story here to be apart of my upcoming podcast episode! https://form.jotform.com/261976309097066 Website → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact⁠Get your personalized Adoption Roadmap - https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/roadmap-quiz Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU!For questions about adoption, episode suggestions, or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email⁠⁠⁠⁠ support@rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 13 分
  • Ep. #150: Adoption 101: What You Must Know Before You Start (Replay)

    Ep. #150: Adoption 101: What You Must Know Before You Start (Replay)
    2026/09/16

    In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, Rebecca Gruenspan—adoptive parent, consultant, and founder of RG Adoption Consulting—takes you inside her signature presentation: a masterclass on the basics of domestic adoption.

    From her own story of 26 failed IUIs to becoming a single mom through adoption, Rebecca walks you step by step through what it really takes to build your family this way. She covers the questions hopeful parents ask most often—about open adoption, profiles, timelines, and costs—and doesn’t shy away from the realities, risks, and emotional work required.

    You’ll learn why readiness (emotional and financial) is critical, how to manage fears and expectations, and why building the right team around you makes all the difference. Whether you’re just beginning to explore adoption or you’ve already started your journey, this episode gives you the clarity, encouragement, and practical insight you need.


    RG Adoption Consulting

    Website → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠

    Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact⁠

    Get your personalized Adoption Roadmap - https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/roadmap-quiz

    Our Chosen Child - Use code ROADMAP for $100 off the Social Media Plan + Post Program.→ https://ourchosenchild.com

    Sweet Peach Tree (Sponsor) → ⁠sweetpeachtree.com⁠ – use code ROADMAP10 for 10% off


    Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU!

    For questions about adoption, episode suggestions, or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email⁠⁠⁠⁠ support@rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠
    続きを読む 一部表示
    29 分
  • Ep. #149: The Business Side of Adoption Consulting: Pricing, Hiring & Building Trust

    Ep. #149: The Business Side of Adoption Consulting: Pricing, Hiring & Building Trust
    2026/09/09

    Thirteen years ago, Rebecca called her own adoption consultant and asked if she wanted a business partner. "Call me back in about a year," she said. "I'm not quite ready." Ten minutes later, Rebecca called back: "Then I'm going to be your competitor. Will you help me?"

    She had no clients, no marketing plan, and a notebook full of business ideas she'd never once acted on. What she had was a newly adopted son, eight people already asking how she'd done it so fast, and a stubborn feeling that nobody should walk this road alone.

    This episode is a crossover from Behind the Scene with Teah — the business side of RG Adoption Consulting, out loud: what it actually took to build it, why every consultant on the team has to have lived the adoption process themselves, and the year Rebecca finally learned to charge what she's worth.


    In this episode, Teah Interviews me about:

    • Why Rebecca almost didn't start her own business — she called her own consultant first and asked to be a partner, and got told "not yet"
    • What she actually had going for her at the start: no clients, no marketing plan, a notebook of ideas she'd never acted on — versus a son, eight referrals, and a refusal to let people do this alone
    • How she built the business nights and weekends around a fundraising job she was miserable in, then let herself get laid off so unemployment could bridge the gap
    • The pricing mistake she made for years, undercharging because she felt "not senior enough," and what changed after a coach told her to charge $10,000 for a package she was sure nobody would buy
    • Why every consultant on her team has personally adopted or gone through the process themselves, and the one experience working with a non-adoptive consultant that convinced her this had to be a hard rule
    • The scariest hire she ever made, why her first real employee was paid on commission, and what finally, after 13 years, made her feel like she had the right team in place
    • Her advice to the version of herself just starting out


    A reminder from RG Adoption Consulting

    If you're seriously considering adoption, you don't have to figure this out alone. Rebecca and her team guide hopeful families through every step using their proven four-step roadmap. In 2025, 62% of their families brought their baby home within 12 months. Book a complimentary adoption strategy session at rgadoptionconsulting.com.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    44 分
  • Ep. #148: Open Adoption, Birth Parents, and Building a Family | Susan Strong

    Ep. #148: Open Adoption, Birth Parents, and Building a Family | Susan Strong
    2026/09/02
    There’s a difference between choosing adoption… and choosing to embrace everything that comes with it.When Susan Strong’s first round of IVF failed, she didn’t know it would become the beginning of a completely different life. Thirty-four years later, she’s the adoptive mom of two daughters, has lifelong relationships with four birth parents, and has built an open adoption story she never could have planned for.In this honest and deeply moving conversation, Susan shares what she’s learned about choosing curiosity over fear, trusting your instincts, and building open adoption relationships without a roadmap. From meeting her first birth mother and being asked to adopt her baby after just 15 minutes, to navigating a second adoption with a teenage birth mother, to watching her daughters grow into their own relationships with their birth families, Susan offers a perspective shaped by decades of experience, unexpected loss, and a whole lot of saying yes.In this episode, we talk about:How Susan’s failed IVF cycle became the unexpected beginning of her adoption journeyThe adoptee’s story that changed Susan’s mind about closed adoption and led her to choose opennessWhat Susan learned about choosing curiosity over fear when the path ahead feels uncertainHow Susan met her first birth mother, Carmen, and why Carmen asked her to adopt her baby just 15 minutes after meetingThe three things Susan believes make open adoption work: choice, trust, and commitmentWhy open adoption doesn’t come with a roadmap—and the lifelong work required to maintain those relationshipsWhat Susan learned from her daughters about attachment, identity, grief, and the experience of carrying two family storiesThe advice Susan would give hopeful adoptive parents about trusting their instincts, being honest about what they can handle, and taking the leap togetherAbout Susan:Susan Strong is the author of One Yes At A Time: How Open Adoption Transformed Our Family, a book about her family's 34-year journey through open adoption. After an unsuccessful IVF experience, Susan and her husband, Bob, chose adoption and went on to adopt two daughters, Olivia and Caitlin.What began with two independent adoption journeys grew into lifelong relationships with four birth parents and an extended network of birth family. Susan writes about adoption on Substack and continues to share what she's learned about openness, curiosity, loss, identity, and the relationships that make adoption what it is.Connect with Susan:One Yes At A Time: https://www.susanstrongauthor.com/product-page/the-open-adoption-guidebook-1Website: https://www.susanstrongauthor.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanstrongauthorRG Adoption ConsultingDo you have an adoption "Kismet Moment" you'd like to share? Tell us the story here to be apart of my upcoming podcast episode! https://form.jotform.com/261976309097066Website → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact⁠Get your personalized Adoption Roadmap - https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/roadmap-quizOur Chosen Child - Use code ROADMAP for $100 off the Social Media Plan + Post Program.→ https://ourchosenchild.comTune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU!For questions about adoption, episode suggestions, or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email⁠⁠⁠⁠ support@rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 6 分
  • Ep. #147: Prenatal Opioid Exposure in Adoption: What the Research Actually Shows | Theresa Harmon

    Ep. #147: Prenatal Opioid Exposure in Adoption: What the Research Actually Shows | Theresa Harmon
    2026/08/26
    At three years old, mid-meltdown, Theresa Harmon's son looked up at her and said: "I wanna calm down, Mommy, but I don't know how." She's a social worker. She spent years in child welfare before she became a mom. She was still lost.Doctors told her what they tell every family: "He'll go through withdrawal, and then he'll be fine." Teresa has spent the last decade fighting that myth.This episode gets honest about what opioid exposure actually means, not the terrifying Google version, not the everything's-fine-after-the-NICU version, but the truth that lives in between.In this episode:What actually counts as an opioid and why fentanyl exposure specifically tends to show up as more severe hyperactivity, inattention, and sleep troubleThe myth Teresa's spent a decade fighting: "he'll go through withdrawal, and then he'll be fine" — and why the neonatologists repeating it never actually go home with these kidsWhy the "no lasting effects" story and the "everything is ruined" story are both wrongThe two most common diagnoses beyond NAS/NOWSThe hospital protocol that's replaced older withdrawal scoring, and the swaddling, dim lighting, skin-to-skin, and breastfeeding tools that help at homeWhat to actually ask a pediatrician before trusting them with your child's history and why "I've worked with adopted kids before" tells you nothingTeresa's own son at three, mid-meltdown, telling her he wanted to calm down and didn't know how — and what she's learned about that moment in the decade sinceAbout Theresa:Teresa Harmon is a social worker turned psychiatric nurse practitioner specializing in kids in foster care and adoption who have prenatal opioid exposure. After her oldest son was born opioid-dependent and she couldn't find the support she needed, she founded To The Moon and Back, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit now in its 10th year, serving families nationally through case management, support groups, provider education, and published research with Child Trends. She's an adoptive mom of three, ages 13, 8, and 2.Connect with Theresa:To The Moon & Back: tothemoonandback.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tothemoonma Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToTheMoonMA/ Beyond NAS Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beyondnas Research mentioned:- TTMAB's 2 published studies (Theresa to send links)- Dr. Jonathan Davis, Tufts Newborn Medicine — created the alcohol-free methadone formulation for NAS weaning; POE/development research (Theresa to send)- Child Trends (Bethesda, MD) — TTMAB research partner- Eat Sleep Console (ESC) — hospital assessment + sensory-based comfort approach for NAS babies- Kennedy Donovan Center — early intervention (Theresa's rapid-fire shout-out)- Perkins School for the Blind — flagging high rates of Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) in POE kids- MA legislation: automatic early-intervention eligibility bill (Theresa to send status/action link)RG Adoption ConsultingDo you have an adoption "Kismet Moment" you'd like to share? Tell us the story here to be apart of my upcoming podcast episode! https://form.jotform.com/261976309097066Website → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠ ⁠Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact⁠The Adoption Roadmap: The Four-Step Process To Adopting Your Baby In Less Than A Year → Buy Here on AmazonBefore you choose an agency, spend money, or move forward—start with these 10 honest conversations that will help you: ⁠https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/10-conversations-before-you-adopt⁠ Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU!For questions about adoption, episode suggestions, or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email⁠⁠⁠⁠ support@rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 2 分
  • Ep. #146: Your Kids Don't Have to Give You Friday Night Anymore | Keli Tondre

    Ep. #146: Your Kids Don't Have to Give You Friday Night Anymore | Keli Tondre
    2026/08/19

    Adoptive parent shame, why adopted kids lie, and what co-regulation actually looks like mid-meltdown — trauma therapist and adoptive mom Keli Tondre gets specific.


    Last weekend, Keli's19- and 18-year-old spent Friday and Saturday night with her at a music festival — by choice. She doesn't have all the answers. But as a trauma therapist, an adoptive sibling, and an adoptive mom of three, she's got more than most of us.


    Her brother was three when he was adopted into her family. For years, she feared someone would take him away — and told no one. Decades later he said, "I won the lottery when I landed in this family." Now she knows what he lost first.


    Two adoptions. One Christmas that went way too far. One sentence from a therapist that ended years of shame. You'll know it when you hear it.


    About Keli Tondre

    Keli Tondre is a trauma therapist and the founder of Tondre Therapeutics, where her entire practice is built around adoptive and foster parents living in survival mode. She's also an adoptive sibling — her parents adopted her older sister, then adopted her younger brother when Keli was almost two — and an adoptive mom of three: a biological daughter, a son adopted domestically, and a daughter adopted from Ethiopia at age four. She works virtually with clients across the U.S. and Canada. https://tondre.org


    In this episode, we cover:

    • What Keli understood about adoption as a kid — and what only made sense years later, once she was a therapist and an adoptive mom herself
    • How her domestic and international adoption journeys asked different things of her
    • Why "do your own work first" doesn't mean attachment struggles are proof you failed
    • How to respond to lying differently than you were raised to — and what to say instead of "you're lying to me"
    • What co-dysregulation is, and how to find your way back to curiosity when your kid has blown up the room
    • Why adoptive parent shame is a different animal than ordinary mom guilt
    • What Keli's biological daughter needed that she didn't see until years later
    • Why "love isn't enough" — and what to hold onto instead


    This episode is brought to you by Our Chosen Child

    Are you growing your family through adoption and doing your outreach independently? Our Chosen Child is an adoption marketing agency helping hopeful parents connect with expectant parents authentically and confidently. Their Social Media Plan and Post Program gives you six months of ready-to-go, easy-to-personalize posts for Instagram and Facebook — no tech skills required. Visit ourchosenchild.com and use code ROADMAP for $100 off your Social Media Plan and Post Program.


    Do you have an adoption "Kismet Moment" you'd like to share? Tell us the story here to be apart of my upcoming podcast episode! https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/BNfyVlIUm5b

    Website → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠

    Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact

    Are You Ready to Adopt? Take the Quiz to Find Out → https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/quiz


    Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU!

    For questions about adoption, episode suggestions or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email⁠⁠⁠⁠ support@rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠


    Resources mentioned:

    Polyvagal Institute: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org

    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 15 分
  • Ep. #143: The Emotional Work Before Adoption | Julie Fried

    Ep. #143: The Emotional Work Before Adoption | Julie Fried
    2026/07/29

    There’s a difference between preparing for adoption… and preparing yourself to become a parent.


    When systems strategist, podcaster, and adoptive mom Julie Fried began her adoption journey, she thought she could research her way through it. Spreadsheets, Facebook groups, Google searches—she approached adoption like any other complex project. But what she discovered was that the biggest work wasn’t logistical. It was emotional.


    In this honest and deeply thoughtful conversation, Julie shares the lessons she learned about grief, open adoption, slowing down, and making peace with a path that looked different than the one she had imagined. From pausing after her home study to process infertility, to navigating an unexpected NICU experience, to making one of the hardest decisions her family has ever faced, Julie offers wisdom that every hopeful adoptive parent needs to hear.


    In this episode, we talk about:

    • Why researching more isn't always the same as moving forward in your adoption journey
    • The emotional work every hopeful adoptive parent should do before becoming a parent
    • How grief and adoption can coexist—and why processing one strengthens the other
    • What Julie learned after shifting from "no" to embracing the possibilities of open adoption
    • How a NICU stay became an unexpected gift during the transition into parenthood
    • The heartbreaking decision to decline adopting her daughter's half-sibling—and how they made peace with it


    About Julie Fried:

    Julie Fried is the host of The System for Everything podcast, where she shares practical systems that simplify business, motherhood, and everyday life. A systems strategist by profession and adoptive mom to her daughter Ellie, Julie brings honesty, empathy, and thoughtful perspective to conversations about adoption, infertility, and parenting. Through her own journey, she has become a passionate advocate for slowing down, processing grief, and embracing adoption with

    openness and intention.


    Connect with Julie:

    Website: https://dallasgirlfriday.com/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesystemforeverything?utm_source=chatgpt.com

    Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-system-for-everything/id1818831243


    RG Adoption Consulting

    Website → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠

    Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact

    Are You Ready to Adopt? Take the Quiz to Find Out → https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/quiz

    Before you choose an agency, spend money, or move forward—start with these 10 honest conversations that will help you: https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/10-conversations-before-you-adopt

    Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow, a 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU!


    For questions about adoption, episode suggestions, or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email⁠⁠⁠⁠ support@rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠
    続きを読む 一部表示
    57 分
  • Ep. #145: The Adoption Roadmap, Step 2: How to Create an Adoption Profile That Makes Expectant Moms Stop and Read

    Ep. #145: The Adoption Roadmap, Step 2: How to Create an Adoption Profile That Makes Expectant Moms Stop and Read
    2026/08/12

    Most hopeful adoptive parents think creating an adoption profile is about showcasing their accomplishments, beautiful photos, or writing the perfect story.

    In reality, the most successful adoption profiles aren't about impressing anyone. They're about helping an expectant mother picture her child growing up in your family.


    In this episode, Rebecca walks through the second step of the Adoption Roadmap and shares exactly what makes an adoption profile stand out. From choosing the right photos and writing authentic copy to avoiding common mistakes that unintentionally push expectant mothers away, she breaks down every section of the profile and explains why each detail matters.


    You'll learn how to create a profile that feels genuine, tells your family's story with warmth, and gives an expectant mother the confidence to imagine her baby growing up surrounded by love.


    What We Cover:

    • Why your adoption profile is the most important tool in your adoption journey
    • How to write a profile that connects instead of trying to impress
    • The biggest mistakes families make with photos and wording
    • What every section of your adoption profile should include
    • How to help an expectant mother envision her child in your family
    • The language and phrases to avoid in your profile
    • Why authenticity always matters more than perfection
    • How thoughtful design, great photos, and even video can strengthen your profile


    RG Adoption Consulting

    Do you have an adoption "Kismet Moment" you'd like to share? Tell us the story here to be apart of my upcoming podcast episode! https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/BNfyVlIUm5b

    Website → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠

    Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact

    Are You Ready to Adopt? Take the Quiz to Find Out → https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/quiz

    Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday. If you like what you hear, I'd appreciate a follow and 5-star rating & review! THANK YOU!

    For questions about adoption, episode suggestions or to appear as a guest on The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, email⁠⁠⁠⁠ support@rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 17 分