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Adoption in the Church: Aaron and Kelli's Story [S5E16]

Release Date: 09/19/2019

TWIN SCAM: Nick and Shannon Balser Share Their Adoption Story [S8E15]

ADOPTION NOW

Shannon and Nick grew up in Texas and met while attending Texas A&M University. They have been happily married since 2018, but their journey has not been without challenges. After several years of trying to start a family and experiencing multiple losses, they decided to buy an RV and travel, all while seeking God’s guidance for their next steps. In early 2022, they decided to pursue adoption. After their travels in the RV, they chose to leave Texas and move to Colorado, excited for new adventures and eager to start their family. They began working with an adoption consultant and...

High School Sweethearts: Nick and Kelsey Lebo Share their Adoption Story [S8E14]

ADOPTION NOW

This episode tells a beautiful story of love, family, and faith! Nick and Kelsey, high school sweethearts from Texas, always felt that God had placed the hope of adoption in their hearts. After getting married and having two biological daughters, Lyla and Lily, they discovered ADOPTION NOW. They began listening to stories of other families bringing children home through adoption and started exploring the concept of open adoption. They felt called by God to embark on this adoption journey. However, as many know, being called to a path does not mean it will be free of challenges,...

Show Hope: A Biological Sibling's Perspective with Emily Chapman Richards [S8E13]

ADOPTION NOW

Emily Chapman Richards, daughter of Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman and current Advisor and Ambassador of joins this episode. Emily shares her journey as a biological sibling in this adoption story that began when she was inspired at just 11 years old. After a trip to Haiti, Emily became the catalyst for her family's decision to begin to pray about adoption which led to bringing home three sisters from China. April Fallon, the host of ADOPTION NOW, asks how Emily’s parents prepared their biological siblings for such a life changing event? What responsibilities would she...

Open Adoption Conversations: April Fallon Shares with Jordan Moreno the Latest with Their Open Adoption [S8E12]

ADOPTION NOW

Real Moms - Real Adoption In this episode of ADOPTION NOW, host April Fallon shares her family's journey through the ups and downs of open adoption, pulling back the curtain on what happens when these relationships don't follow a perfect script. Through personal stories and vulnerable moments, April opens up about helping her children process their feelings while navigating her own complex emotions as an adoptive mom. From surprise FaceTime calls to years of silence, this episode tackles the real challenges of open adoption relationships. Whether you're just starting your open adoption journey...

ADHD, IEPs and Advocacy: April Fallon and Darcey Olsen Talk About Raising Children [S8E11]

ADOPTION NOW

Real Moms-Real Adoption Your child deserves every chance to succeed at school – but sometimes you have to fight for it. In this episode of ADOPTION NOW, host April Fallon welcomes back Darcy Olsen, Founder & CEO of the Center for the Rights of Abused Children, for an honest conversation about navigating IEPs, understanding diagnoses like ADHD, and becoming your child's strongest advocate. With honesty and vulnerability, they share what it really takes to ensure your child gets the support they deserve. Real Moms-Real Adoption - these stories will make you laugh as they talk about the...

Wendy's Wonderful Kids: Step by Step to Fostering [S8E10]

ADOPTION NOW

Ever wonder what it's really like to adopt from foster care? In this episode of ADOPTION NOW, host April Fallon sits down with Rita Soronen, President and CEO of the , who brings hard-earned wisdom about the foster care journey. They tackle the tough questions head-on: Can older kids really attach? What support do you actually need? How do you stay hopeful while being realistic? Whether you're just starting to explore or already in the process, Rita shares essential guidance on evaluating your readiness, building your support network, and finding adoption-competent professionals who get it....

Are You Adopted? Four Amazing Kids Take the Mic [S8E9]

ADOPTION NOW

Ever wonder what adopted kids really think about adoption? In this special episode of ADOPTION NOW, hosts April and Noah step back and let their four amazing kids do the talking! AJ (14), Lily (11), Vivy (9), and Maliyah (7) open up about what it's like being part of an adoptive family – from the awesome moments to the tough stuff. They share everything from school stories to what it's like when people ask those awkward questions about their family. The kids don't hold back! They talk about supporting each other through hard times and how they've learned to embrace their differences. AJ even...

Turning Fears Into Next Steps: April & Jordan Share Their Adoption Experiences in Overcoming Fear [S8E8]

ADOPTION NOW

Adoption Fears?? Yep, we have all had them. We recognize adoption is a big, life changing process to start. There are so many questions and unknowns. It can feel overwhelming. In this episode, host April Fallon and co-host Jordan Moreno explore the common fears of starting the adoption journey and how it is normal to feel this way. The two adoptive moms share their personal experiences with financial concerns, initial hesitations about open adoption, and the fear of birth mothers changing their minds. Don’t think this episode is just for moms!! They also talk about the important role...

Adoption Culture: Noah and April Talk About Raising Adopted Children [S8E7]

ADOPTION NOW

In this episode, hosts April and Noah share how their kids turned a school diversity week into something unexpected — a celebration of adoption as their family culture. When their son AJ rocked a bear mascot costume and their daughter found courage with her sister by her side, they watched adoption transform from a sensitive topic into something kids could proudly share. Through stories of their school experience and eight years of podcasting, the couple talks about their dream of making adoption an everyday conversation — one where children can speak freely about their stories, where...

Two Babies, Ten Weeks Apart: Adoptive Mother and Birth Mother Pregnant Together [S8E6]

ADOPTION NOW

Two Babies, Ten Weeks Apart Noah and April sit down with birth mother Jessica and adoptive mother Connie for a story that they have not heard before. Even after telling hundreds of adoption stories, nothing could have prepared them for this combination of embryo adoption and traditional adoption happening at once. An Unexpected Match, with Unexpected Timing After getting married late in life, Connie and Matt struggled with expanding their family. The couple went through a miscarriage and decided to look at other options. They decided to pursue traditional adoption through an agency. They...

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Our guests today on ADOPTION NOW are Aaron and Kelli Couch. They have been married for 25 years, serve as pastors in the Denver area, and have planted 2 churches. They have 3 biological children and one child they adopted from China. On today's episode, April Fallon and her husband Noah talk with Aaron and Kelli about adoption in the church and their experience with international adoption.

This episode addresses the relationship between the church and adoptive/foster families as well as some common mistakes churches make when supporting a family going through adoption or foster care. It also touches on what God says about adoption and how to love a child that has endured trauma.

These topics are discussed as Aaron and Kelli share about their adoption experience. They talk about what it was like to travel to China and adopt a baby the same day that 73 other babies were being adopted!! They share what it was like to say yes to a special needs baby and how she responded to them during the first few days they were together.

Aaron and Kelli give a unique perspective on how to love a child that is not born to you biologically. They unpack the questions they had before bringing Ellie home, including their concerns about adopting a child with special needs. Ellie was born with Microtia and Aural Atresia. She did not have ears, and her paperwork stated that she was "stubborn and liked loud places." It was their oldest daughter, Cartier, that knew this baby was meant to be her sister, and they had to go get her. Ellie was 19 months when they brought her home. It wasn't a comfortable journey at first, but over time, Ellie did attach.

Aaron said at first Ellie would not even look at him, but he decided…

"I am going to love this child because this child is worthy of being loved; that doesn't mean they are going to love me back well."

Adoption is a never-ending journey that takes commitment and dedication, and it can take time for a child to trust their new parents. When choosing to adopt, it is best not to "missionary adopt." April says,

"Don't adopt out of the kindness of your heart, adopt because you want to parent a child and you're in it for the long run. Adoption is a journey forever."

Noah shares about his experience as a dad and the fears he had not only becoming a father but becoming a father through adoption. Aaron and Noah agree that that the child you bring home is meant to be with you and you love them more than you ever thought possible. They become your child, and you love them as your own because they are yours.

Kelli opens up about what Ellie was like as a little girl and how the siblings got along together. She is now 14 years old, and through many surgeries, they have reconstructed her ears, and she can hear. Ellie completed the Couch family, and they needed her just as much as she needed them.

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