Ep. #137: Cannabis, Therapy, DUIs & Adoption: Do Past Mistakes Matter? | Molly Berger on Home Studies

Ep. #137: Cannabis, Therapy, DUIs & Adoption: Do Past Mistakes Matter? | Molly Berger on Home Studies

This episode tackles one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of the adoption process: the home study. For many hopeful adoptive parents, the home study can feel like an investigation. They're worried about old mistakes, mental health diagnoses, fertility struggles, finances, medical conditions, past trauma, or whether one wrong answer could jeopardize their dream of becoming parents. In this episode, Rebecca sits down with Molly Berger, licensed social worker at The Adoption Center of Illinois, adoptive mom, and foster parent, for an honest conversation about the questions families are often afraid to ask out loud. This conversation offers reassurance, practical guidance, and a behind-the-scenes look at a process that often feels mysterious and intimidating. If you've ever wondered whether your past could impact your ability to adopt, this episode is for you. In this episode, we talk about: • What home study professionals are really looking for during the adoption process • Whether cannabis use, alcohol consumption, and medical marijuana impact approval • How agencies evaluate mental health diagnoses, therapy, and medication use • Why past trauma, infertility grief, and life challenges are often conversations—not disqualifiers • How finances are assessed and what financial stability actually means • The role chronic illness, cancer diagnoses, and medical conditions can play in a home study • The surprising emotional similarities between expectant parents and hopeful adoptive parents About Molly: Molly Berger is a licensed social worker with The Adoption Center of Illinois, where she works with both expectant parents and hopeful adoptive families. With more than a decade of experience in adoption, Molly has supported families through home studies, counseling, adoption planning, reunions, and post-placement support. She is also an adoptive mother and foster parent, bringing both professional expertise and personal experience to her work. Molly is passionate about helping families navigate adoption with honesty, education, compassion, and a child-centered approach. Connect with Molly: Website: https://www.adoptioncenterofillinois.org/blog/authorbio/molly-berger/ 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

Ep. #136: Why an Adoption Consultant? Three Families, Three Journeys, Zero Filter

No two adoption journeys look the same — and that’s exactly what makes this conversation so powerful. In this special panel episode, Rebecca sits down with three adoptive parents whose paths to parenthood couldn’t be more different: Lisa, a single mom by choice; Kirk, an adoptee turned adoptive father raising a son with his husband; and Jennifer, who navigated infertility, open adoption, and the unexpected twists that ultimately led her to her daughter. Together, they share the moments that challenged them, surprised them, and ultimately shaped the families they have today. From navigating fertility struggles and years of waiting to sitting beside birth mothers in hospital rooms and welcoming children through adoption, this conversation is filled with the kind of honest insight only lived experience can provide. Whether you're just beginning your adoption journey or are already parenting through adoption, this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and a reminder that there is no one right way to build a family. In this episode, we talk about: • The moment each family knew adoption was the right path for them • The assumptions they had about adoption that turned out to be completely wrong • How open adoption looked different than they expected • The reality of fall-throughs, waiting, and navigating uncertainty • What it was like meeting birth parents and being in the hospital for placement • How their unique family structures shaped their adoption experiences • Raising children through adoption while honoring identity, culture, and belonging • The lessons they've learned that they wish every hopeful adoptive parent knew • Why so many of them nearly gave up — and why they're grateful they didn't About Our Guests: Lisa is a single mom by choice who built her family through adoption after navigating both fertility treatments and foster care. Her journey offers a unique perspective on perseverance, parenting, and embracing the unexpected path to motherhood. Kirk is an adoptee and adoptive father who, alongside his husband, welcomed their son through adoption after experiencing multiple fall-throughs and a NICU placement. His perspective bridges both sides of the adoption experience as both a child and parent touched by adoption. Jennifer is an adoptive mother, licensed clinical social worker, and advocate for open adoption. Alongside her husband, she welcomed her daughter through adoption and shares openly about building relationships with birth parents, navigating uncertainty, and parenting with empathy and connection. Together, their stories highlight the many different ways families are built through adoption — and the common threads of resilience, hope, and love that connect them all. 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

Ep. #135: The Adoption Roadmap, Part 1: What Hopeful Parents Need to Understand First

Most people begin the adoption process thinking the hardest parts will be the paperwork, the waiting, or the uncertainty. In reality, the biggest challenge is often unlearning what you've been told about adoption in the first place. In this episode, Rebecca shares the first step of her Adoption Roadmap and explains why education, emotional preparation, and a deeper understanding of adoption matter long before you complete a home study or match with an expectant mother. You'll learn what hopeful adoptive parents often misunderstand about adoption, how expectant mothers experience the process, what really happens behind the scenes with agencies and matching, and why approaching adoption with humility can shape the entire journey. Whether you're just beginning to explore adoption or are already moving forward, this episode will help you build a stronger foundation for what's ahead. What We Cover: * The foundation every adoptive parent needs * Why adoption starts with education, not paperwork * The emotional side of adoption most people overlook * What really happens during home studies and matching * Common myths about expectant mothers * Why preparation matters more than perfection * Honoring every part of a child's adoption story * Building a stronger path forward through adoption RG Adoption Consulting Website → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠  [https://rgadoptionconsulting.com⁠ ] Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact [https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact] Are You Ready to Adopt? Take the Quiz to Find Out → https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/quiz [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 [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

Ep. #134: The Adoption Story That Defies Every Expectation | Angela H. Legg

This episode is unlike any adoption conversation we’ve had before. Angela’s story begins with impossible odds: born two months premature, weighing barely three pounds, surviving life-threatening medical complications, and spending the first months of her life fighting to stay alive. But what unfolds after that is a story about far more than survival. It’s about identity, belonging, race, reunion, resilience, and the power of choosing your own narrative. In this episode, Rebecca sits down with Angela H. Legg, speaker, communication expert, and adoptee, for a deeply honest and at times controversial conversation about what it meant to grow up as a Black adoptee raised by a white single mother in the 1980s. This conversation explores interracial adoption, reunion, family dynamics, identity, healing, and the complexity of navigating two very different worlds — all through Angela’s unapologetically authentic perspective. Whether you agree with every viewpoint shared or not, this episode invites you to think more deeply about adoption, perspective, personal responsibility, and the narratives we choose to carry. In this episode, we talk about: • Angela surviving impossible medical odds after being born premature • Growing up as a Black child in a white family and predominantly white communities • The difference between race and culture — and how Angela views both • Navigating identity, belonging, and societal expectations as an adoptee • Angela’s reunion story with her biological sister, mother, and father • What Angela wishes adoptive parents understood about raising adopted children • Why honesty, vulnerability, and freedom shaped her relationship with her adoptive mother About Angela:Angela H. Legg is a speaker, communication expert, sales strategist, and leadership coach who helps executives, entrepreneurs, and creatives find and own their voice. Drawing from her extraordinary life story and background in sales, branding, and storytelling, Angela teaches people how to communicate with authenticity, confidence, and impact. Her work focuses on helping individuals and brands connect more deeply through narrative, identity, and human connection. Connect with Angela:  Website: https://bio.site/angelahlegg [https://bio.site/angelahlegg] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelahlegg/ [https://www.instagram.com/angelahlegg/] RG Adoption Consulting Website → ⁠ [https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/]https://rgadoptionconsulting.com [https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/]⁠ [https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/]  Book a Complimentary Adoption Strategy Session → ⁠https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact [https://rgadoptionconsulting.com/contact] Are You Ready to Adopt? Take the Quiz to Find Out → https://www.rgadoptionconsulting.com/quiz [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 [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

Ep. #133: “Where Are You REALLY From?” | Jade Amez

This episode will probably make some adoptive parents uncomfortable, and that’s exactly why you should listen. Jade Amez grew up in a white family in the Midwest constantly being asked questions like: “Where are you really from?” “Do you know your real parents?” “Aren’t you grateful you were adopted?” And while most people thought they were “just being curious,” Jade explains what those questions actually feel like from the adoptee side. In this conversation, Jade opens up about the moments that made her feel different, the subtle ways adoptive families can unintentionally erase culture, and why representation matters more than many parents realize. She also shares what happened when she reunited with her birth mother in Taiwan — and the complicated emotions that came with it. This isn’t a conversation about being a “perfect” adoptive parent. It’s a conversation about listening harder, asking better questions, and realizing that love alone doesn’t erase identity struggles. If you’ve ever said: “We don’t see color in our family,” “She’s just like any other kid,” or “I don’t want adoption to define them…” …this episode may challenge you in ways you weren’t expecting. In this episode: * The adoption questions adoptees are exhausted from answering * Why “Where are you really from?” hits differently than people think * The subtle ways adoptive parents can unintentionally “whitewash” their children * What Jade wishes her parents had done differently growing up * The emotional reality of reconnecting with biological family * Why adoptees don’t all feel the same way about adoption * How books, culture, food, and representation shape identity Connect with Jade: Website: whereamifrombook.com Follow Jade on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whereamifrombook/ 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   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