Check out the video on my YouTube channel HERE.
What if there were an adoption grant designed around what happens when open adoption actually works?
Not the version where everyone’s white-knuckling through awkward visits and forced updates. The version where a 5-year-old girl gets to know the woman who gave her life, where birth moms heal instead of just survive, and where adoptive families discover that loving their child means loving the whole story—not just the parts that feel comfortable.
I just sat down with Emily Jacobs from Leap of Faith Foundation, and what struck me wasn’t just their generosity. It was how clearly they see what’s possible when everyone in the adoption triad gets real support.
They Started Exactly Where You’re Sitting Right Now
Emily’s honest about where she started: When she and her husband Kellen walked out of their first agency meeting with that massive binder, open adoption felt… like a lot. They sat on that binder for months, processing what it would mean to share their future child’s life with their birth mom.
But they were willing to learn. And that willingness opened doors they never expected.
Five years later, their daughter Lila has a relationship with Mama B (her birth mom) that’s brought unexpected beauty to everyone involved. They see each other 2-3 times a year. They text, send pictures, and pray for each other. Last year, Emily’s whole family attended Mama B’s wedding—a woman who thought she’d never get married, who found her faith through this journey, who’s building a life she’s proud of.
And Lila? When life feels big to a 5-year-old, she still lays her head on Emily’s chest—because of a gift Mama B gave in the delivery room, placing Lila skin-to-skin with Emily right after birth so they could bond.
That’s the foundation Leap of Faith was built on. Real experience with what open adoption creates when everyone has the support they need.
The Math That Surprised Even Them
I’m not going to detail the entire grant structure here—Emily explains it beautifully in the video, including why they made choices other grants don’t.
But here’s what I will tell you: Leap of Faith saw something most grants miss. When birth moms get real mental health support—therapy they choose, providers they pick, on their timeline—everyone benefits. The birth mom heals. The adoptive family breathes easier knowing she’s supported. And the child at the center gets to grow up with a birth mom who’s whole, not broken.
Two-thirds of every grant (averaging $7,750) goes to making that possible.
The remaining third helps adoptive families cover postpartum expenses and other costs—because yes, you need that support too. But the ratio reflects what Emily and Kellen learned firsthand: when you invest in healing and relationships, everyone wins.
The Requirement That Changes Everything
Here’s what makes Leap of Faith different: adoptive families and birth parents apply together.
Not separately. Together. From the beginning.
Before you think “that sounds complicated,”—watch Emily explain what this requirement creates because it’s not about making things harder. It’s about building the foundation for what comes next.
When you’re working together from day one, when you’re both invested in each other’s well-being, when you’re showing commitment to the child at the center—that’s when open adoption becomes something beautiful instead of something you’re managing.
The Story You Need to Hear
Emily shares several stories in the interview, but there’s one that shows exactly why this work matters:
A family was adopting their second child when they got a phone call 4 days after placement. The birth mom from their first adoption had just delivered a biological sibling and wanted to place this baby with them, too.
They wanted to say yes. But financially? They didn’t know if they could handle it.
This nonprofit made it possible.
Now those two babies—10 days apart, from different birth moms—are being raised together with their 3-year-old sister. A family that struggled with infertility and wondered if they’d ever have children now has three.
That’s what happens when the financial burden gets lighter, and families can say yes to the children meant for them.
What Emily Wants You to Know
I’m not going to summarize everything Emily shares—because the way she talks about open adoption, about choice for birth moms, about what they’ve learned over 13 grants and four years is worth hearing directly.
She covers:
- Why they extended funding from 6 months to a year (and the beautiful reason two birth moms needed that extension)
- How “choice” changes everything when you’ve been told what to do your whole life
- The book project puts the birth mom and adoptive mom perspectives under one cover
- What their match month campaign does (spoiler: doubles every donation)
- Her vision for Leap of Faith going forward
But here’s Emily’s core message, and why I wanted you to hear her story:
Leap of Faith isn’t trying to make adoption “easy.” Nothing about adoption is easy. But if they can ease the burden enough that birth moms get real support and heal, that adoptive families can say yes to children who need them, that kids grow up knowing they’re loved by both their biological and adoptive roots—they’ve done what they set out to do.
And in 13 grants, they’re already seeing it happen.
Whether you’re thinking about applying for a Leap of Faith grant, or you just want to understand what’s possible when open adoption is done with intention and support—this conversation is worth your time.
Emily’s journey from “open adoption feels overwhelming” to “this is the most beautiful gift” might be exactly what you need to hear right now.
Ready to start your adoption journey or just need someone to answer your million questions? Reach out to Adoption & Beyond – we’ve got you.
This blog post is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Our services are not financial, business, or legal advice. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content. Adoption & Beyond, Inc. owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted. Open adoption may not be available or legally enforceable in all states, as laws regarding Post Adoption Contact Agreements (PACAs) vary. Make sure you check with your agency and lawyer.
