Roots and Branches Adoption Stories Podcast

Roots and Branches Ep 39: The Day I was Told I wasn't Real

At seven years old, Charmaine Carey heard words that would shape the rest of her life. The day her adoptive parents brought home their biological son from the hospital, Charmaine sat excitedly waiting to meet her new baby brother. Instead, her adoptive father sat her down and told her she had not grown in her mother’s tummy, that the new baby was their “real” child, and that adoption would never be spoken about again. Until that moment, Charmaine had no idea she was adopted. That single conversation shattered her sense of identity and belonging. Suddenly she felt different, unwanted, and invisible inside her own family. When Charmaine returned to school and began asking classmates questions about adoption, she became isolated and bullied. At home, she experienced emotional abuse and neglect. Christmases became painful reminders that her brother mattered more. She watched another adopted girl at school being openly loved and supported by her family, which made her question why her own experience was so different. As Charmaine grew older, the damage followed her into adulthood. Feeling unworthy of love, she found herself repeatedly drawn into abusive relationships that mirrored the emotional pain of her childhood. For years, she believed she had to do whatever it took to be accepted and loved. Five years ago, Charmaine finally left her last abusive relationship and began the difficult process of healing. Today, she is passionate about helping adoptees and adoptive families better understand the hidden trauma children may carry. She believes adoptees need safe spaces to talk openly about identity, rejection, abandonment, and self-worth without fear of shame or silence. In this emotional episode of Roots and Branches Adoption Stories, Charmaine shares her deeply personal journey through trauma, survival, and healing — and explains why words spoken to children can leave lifelong scars. Hosted by Janet Munro on K-PHRED Radio. #Adoption #AdopteeVoices #AdoptionTrauma #RootsAndBranches #Healing #MentalHealth #FosterCare #ChildhoodTrauma #Identity #AdoptionStories

Roots and Branches Ep 38: Open Doors, Closed Files

Today on Roots and Branches Adoption Stories, Janet Munro speaks with Rachel Fulginiti — foster-to-adopt mother, podcast host, voice actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator — about her deeply emotional journey to motherhood after years of infertility, miscarriage, heartbreak, and uncertainty. Rachel spent more than a decade trying to become a mother. As someone used to working hard and achieving goals, infertility became one challenge she could not simply “fix.” Through devastating losses, financial strain, and soul-searching, Rachel and her husband eventually turned toward foster care and foster-to-adopt with cautious hope and open hearts. What followed changed their lives forever. Rachel shares how they welcomed two children into their family through very different adoption experiences. Their oldest daughter’s adoption remains fairly open, allowing connection to biological relatives and preserving important ties to family history and identity. Rachel explains why maintaining those connections matters and how openness can help children understand where they come from. Their younger son’s story is very different. He entered their lives through a safe surrender adoption, leaving almost no information about his biological family, medical history, or ancestry. Rachel speaks honestly about the emotional challenges that come with raising a child who may someday ask questions no one can answer. This episode explores the powerful differences between open and closed adoption, the emotional realities of foster-to-adopt parenting, and the lifelong importance of identity, truth, and belonging. Janet and Rachel also discuss miscarriage grief, infertility trauma, fear, faith, resilience, and learning to trust life’s unexpected path. Rachel’s story is one of courage, healing, and discovering that family is not always built the way we imagine it will be. It is a conversation filled with compassion, honesty, and hope for anyone touched by infertility, adoption, foster care, or nontraditional family-building. Topics include: Foster care and foster-to-adopt Infertility and miscarriage Open vs closed adoption Safe surrender adoption Identity and biological roots Trauma, healing, and resilience Faith and trusting the process Nontraditional paths to parenthood If this story speaks to you, please subscribe and share. Roots and Branches Adoption Stories YouTube Channel #AdoptionStories #FosterCare #FosterToAdopt #OpenAdoption #SafeSurrender #InfertilityJourney #RootsAndBranches #JanetMunro #AdoptionAwareness #Healing #Family #Podcast

Roots and Branches Ep 37: The Bond Before Birth

The conversation delves into the concept of surrogacy, exploring the process, emotional aspects, and post-birth relationships. It provides insights into the altruistic surrogacy model in Canada and the unique emotional experiences of surrogate mothers. The conversation delves into the altruistic nature of surrogacy in Canada, the challenges and considerations of surrogacy, the process of finding and supporting surrogate mothers, and a comparison of surrogacy in Canada and the US. It also explores the future of surrogacy and the need for more open conversations about the topic. Takeaways * Surrogacy as a selfless act * Altruistic surrogacy in Canada Surrogacy in Canada is based on altruism, with no financial compensation for surrogate mothers. * The need for surrogates is significant, and there is a lack of knowledge about surrogacy as an option.

Roots and Branches Ep 36: Open Adoption

In this emotional and deeply complex episode of Roots and Branches Adoption Stories, Janet Munro speaks with Susan Skalicky, a birth mother whose story is still unfolding. Raised in a strict Christian environment with strong beliefs surrounding family and motherhood, Susan became pregnant at 27 after her first serious relationship. Feeling overwhelmed, unsupported, and believing adoption was her only option, she placed her daughter in what was promised to be an open adoption through her church. Years later, Susan became pregnant again. While hospitalized during a high-risk pregnancy, the same adoptive family suggested adopting her second daughter so the sisters could grow up together. Susan agreed, believing she was creating a stronger future for both girls and hoping the relationship between the families would heal and grow. Today, Susan says she has no contact with either child. In this raw and candid conversation, Susan shares the emotional realities she says many birth mothers face after adoption: grief, isolation, pressure, unanswered questions, and the fear of losing connection forever. She speaks openly about the role of religion, adoption agencies, legal agreements, hospital pressure, and what she believes are major flaws in the open adoption system. Susan is now preparing for a court case in British Columbia and has launched what she calls the “ADD-Options” movement, advocating for stronger protections and legally enforceable agreements for birth parents involved in open adoptions. As always, Janet reminds listeners there are multiple perspectives to every story. This episode is not about assigning blame—it is about understanding the emotional, legal, and lifelong impact adoption can have on everyone involved. This is a difficult conversation. But it is one worth having.

Roots and Branches Ep 35: Burned But Not Broken Part 2

In Part 2 of Sam Moore’s story, we move beyond survival… and into what comes after. After enduring abuse, foster care, adoption trauma, and time in juvenile detention—including months in solitary confinement—Sam shares the harsh realities of reentry into the world. From incarceration to halfway houses, homelessness, and struggling to find employment with a felony record, her journey reveals just how difficult it can be to rebuild a life when the system has failed you more than once. But this is not just a story of hardship. It is a story of resilience. Sam speaks candidly about the challenges she faced navigating housing, employment, and trauma after release. She opens up about the people who made a difference—those rare individuals who offered support, believed in her, and helped her begin again. Today, Sam is a mother, a college student, and a passionate advocate working to reform the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Drawing from her lived experience, she is actively pushing for change—fighting to ensure that other children do not fall through the same cracks she did. This episode also explores deeper issues within the system, including gaps in protection, lack of resources, and the urgent need for reform at both state and national levels. Most importantly, Sam shares a message for those who are struggling: You are not alone. Your story is not over. And healing—while difficult—is possible. This is a powerful continuation of a story that demands to be heard. ---------------------------------------- #rootsandbranches #adoptionstories #fostercare #juvenilejustice #trauma #resilience #healingjourney #mentalhealth