Mommy and Me Selfie
Families
You may notice a small wording change from us moving forward, so we wanted to clarify before any confusion starts!![]()
![]()
For many years, our team at ASA used the title Adoption Consultant. In more recent years, we shifted to the term Coach because we felt it reflected the supportive, hands-on role we play with families throughout the adoption process.![]()
![]()
After reviewing our materials and looking at how we communicate our work, we’ve decided that returning to the title Adoption Consultant is the clearest and most consistent choice for our services.![]()
![]()
You may begin seeing “consultant” used in places where we previously used “coach.”![]()
Nothing has changed in the support you receive—just the wording! Thanks for your understanding as we keep things clear, consistent, and connected. 🖤
Valerie, our CEO, had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Anna Bernaski at Identity to share her adoption story, talk about what an adoption consultant really does, and chat about her new book. 🖤![]()
![]()
Identity is doing such meaningful, impactful work, and it's a true honor to be partners with them as we work to educate families on every aspect of adoption! ![]()
![]()
🎧 Watch the episode here:![]()
What Adoption Really Takes: Valerie’s Story of Loss, Hope & Openness
youtu.be
In this powerful conversation, Valerie Marble opens up about the winding, emotional path that led her into the world of adoption, first through heartbreak, t...
✨ Our December Newsletter is here! ✨![]()
![]()
Our final newsletter of 2025 has been sent out, and we’re excited to step into this last month of the year with you. 🖤![]()
![]()
Inside this edition, you’ll find helpful updates, encouragement, and resources to support you on your adoption journey during this busy season.![]()
![]()
Read it here: mailchi.mp/astepaheadadoption/asa-newsletter-9058132![]()
![]()
Thank you for being part of the ASA community. We’re looking forward to a meaningful and hopeful December together! 🎄✨
✨Say Hello to ASA's Newest Arrival!✨![]()
![]()
What a sweet Thanksgiving it was for these two new dads from Kansas. They recently received ICPC clearance and traveled home with their sweet baby boy, Everett, just in time to celebrate the holiday as a family of three! 🖤
🖤Happy Thanksgiving🖤![]()
![]()
Today, we’re holding space for gratitude, but also for the complexity this season can bring. For adoptive families, expectant parents, birth parents, and adoptees, holidays can carry both joy and tenderness.![]()
![]()
Wherever you are on your journey, may today bring:![]()
✨ Moments of connection![]()
✨ Gentle pauses![]()
✨ Peace in the waiting![]()
✨ Gratitude for the people who walk alongside you![]()
![]()
To all of the agencies, attorneys and home study providers that we've been blessed to be in partnership with -- thank you! We are grateful for each and every relationship. ![]()
![]()
All of us here at ASA are wishing you a warm, grounded, grace-filled Thanksgiving.
As we wrap up Adoption Awareness Month, we truly hope you were able to learn something new, reflect a little deeper, or see adoption from a perspective you hadn’t considered before.![]()
![]()
Adoption is not one story—it’s a triad of experiences. Birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parents all carry their own unique stories, emotions, and perspectives. Each one matters. Each one deserves to be seen, heard, and honored.![]()
![]()
As we move beyond November, let’s continue to approach adoption with openness, empathy, and a willingness to understand every side of the journey. 🖤
✨FREE RESOURCE -- HOME STUDY GUIDE✨![]()
![]()
We know the adoption process can feel overwhelming at first, so we’ve created a Home Study Checklist to help you get organized and feel confident as you begin. ![]()
![]()
This checklist is perfect for families who are just starting out or are thinking about starting the process. It breaks down what you’ll need and what to expect, step by step.![]()
![]()
📥 Download your free checklist here: www.canva.com/design/DAG4HVMQ0Gk/Byg1OUW8z71Jlp1L4O-KSw/edit?utm_content=DAG4HVMQ0Gk&utm_campaign...
✨Say Hello to ASA's Newest Arrival!✨![]()
![]()
Congratulations to our wonderful new parents from Florida on the arrival of their son, Sean! They began their adoption journey with us in February, and now they’ll be spending the holiday season soaking up every moment with their sweet boy.![]()
![]()
What a perfect gift of love to celebrate this season! 🖤
✨Thinking About Adoption?✨![]()
![]()
If you’re a hopeful adoptive parent—whether you’re just beginning or looking for additional support—this is the perfect time to connect with someone who can guide you with clarity and compassion.![]()
![]()
Valerie, the head of A Step Ahead Adoption Services, offers a free one-hour consultation to help families understand the adoption process from start to finish. During your call, she will:![]()
✨ Walk you through each step of the journey![]()
✨ Listen closely to your story, needs, and concerns![]()
✨ Provide honest, thorough guidance![]()
✨ Answer your questions—even the ones you don’t realize you have yet![]()
![]()
If you’ve been feeling unsure, overwhelmed, or simply ready for more support, consider this your invitation to take that next step.![]()
![]()
Schedule your free consultation with Valerie:![]()
koalendar.com/e/meet-with-valerie-marble
✨MATCHED!✨![]()
![]()
We are thrilled to share that an expectant mom due in the New Year has chosen an amazing family from Wisconsin to walk with her through this next chapter. ![]()
![]()
After being active for only a couple of months, they are now stepping into a beautiful new phase of their journey—one filled with hope, connection, and the opportunity to begin building a meaningful relationship with this expectant mama. 🖤
Birth parents are often the most overlooked voices in the adoption story.![]()
![]()
This month, we honor their strength, their stories, and their ongoing role in their child's life, regardless of what that relationship looks like. Adoption is not a single moment; it is a lifelong reality for birth parents, too.![]()
![]()
Let’s listen and support with compassion and without assumptions. 🖤
✨Say Hello to ASA's Newest Arrival!✨![]()
![]()
Congratulations to two amazing new moms from South Carolina on the arrival of their son, Zane! ![]()
![]()
After three years of ups and downs, waiting, hoping, and holding on to faith — their dream has finally come true.![]()
![]()
Your perseverance and love through this journey ![]()
have been nothing short of inspiring. Welcome to the world, sweet Zane! 🖤
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
Adoptees are the experts of the adoption experience.![]()
![]()
Here are a few things many adoptees say they wish more people understood:![]()
✨Adoption begins with loss![]()
✨ Love does not erase trauma![]()
✨Identity and connection matter![]()
✨Openness is not a threat—it's a bridge![]()
✨Adoptive parents must be open to ongoing learning![]()
![]()
That final point is crucial. Learning isn’t just for the adoption process; it’s something that should continue throughout your child’s life.🖤
Gia had a meet-up today with Jesse and Jamie from Abiding Love Charities! 🖤![]()
![]()
She and her son were invited to join an adoptee park play date, and it was such a joy connecting and watching all the kids play freely! Grateful for community, conversations, and spaces that bring adoptive families together. ✨
✨Say Hello to ASA's Newest Arrival!✨![]()
![]()
Seven months of waiting. Seven months of hope, faith, and grace. 🖤![]()
![]()
Today, those hands — once waiting — hold their daughter, Cia. Congratulations to these new parents from North Carolina on the arrival of their beautiful girl! A family perfectly woven together by love. ✨
✨Four ASA families. Four beautiful adoption stories.✨![]()
![]()
Congratulations to our incredible families from Hawaii, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina who finalized in October! It’s been such a joy to be part of your journeys. 🖤
✨A Look Back: Adoption in the U.S. ✨![]()
![]()
Adoption has a long and complex history in the United States, shaped by laws, social norms, and evolving practices. For much of the 20th century, closed adoptions were the standard, meaning adoptive parents and birth parents had no contact, and adoptees often had little or no information about their birth families.![]()
![]()
Starting in the 1970s and 1980s, attitudes began to change. Research showed that maintaining some level of connection could benefit the child’s identity and emotional well-being. This led to the rise of open and semi-open adoptions, where birth and adoptive families could exchange information, letters, or even maintain in-person contact. This practice is still growing today and highly encouraged!![]()
![]()
A few helpful facts...![]()
![]()
✨During the “Baby-Scoop Era” (1945–1973), up to 4 million children were placed for adoption in the U.S., mostly in closed adoptions.![]()
![]()
✨About 1.3% of women and 1.4% of men aged 18–49 in the U.S. have ever adopted a child.![]()
![]()
✨Over 368,000 children are in foster care on any given day, with 108,000 eligible for adoption, often waiting almost 3 years for placement.![]()
![]()
✨International adoptions to the U.S. peaked in 2004 at nearly 23,000, dropping to about 1,500 in 2022.![]()
![]()
Why It Matters...![]()
These numbers highlight how adoption practices have shifted:![]()
![]()
From closed adoptions and secrecy to more open, identity-supporting approaches.![]()
![]()
From private infant placements to foster care and international adoption systems.![]()
![]()
From minimal support for birth families to policies encouraging healthy, ongoing connections where possible.![]()
![]()
Adoption has evolved so much over the years, but it still has a long way to go! This November, during National Adoption Awareness Month, let’s honor the history of adoption, celebrate families today, and continue supporting practices that put children first. 🖤
✨Say Hello to ASA's Newest Arrival!✨![]()
![]()
A big congratulations to first time parents from North Carolina on the birth of their son, Miles! They spent the last several months building a relationship with his birth mother and spent so much meaningful time with her both before and after his birth. You have so many people who love you, Miles! 🖤
✨MATCHED!✨![]()
![]()
Congratulations to a sweet couple from North Carolina, they were recently chosen by an expectant mom who is due in the New Year! We can't wait to watch their story unfold. 🖤
As we continue to honor ✨National Adoption Awareness Month✨ this conversation is a must-listen. Host Anna Bernacki welcomes Isaac Etter, founder of Parenting Different, to talk about the biggest misunderstandings adoptive parents often have — and what truly helps adoptees thrive.![]()
![]()
These two are an adoption powerhouse, working to make adoptee voices and experiences seen, heard, and valued as well as give adoptive parents the insight and tools they need to show up better for their children.![]()
![]()
If you’re an adoptive parent or hopeful adoptive parent, take some time to listen to this important discussion, it’s full of insight, honesty, and heart.![]()
![]()
🎙️ Watch here: What Adoptees Need Most – Parenting Different Podcast (youtu.be/I2sWJXP-o_8?si=PigptzovC5_QRutE)![]()
![]()
Understanding the different parts of the adoption spectrum is how we build more empathy, connection, and healing in the adoption community. 🖤
When we talk about open, semi-open, and closed adoptions, we’re really talking about the level of communication and connection between adoptive parents, birth parents, and the adoptee over time.![]()
![]()
✨ Open Adoption![]()
There’s ongoing contact and communication between birth and adoptive families — this might include visits, calls, messages, photos, and shared milestones. The adoptee grows up knowing their story and having a relationship with their birth family.![]()
![]()
✨Semi-Open Adoption![]()
There’s some communication, often through an adoption agency, attorney, or secure platform. Updates like letters and photos may be shared, but identifying details or direct contact is limited. This can evolve as comfort and trust grow.![]()
![]()
✨Closed Adoption![]()
There is no ongoing contact after placement, and records are sealed. The adoptive and birth families typically have no identifying information about one another.![]()
![]()
Every adoption story is unique. The most important thing is that the level of openness supports the child’s best interests, honors the birth family’s comfort, and fosters trust and connection for everyone involved.
Congrats to a sweet couple from Illinois, they were recipients of a grant from Help Us Adopt! They are matched and preparing for baby's arrival in a couple of months, this grant will be a huge blessing to them. Thank you Help Us Adopt, you are making a huge impact on the finances in adoption! 👏🏻🖤
✨Say Hello to ASA's Newest Arrival!✨![]()
![]()
Congratulations to first time parents from North Carolina, their journey with adoption has been long, over three years, but they never gave up! Baby Santiago was well worth the wait 🖤