Advertise on podcast: Infant Adoption Guide Podcast

Why do only 1% of women in the U.S. who are in an unplanned/crisis pregnancy consider adoption? We as Christians need to re-examine how we can we better support and embrace these women. We are inviting families, sisters, fellow church members, parents, grandparents to suggest the loving, positive option of adoption. Our new book Pro-Family, Pro-Adoption: A Christian's Guide to Unplanned Pregnancy Options is a wake-up call, an information resource, a guide, and a story about how we can all do better to support the women around us who are going through or will go through an unplanned pregnancy. We can show her there is a loving, life-giving choice in adoption - and open adoption is something she needs to understand because statistics show that most of the U.S. doesn't know what it is.

Is it possible to adopt using social media?  Yes, it is possible. With all of us being connected through social media, it is more possible today than ever before. My guest on the show today is proof that it can work.  Lindsay and her husband started a Facebook and Instagram page in January of 2021 and then were matched by the middle of August, just a few months later. Lindsay tells her adoption story while sharing her experiences of what it was like to connect with her son's birthmom through Facebook and then meeting her in person. She explains how to navigate through possible scams. She talks about the importance of working with a very experienced adoption attorney.  While finding a match through social media might not be for everyone, Lindsay gives many compelling reasons why you should at least explore the idea.  Lindsay also shares how she is now helping other hopeful adoptive families match through social media just like she did. She created The Helpful HAP (for hopeful adoptive parents) and offers Adoption Matching Assistance.  She creates very specific and SUPER helpful monthly social media post ideas and calendars. These are amazing - you should check them out!  Lindsay's "The Helpful HAP" on ETSY Links we talk about in this episode: The Infant Adoption Guide Membership Community! This is a brand new safe, private place to learn and talk about infant adoption. Come check it out! Follow Lindsay on INSTAGRAM! See what Lindsay offers on her ETSY site! Our FREE private Facebook Support Group – only for those who are trying to adopt a baby. FindMyAdoptionAgency.com – learn how you can find and choose the RIGHT adoption agency to serve you on the infant adoption journey. This is a my online step-by-step course that you can go at your own pace AND includes over 60 agencies in a spreadsheet for you to use. ALSO - get my adoption expense/funding/grant tracker spreadsheet that I talk about in this episode! 

The wait to adopt can be rough. Find out what it means to wait and some practical ways to handle the wait based on what I've learned through 3 adoptions.  

Leah joins me to share her open adoption story as a birthmom. Hear how and why she decided to place her daughter over 18 years ago. Learn what it was like to be the first expectant mom to have an open adoption in the agency she worked with. Find out why she initially didn't want to choose adoption for her daughter and why she eventually decided that it was the most loving choice she could make.

When navigating through the adoption journey, it can get overwhelming if you don’t have some way to keep organized. Here are my 4 tips to organize your journey.

Micah and Emily share their experiences from their infant adoption story as they adopted their son as a newborn in March of 2022. Hear how and why they decided on infant adoption. Find out how they were able to due fun-fund raising to pay the expenses of their adoption. Learn what it was like to spend 2 weeks in the hospital with their son's birthmom before he was born. And MUCH MORE! 

Terri Marcroft is a mom through adoption, founder of Unplannedgood.org, and now adds the title of author as she recently released her book, Pro-Choice Pro-Adoption : It's Time for a Loving, Positive Response to Unplanned Pregnancy. We chat with Terri about the book along with stories and suprising statistics she share about adoption and unplanned pregnancies in the U.S.

My wife Tisha and I talk about what we've learned about open adoption now that we've adopted 3 times. Here are the highlights of what we chat about on the show: We define open adoption at a very basic level We talk about how we first reacted to the concept of open adoption We share how we got comfortable with the idea as well as when we really started to understand what open adoption was and could be. We share stories about what open adoption looks like with each of our child's birth families We talk about the differences and varying degrees of contact with birth parents. We share our tips for how to learn about and navigate open adoption relationships. And much more!

As an author and mom through adoption, Brittany shares her family's story of transracial adoption and offers her experience as a guide for others following the same path. Brittany recognizes that we live in divided times and there are extra challenges whenever race is part of the conversation. But with wise insight and hard-won experience, she provides guidance about topics such as: --Maintaining a Christian perspective throughout the adoption journey --Celebrating your child's history and heritage --Confronting racism --Responding to comments about your family --Avoiding pitfalls in adoption --Helping your kids feel represented in your home and community

Adoptions scams occur when a person with no intention of placing her child for adoption deceives adoptive parents into financial or emotional support. We talk about how you can protect yourself from adoption scam situations. We'll explore the two different types of scammers you may encounter (emotional and financial), red flags you can look out for, and the best ways you can protect your family from getting duped. Join our guest, adoption expert and Dad through adoption, Hal Kaufmann as we take a closer look at one of the scariest issues facing adoptive parents today.