From Adoptee to Adoptive Mom: A Conversation with Anna Bernacki

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose and Abbey sit down with Anna Bernacki—an adoptee, former foster parent and now adoptive mom of four. Anna shares her deeply personal story of growing up as an adoptee, choosing to foster, and parenting in a transracial family. Together, they unpack the emotional layers of adoption: grief, identity, language, and the importance of honest conversations. Anna brings wisdom, vulnerability, and a hopeful challenge to adoptive parents to listen, stay humble, and build supportive communities.In This EpisodeAnna shares her story as an adoptee and adoptive parentHow adoptees often feel like detectives piecing together their historyWhy the language we use around adoption mattersNavigating racial identity in transracial adoptive familiesThe grief that can come with adoption — and how it shows upWhy community support makes all the differenceLinks & Resources:Follow Anna Bernacki on Instagram at @anna.bernacki &@parentingdifferentFREE OFFER: Try Thrive, Parenting Different’s support platform for adoptive parents — get your first 30 days free: https://www.parentingdifferent.com/podcastofferConnect with us on Instagram @beyondthehomestudySupport the ShowIf you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going!⭐ Leave a rating and review wherever you listen☕ Buy us a coffee to support the podcast