The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

Your dream is to become a mom. My dream is to help you get there. I am Rebecca Gruenspan, a single mom through domestic adoption and an adoption consultant for over a decade. I’ll be your guide, along with other adoption professionals and members of the adoption constellation, walking you step by step down this beautiful and complex path of adopting your baby. This isn't just another podcast sharing adoption stories. If you're genuinely committed to diving in with an open heart, eager to learn everything there is to know about adopting a baby, this is for you!

The Adoption Roadmap Podcast is a kids podcast hosted by Rebecca Gruenspan, with 150 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Rebecca Gruenspan hosts The Adoption Roadmap Podcast, a kids show with 150 episodes published.

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  The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

  Ep. #152: The Adoption Questions That Surface in the Teen Years | Melissa Smallwood

  Sep 30, 20261h 11m

  Your baby won’t remember the adoption. But your teenager might have a lot to say about it. At 15, Melissa packed a bag and left her grandparents’ home, believing she was running toward her mom and finally getting the family she needed. Instead, she found herself on her own, working full-time at Wendy’s, having dropped out of high school, and pregnant at 16. Today, Melissa is a licensed therapist, former foster youth, mom to seven, and adoptive parent. She has also fostered older children, worked extensively with teens and adoptees, and spent years supporting teen moms through a ministry she founded with her best friend. In this episode, Melissa brings both her personal experience and professional expertise to one of the most important conversations adoptive parents can have: what happens after the baby comes home. From why adoption-related grief can resurface during adolescence, to what “running away” may actually be communicating, she explains why parents need to think beyond infancy and start building their relationship with their future teenager from day one. In this episode, we talk about: Why “they won’t remember” doesn’t tell the whole story for children adopted as newborns Why adoption grief and identity questions can resurface during the teenage years What running away, shutting down, or saying “You’re not my real mom” may actually be communicating How parents can regulate themselves, prioritize connection, and repair after conflict Why telling your child their full adoption story from day one can change everything How keeping the door open to their first family can help children navigate identity and belonging What adoptive parents can do now to prepare for the teenage years—before they arrive About Melissa: Melissa Smallwood is a licensed therapist, former foster youth, adoptive parent, and mom to seven. Her personal experience with foster care, teen motherhood, and adoption deeply informs her work with adoptees, foster youth, and families. She has also fostered older children and spent years supporting teen moms, bringing both lived experience and professional expertise to conversations around adoption, trauma, attachment, identity, and adolescence. Connect with Melissa: Website: https://www.mendingheartscoaching.com/about Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissasmallwood/ 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://form.jotform.com/261976309097066 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 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

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  The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

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

  Sep 23, 20261h 13m

  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 advocacy Why adoption costs vary so dramatically, from expectant parent living expenses to advertising, legal fees, and agency operating costs The ethical safeguards Rob believes every adoption professional should prioritize, including transparency, independent legal representation, and informed choice The questions hopeful adoptive parents should ask when evaluating an agency—and why you should pay attention to how they handle failed matches The red flags that should make you pause, from pressure to make decisions quickly to agencies that aren't transparent about fees or the adoption process Why nonprofit versus for-profit status doesn't automatically determine whether an agency is ethical The advice Rob gives hopeful adoptive parents about staying committed, navigating uncertainty, and not throwing in the towel About 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 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://form.jotform.com/261976309097066 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 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

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  The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

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

  Sep 16, 202629 min

  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

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  The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

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

  Sep 9, 202644 min

  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.

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  The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

  Ep. #148: Open Adoption, Birth Parents, and Building a Family | Susan Strong

  Sep 2, 20261h 6m

  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 journey The adoptee’s story that changed Susan’s mind about closed adoption and led her to choose openness What Susan learned about choosing curiosity over fear when the path ahead feels uncertain How Susan met her first birth mother, Carmen, and why Carmen asked her to adopt her baby just 15 minutes after meeting The three things Susan believes make open adoption work: choice, trust, and commitment Why open adoption doesn’t come with a roadmap—and the lifelong work required to maintain those relationships What Susan learned from her daughters about attachment, identity, grief, and the experience of carrying two family stories The advice Susan would give hopeful adoptive parents about trusting their instincts, being honest about what they can handle, and taking the leap together About 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-1 Website: https://www.susanstrongauthor.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanstrongauthor 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://form.jotform.com/261976309097066 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 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

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