When Bridgette's mother revealed she had a sister that was placed for adoption, she knew she had to find her sister for her mom's sake. Through a series of DNA tests and a lot of perseverance, Bridgette connected with her sister, Cynthia.

Meeting each other as adults came with many sweet surprises and a swirl of emotions. Adoption Attorney Nicole Moore captures both sides' candid feelings in this must-listen episode; don't miss out!

A Special Thank You to Bridgette and Cynthia for sharing their stories with the Moore to Love Podcast.

Rachel and her husband were just like many other couples looking to adopt. After spending thousands of dollars on fertility treatments, their entire savings account was nearly dried up. The couple decided to fund their first adoption through loans, but Rachel knew there had to be a better way. So she started applying for grants.

When the rejection letters started filling her mailbox, she kicked her tenacity into overdrive. The result? Rachel and her husband received over $38,000 to help with adoption fees.

How'd they do it? Listen in as she gives us her tips and tricks for getting the financial help needed to adopt.

How much will adoption cost?
When is the first payment due?
What happens to our money if the adoption falls through?

Questions like these can cause financial anxiety for so many families that are looking to adopt. But how do you face this stress head-on without falling prey to financial woes? You plan of course!

Listen in as Financial Advisors Michael Barclay and Daniel Zagata of Evershore talk about the significance of financial planning for both your adoption and the future. Listen to their free tips here! Learn more about Mike and Dan here: www.evershore.com/our-leadership

Navigating life as an adoptee can be confusing and difficult, especially when your feelings stay bottled up to protect the ones you love the most. As a black adoptee growing up with a white family, Kyle experienced a wide range of emotions that he kept locked inside. Kyle shares his internal battle and the challenges he faced while trying to find his sense of self in the process. His wisdom and experiences are a beacon of light for not only children that are transracial adoptees but also their parents.

Hear Kyle's story and journey of growing up as a transracial adoptee.

Adopting for the first time can be like navigating uncharted waters if you don't have the right guide. Oftentimes, prospective adoptive parents don't know the "right" questions to ask or how to properly prepare for what happens next after bringing their child home. 

Guest Paige Knipfer is the owner of Love Grown Adoption Consulting and assists prospective families through the adoption journey. She is an adoption educator and a 2x adoptive mom. Listen as Paige shares with Podcast Host Nicole Moore what she wished every prospective adoptive parent knew before adopting. 

Trauma.
Primal Wounds.
Feelings.
Adoptee Experiences.
Curiosity about these factors led adoptee, Simon Benn, to explore the intricacies of being adopted in today's Primal Wound society. In this episode of Moore to Love: An Adoption Podcast, Nicole and Simon dig deep and speak about Simon's experience and perspective as a thriving adoptee.

More about Podcast Guest, Simon Ben

Simon Benn was adopted at 5 weeks old and told so young he doesn't ever remember not knowing. All went well until he found out that his teddy bear was a gift from his birth mother when he was 40. That unleashed an eruption of anger, feeling rejected and unloved. That led to a quest to heal, healing, and a desire to help others. Between 2013 and 2020 he worked in schools, youth centers, and churches to help 1600 kids to less anger, more happiness, and higher self-esteem. He started Thriving Adoptees in 2020 and is a speaker and podcaster working with adoptive parents and adoptees through partners.

Link to Simon's Podcast, Thriving Adoptees
https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/

When Deirdre Klein Ochipinti went to the bookstore to explain adoption to her toddler, she ran into a big problem. There were no children's books that explained adoption on the book shelves. After searching high and low, Deidre came up with a solution. She would write a book so that every child could read and learn what it means to be adopted! After the book was published, Deirdre didn't stop there. She created a nonprofit organization and a yearly carnival to celebrate the wonders of adoption.

Join Nicole Moore as she chats with Deirdre on Season 2, Episode 2 of Moore to Love: An Adoption Podcast.

After one successful adoption with a credible Adoption Agency, Kate and her husband decided they wanted to adopt again. This time they decided on a different adoption agency in their state. Kate and her husband were matched quickly but various requests and exchanges started to feel a little too fishy. After a drained bank account, false promises, and refusal to let them speak to the agency-appointed attorney, Kate knew she had to reach out to a trusted Board Certified Adoption Attorney to get advice. 

Join us as we unravel the horrors that Tara Lee wreaked upon countless families before her arrest was made via the FBI. Thanks to Kate and some other vigilant adoptive parents, Tara's adoption scandal was uncovered and poses as a cautionary tale to all that finding a reputable adoption agency is the most important thing a family can do on their journey

For over 6 years Mandi & Patrick dreamed of having a child of their own, but Mandi's heart condition made it impossible for her to carry a child safely. They soon chose to look into surrogacy as an option and began the journey to find a surrogate who could carry the child of their dreams. With a global pandemic and a few other challenges along the way, Mandi & Patrick's dream of becoming parents ultimately came true because of their amazing surrogate Autumn.

Hear their inspirational story on this episode of Moore to Love: An Adoption Podcast

Ashley Rhodes Courter is a New York Times Best Selling Author and child welfare advocate who speaks all over the world. But her passion and drive to help children cope in the foster care system are directly related to her past.

Ashley was in Florida’s foster care system where she spent almost ten years being shuttled between 14 homes—some quite abusive—before being adopted from a Children’s Home at the age of twelve. Her truths of survival and heartache in the system and her motivation and drive to help children thrive is truly inspirational.

Listen to this heartfelt and emotional journey on this episode of Moore to Love: An Adoption Podcast!

Navigating the vast array of emotions during the adoption journey is difficult, whether you're an expecting mother looking to place, or a potential adoptive parent hoping for that special child.

Our featured guest host this month is Katherine Roth, LCSW, MSW, IMH-E®,  Founder and Counselor at Empowered Life, LLC. Katherine specializes in adoption counseling and gives us the scoop on why this service is a vital tool for the entire adoption triad.

Plenty of support resources, amazing advice and a load of positive empowerment are provided in bucket fulls in our 6th episode of Moore to Love: An Adoption Podcast.

Navigating the cost of adoption can seem overwhelming, but there are several different ways for families to balance the scales. 

In this episode, Founder and President of HelpUsAdopt.org, Becky Fawcett, speaks to us about the hurdles she overcame when adopting, and why she decided to fund Help Us Adopt, a program that gives grants to families hoping to adopt.

Helpusadopt.org is a national 501(c)(3) financial grant program that helps couples/individuals (regardless of ethnicity, gender, marital status, religion, or sexual orientation) with the cost of their adoptions by awarding grants up to $15,000. 

Adopted as an infant, Cara had a wonderful upbringing with two amazing parents who adored her. As she grew into a successful young adult, she began reflecting on the story of her life and began to wonder about how it all began. Supportive in her search for her biological parents, they gave her the information she needed to start the journey of finding her truth. Listen as Cara tells her story of being an adult adoptee and how her path led her to discover her Chapter One.

When Brandee faced an unexpected pregnancy, she never gave up faith. Facing a hard decision, she knew that adoption was the right answer for her baby's future. 

An advocate for birth mothers everywhere, Brandee shares all that she has learned on her incredible adoption journey and the bond she shares with the couple who adopted her baby boy. 

Brandee's bold and brave spirit shines in this brand-new episode of Moore to Love!

Ben's a local celebrity and the King of comedy. Aaron is the genius behind the family. And Charlotte has them both wrapped around her little finger!

This amazing family is breaking down stereotypes about adoption in the LGBTQ+ community, and sharing their adoption journey with Podcast Host and Board Certified Adoption Attorney Nicole Moore. Between discussing the legalization of gay marriage and adoption, Charlotte's adorable viral TikTok video, Aaron's wise advice,  and Ben's new gig as a stay-at-home dad, we know you'll find Moore to Love about this amazing family.

When Jessica and Leo fell in love in college, they knew that getting married and starting a family together was inevitable. What they didn't realize is that their journey to creating a family would take them down a winding path filled with struggle and challenge. After 3 failed IUIs and 3 failed IVFs, Jess and Leo were discouraged, but they never gave up hope. They were determined to start a family and decided to build their family through adoption. 

Press play to listen to their story of triumph and challenge in Episode 1 of Moore to Love: An Adoption Podcast.