The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

In this episode of This Week in Adoption , host Rebecca Gruenspan provides a personal example of the beauty of open adoption by sharing her excitement for her son’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah, which will include his birth family. This episode also offers practical advice for adoptive parents on preparing for newborn withdrawal symptoms in cases of substance exposure and stresses the importance of seeing...

In this episode of the Adoption Roadmap Podcast , host Rebecca Gruenspan continues a deep conversation with guest Damon Davis about mental health, adoption, and the complex emotions surrounding the journey to find biological family members. Damon shares his personal story about growing up with an adoptive mother who struggled with paranoid schizophrenia and dementia, and how her mental illness aff...

In this episode of This Week in Adoption , host Rebecca Greenspan broadcasts live from the Florida Adoption Council Conference, where she discusses key adoption topics with adoption professionals and attendees. Rebecca emphasizes the importance of early education for hopeful adoptive parents and highlights the value of having a trusted support team, including consultants and adoption-competent the...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap , host Rebecca Greenspan interviews Damon Davis, creator of the podcast Who Am I Really? Damon shares his personal adoption story, including the emotional journey of reuniting with his biological family and the challenges of navigating relationships with both his adoptive and birth parents. He also discusses the importance of adoptees finding community, the...

In this episode of This Week in Adoption , host Rebecca Gruenspan shares practical advice for adoptive parents preparing to bring home their newborns. Topics include essential items for travel and temporary stays, such as portable bassinets, baby wraps, diapers, and bottles. Rebecca also discusses the benefits of staying in Airbnb’s versus hotels during the adoption process, highlighting the conve...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap , Rebecca Gruenspan interviews Kate Papkin, a breast cancer survivor and real estate professional, who shares her emotional journey of battling cancer, infertility, and eventually adopting her daughter, Alexandra. Kate reflects on the challenges of losing her fertility at 33, navigating failed IVF and surrogacy attempts, and the strength it took to pursue ad...

In this episode of This Week in Adoption , host Rebecca Gruenspan shares insights from her experiences as an adoption consultant and a single mom through domestic adoption. She discusses the challenges faced by hopeful adoptive parents, highlighting a recent story of a family who experienced the tragic loss of a baby. Rebecca emphasizes the importance of emotional support during adoption, advocati...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap Podcast , Rebecca Gruenspan interviews Kelly Ellison, a social entrepreneur and founder of Your Adoption Finance Coach, Seed Coach, and COO of Vesta, a family-building benefits company. Kelly shares insights from her 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and how her personal adoption journey led her to create services to help prospective adoptive fa...

In this episode of This Week in Adoption, Rebecca Gruenspan explores the critical topic of birth parent rights in the adoption process. She discusses the importance of ensuring birth mothers have the right to choose what happens with their child, the necessity of legal counsel, and the significance of counseling and support services. Rebecca also addresses the ethical complexities in adoption, inc...

In this episode of the Adoption Roadmap podcast, host Rebecca Gruenspan speaks with Tamika Swint, the founder and executive director of Styles for Kids, an organization dedicated to providing haircare education and services to transracial adoptive and foster families. Tamika shares her inspiring journey, starting from a simple hair braiding class to creating a nationwide movement that supports Bla...

In this episode of This Week in Adoption , Rebecca Gruenspan delves into the challenges and strategies many families confront when raising the necessary funds to adopt. Rebecca shares insights from her community on various fundraising efforts, including garage sales, crowdfunding, checking with employers for adoption benefits, and negotiating payment plans with agencies. Rebecca also touches on se...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap Podcast , host Rebecca Gruenspan explores the unique journeys of two single fathers, Dan Miller and Ben Greenberg. The episode dives into their motivations, experiences with adoption agencies, and the joys and challenges they faced along the way. Ben and Dan offer valuable advice for single men considering adoption, including the importance of being realisti...

In this July 4th edition of This Week in Adoption Rebecca Gruenspan celebrates the recent successes of three single mothers in the RG community who have successfully adopted, highlighting their perseverance and dedication. Rebecca also shares key takeaways from the National Council for Adoption Conference, discussing the impact of drug exposure on babies and the critical role of language and thera...

In this episode of the Adoption Roadmap, Rebecca Gruenspan is joined by Natalie Bauman as she shares her unique perspective as both an adoptee and an adoptive parent. Natalie recounts her journey to find her biological parents, a search that profoundly shaped her understanding of family and identity, as well as a remarkable revelation that emerged through DNA testing. Natalie discusses her decisio...

In this episode of the Adoption Roadmap, Becca Gruenspan dives into key aspects of the adoption journey. She begins with the importance of establishing a relationship with the expectant mother through visits before birth and the financial aspects of adoption, emphasizing the need for a well-structured financial plan. In this episode Rebecca also explores the emotional stages of adoption, highlight...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap , Rebecca Gruenspan speaks with Francine Apy, the founder of SoulFilling, as she shares her heartfelt journey of creating a business that resonates deeply within the adoption community. Inspired by the concept of ‘soul filling,’ Francine’s company aims to bring comfort and connection to those touched by adoption. She opens up about her personal adoption expe...

In this episode of "This Week in Adoption," Rebecca Gruenspan discusses essential topics for adoptive parents, including adding newborns to health insurance and navigating open adoptions. She provides advice on preparing for the hospital and creating a detailed hospital plan. This conversation highlights the importance of understanding insurance coverage for newborns, the challenges of communicati...

Summary In this conversation, Rebecca Gruenspan, an adoption consultant, interviews Diana Schimmel, an adoption attorney, about adoption law. They discuss the importance of seeking legal advice early in the adoption process, the role of an adoption attorney in domestic private adoption, and the timing of involving an attorney in the adoption journey. They also touch on topics such as identified ad...

In today's episode of This Week in Adoption, Rebecca Gruenspan unveils RG Adoption’s second quarter statistics. She emphasizes the importance of adoptees knowing their full story, including the difficult parts, and discusses the beauty and complexity of the adoption process, highlighting both its ethical and unethical aspects. Rebecca addresses the emotional and financial challenges of adoption fa...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap, Rebecca interviews Matt Joyner, an expert in financial planning for adoptive families. Matt shares his personal adoption journey and provides valuable insights on how to financially prepare for adoption. He discusses both the emotional and economic aspects, common financial challenges, and strategies for balancing immediate adoption costs with long-term goa...

Join Rebecca Gruenspan on this week's episode of "This Week in Adoption" as she explores the unique challenges of parenting neurodivergent children and underscores the vital role of professional guidance in navigating these complexities. Rebecca candidly addresses the fears often associated with adoption and emphasizes the importance of sharing a child's adoption story from the very beginning. In...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap Rebecca Gruenspan speaks with Maureen Dykinga, a doctor of public health and pediatric speech-language pathologist, about the feeding and communication needs of adopted children. They discuss the importance of attaching language to behaviors, the challenges adoption presents, and the impact of trauma on development. Maureen answers questions about feeding is...

Summary Join Rebecca Gruenspan, an adoption consultant and single mom through domestic adoption, as she addresses weekly updates in the world of adoption. In this week’s episode Rebecca provides practical advice for adoptive parents, such as birth mother etiquette, creating thoughtful care packages, and the importance of starting the adoption profile early. We also provide tips for handling unexpe...

In this episode of The Adoption Roadmap, Rebecca Gruenspan is joined by Lucrece Bundy, an experienced adoption attorney. Together they dive into the critical importance of investing in the right resources before beginning the adoption process. Rebecca and Lucrece also discuss the emotional and financial challenges, legal considerations, and the power of word-of-mouth referrals in finding matches w...

Summary This Week in Adoption, Rebecca Gruenspan, shares her insights on the adoption process, emphasizing trust and education as crucial elements. Rebecca discusses the benefits of working with adoption consultants for support and guidance and learning to place faith in these resources. She also highlights the challenges single parents face in raising adopted children. Finally, Rebecca provides t...