Every adoption story has multiple perspectives—but we don't often hear directly from birth mothers.
In this deeply moving episode of From Foster to Forever, Rachel Fulginiti speaks with Janet Munro, host of the Roots and Branches Adoption Stories podcast, about placing her son for adoption in 1970, searching for him nearly five decades later, and the extraordinary reunion that changed both of their lives forever.
Janet shares what it was like to be a young unmarried woman facing an unplanned pregnancy during a time when secrecy and shame surrounded adoption. She opens up about the heartbreaking decision to place her son for adoption, the decades she carried that loss, and the remarkable series of events that ultimately led her to finding him.
Their reunion brought healing, answers, and a growing relationship—until tragedy struck when her son unexpectedly lost his life in a workplace accident.
This powerful conversation explores the lifelong impact of adoption, the importance of understanding every member of the adoption constellation, and why keeping the child's needs at the center is essential for foster, adoptive, and biological families alike. It provides powerful insight for adult adoptees, birth parents, adoptive families, and foster parents navigating the lifelong impact of adoption, offering compassion, hope, and profound insight.
In this episode:
- Janet's experience placing her son for adoption in 1970
- The realities faced by birth mothers decades ago
- Finding her son after 47 years
- The emotional first phone call and reunion
- Navigating adoption reunion as adults
- Healing through storytelling
- The devastating loss of her son after reconnecting
- What adoptees should know before searching for biological family
- Advice for birth mothers considering reunion
- Foster care, adoption, and keeping the child's needs first
- Why open communication benefits everyone in the adoption constellation
Who Should Listen
This episode is especially valuable for:
- Foster parents
- Foster-to-adopt families
- Prospective adoptive parents
- Birth mothers
- Birth parents
- Adult adoptees
- Adoption professionals
- Social workers
- Anyone navigating adoption reunion
- Anyone interested in trauma-informed parenting and family healing