The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

Rebecca Gruenspan

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!

Episode

In this episode of the Adoption Roadmap podcast, Rebecca Gruenspan sits down with Brian Murphy and Shaneetra Gross from the Gift of Adoption Fund to tackle one of the biggest questions hopeful adoptive parents ask: “Can we afford to adopt?”

They walk us through how the nonprofit has awarded over $20 million in adoption grants since 1996—supporting over 640 families each year—and explain how these grants are making adoption more accessible for all.

Together, they discuss who qualifies for financial assistance, what makes an application stand out, and how to navigate the adoption process without draining your savings or delaying your dreams. They also break down the myths surrounding adoption costs and share insider tips on what your grant application really needs to include.

Whether you’re adopting privately, internationally, or through foster care, this conversation is packed with practical advice and encouragement to help you move forward.

Throughout the episode, Brian and Shaneetra’s compassion, transparency, and decades of experience shine through, making it clear: money shouldn’t be the reason a child goes without a home.

🎧 Important Links:

⁠Gift of Adoption Fund⁠

⁠Donate to Gift of Adoption⁠

⁠Podcasthon ⁠

⁠Your Adoption Finance Coach⁠

⁠RG Adoption Consulting⁠⁠ ⁠

⁠Take the “Are You Ready to Adopt?” Quiz ⁠

⏰ Chapters

00:00 Intro: PodcastThon + Gift of Adoption

01:41 What Adoption Grants Actually Cover

04:30 Rising Costs in Domestic Adoption

07:15 Birth Mother Expenses & Legal Fees

08:58 Who Is Eligible (And Who Isn’t)?

11:17 What Grant Committees Are Looking For

13:42 Can You Get a Second Grant?

17:08 How the Application Process Works

19:25 Emergency Funding for Stork Drops

22:34 How Funds Are Paid Out

26:46 New Pilot Programs: 18+ Adoptions & Relative Licensing

33:57 Real-Life Success Stories

36:25 Can You Reapply for Additional Help Mid-Process?

38:14 Advice for Hopeful Adoptive Parents

40:07 Debunking the “Income Cutoff” Myth

43:12 Grant Goals for 2025

Tune in to The Adoption Roadmap Podcast every Wednesday and Friday mornings. 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

The Adoption Roadmap Podcast

51 min

Can You Really Afford to Adopt? The Truth About Grants

Gift of Adoption

The charity and its cause

Gift of Adoption

Gift of Adoption provides grants to complete the adoptions of children in vulnerable circumstances––giving them permanent families and the chance to thrive. Because they were blessed with the resources to afford the financial burden of three adoptions, Lucy and Gene decided to pay it forward. So in 1996, with the sole purpose of helping children get adopted, the Wyka’s establish a private family giving foundation: The Gift of Adoption Fund. “We couldn’t help but notice how so many other hopeful parents were not as fortunate as us financially,” noted Lucy and Gene. “Yet it quickly became obvious that under the existing private fund structure, we would only be able to scratch the surface in terms of providing financial assistance to those longing to adopt,” added Lucy. To strengthen their vision, Lucy and Gene changed the legal status of the fund from a private to a public charity. This allowed affiliate organizations – chapters – to then be formed. Functioning as fundraising partners, these chapters share the Gift of Adoption Fund’s non-profit 501(c) 3 status while rallying local efforts across the country.

Visit the website Make a donation