Every Child Belongs

What does belonging actually look like for families raising neurodivergent children, children with trauma histories, and kids with significant disabilities? In this episode of Every Child Belongs , Kim Botto sits down with foster and adoptive mom, educator, and trauma-informed parenting advocate Kayla North for a deeply honest conversation about parenting, empathy, church belonging, and helping ev...

What if the problem isn't that churches don't care… but that they don't know where to start? In this episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim Botto sits down with ministry leader Ryan Faulk to talk about what it really means to help neurodivergent and disabled kids belong in church communities. Ryan serves as Director of Children and Disability Ministry at Cornerstone Church in California and has spent...

What if the "misbehavior" you're seeing… isn't misbehavior at all? Lori Crosby, licensed marriage and family therapist and co-founder of the Reach Hurting Kids Institute, joins Kim to unpack how trauma impacts children and how we can better support them at home and in church. Drawing from her own story of loss and healing, Lori shares why behavior is always communication, and how small shifts in h...

What happens when you love your child… but being around them feels overwhelming? In this deeply honest conversation, Kim Botto sits down with adoptive mom, author, and TBRI practitioner Lisa Qualls to talk about something many parents feel—but few say out loud:  blocked care . Lisa shares her personal story of adoption, trauma, and parenting through extremely hard seasons. From feeling confident a...

What does it really take for someone to feel like they belong? In this episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim talks with psychiatrist, author, and speaker Dr. Curt Thompson about belonging, shame, suffering, rupture and repair, and the kind of community that helps people heal. Drawing from his work, his books, and his experience serving at Hope Heals Camp, Curt shares why belonging is never just a va...

In this episode of  Every Child Belongs , Kim sits down with Meredith Shuman , founder of James Trail, trauma-informed trainer, therapist, adoptive mom, and passionate advocate for families impacted by trauma.   Meredith brings nearly three decades of experience working with children, families, churches, and organizations across the U.S. and around the world. Together, Kim and Meredith explore why...

Kim talks with Henry "Tribes", a Dallas barber known for sensory-friendly haircuts for neurodivergent kids and the inventor of the Weighted Cape. Henry shares how a weighted blanket inspired a new kind of haircut cape, which opened his eyes to families who needed more than a traditional barbershop experience. Henry explains what makes a session successful: preparation with parents before the appoi...

What changes a church more than a new program? Sometimes it's a friendship. Kim sits down with Ryan Wolfe, President of Ability Ministry, for a conversation that's both practical and deeply personal. Ryan shares the stories of Clyde and Coral, two friends who shaped his calling and helped him see the difference between doing ministry  for  people with disabilities and doing ministry  with  them (a...

In this episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim talks with Josh Zello, founder of JesusLovesPreschoolers.com, about building gospel-centered, developmentally rich preschool ministries where kids feel safe, known, and loved. Josh shares what changed when he moved from Texas to Baltimore and stepped into ministry in an urban context where trust is not assumed. He explains why many outreach events fail w...

In this episode, Kim talks with Cortney Jenkins, founder of Awe and Wonder, about practical, realistic ways churches can create spaces where kids with disabilities truly belong. Cortney shares how her years as a middle school special education teacher shaped her passion to bridge the gap between classroom strategies and church ministry, and why her adapted Bible resources help more than one group...

In this episode of  Every Child Belongs , Kim talks with Stephanie Smith, CEO and founder of  Kingdom Inclusion , a ministry creating inclusive environments for teens and adults with disabilities and helping churches bridge the gap between the church community and the disability community. Stephanie shares the story behind her passion, shaped by her sister Shelly, who has cerebral palsy and uses a...

Kim talks with Brian Mavis, co-founder of America's Kids Belong, about foster care and why families are the key to changing long-term outcomes for kids from hard places. Brian shares his family's journey into foster care, how America's Kids Belong grew from storytelling and advocacy to recruiting and retaining foster families, and what communities can do to better support the families who say yes....

Dr. Erik Carter joins Every Child Belongs to talk about what belonging really means for families impacted by disability and why churches must move beyond accessibility to genuine relationships. Erik is a professor at Baylor University and Executive Director of the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing. He shares how friendships with young adults with developmental disabilities shaped his fa...

It's the one-year anniversary of Every Child Belongs and this episode flips the script. With Dave kicking things off, Kim Botto reflects on what the past year has meant, what surprised her most, and what she's learned from conversations with educators, therapists, parents, and advocates. You'll hear the biggest themes that kept showing up across the season: why proximity matters, why behavior is o...

In this episode of Every Child Belongs, host Kim Botto sits down with licensed mental health counselor, registered play therapist, and author Brianna Edwards. Brianna shares how play can become one of the most powerful tools we have for helping kids feel safe, connected, and understood. She explains why play is a child's natural language, how adults can use it to disarm fear and build connection,...

What happens when years of serving families affected by disability suddenly becomes  your  story too? In this heartfelt conversation,  Kim Botto  sits down with  Jenni Von Tobel , longtime disability ministry leader at Willow Creek Community Church and mom of five, including her youngest daughter, Everly Rose, who has Down syndrome. Jenni shares how becoming a parent on "the other side of the tabl...

In this episode of Every Child Belongs, host Kim Botto welcomes bestselling author, counselor, and podcast host Sissy Goff. With over 30 years of counseling experience, Sissy is known for her calming presence and practical wisdom in helping kids and parents navigate the challenges of today's world. Together, Kim and Sissy explore why anxiety is on the rise in both kids and parents, and how adults...

In this episode of Every Child Belongs, host Kim Botto welcomes  Camille  Robinson, host of the Moments of Joy podcast and soon-to-be published author with Penguin Random House.  Camille shares her story as a mother of five, including her son Maison, who was born with a congenital heart condition and later diagnosed with autism and an intellectual disability. Camille  opens up about the challenges...

What happens when the Church shows up for those who often go unseen? In this powerful conversation, Kim sits down with  Jami   Kaeb ( mom of eight and founder of the Forgotten Initiative) to explore how churches can truly come alongside foster families, kids, and especially the often-forgotten caseworkers who hold the system together. Jami shares the story of how God transformed her family's view...

What if the Church wasn't just a place where kids with disabilities were cared for—but discipled, included, and seen as indispensable?   In this inspiring episode, Kim Botto talks with Ellie Axford, Director of Embrace Special Needs Ministry at Brentwood Baptist in Nashville. Ellie shares how a ministry that started with four kids and a closet has grown into a thriving, full-spectrum program that...

Jen Kendall on identity, parenting, public spaces, and raising kind kids. In this episode of Every Child Belongs , Kim Botto talks with longtime friend, mom, and creative leader Jen Kendall. As a little person, Jen offers an honest look at what it's like to navigate everyday life—and parent—in a world that often overlooks people with different bodies. She shares real stories about public spaces, a...

What do you do when a child's behavior feels overwhelming—or misunderstood? In this honest and practical conversation, Dr. Chinwé Williams—licensed therapist, speaker, and author of  Calm, Courageous, and Connected —joins Kim Botto to talk about how we can better support neurodivergent kids and their families in everyday spaces. "Calm, Courageous, and Connected: A Parent's Guide to Raising Emotion...

On this episode, Kim Botto welcomes licensed clinical social worker  Daniela Coats—founder of  With Siblings and a powerful advocate for birth children in foster and adoptive families. Daniela brings a deeply personal and professional perspective, having grown up as a "bio kid" in a foster family and now parenting children through both birth and adoption. She's also the author of a beautiful child...

In this episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim Botto talks with entrepreneur and dad Chris Heslip, founder of PushPay and CEO of Amazing Life. Chris shares how his passion for creating welcoming church spaces for all kids stems from personal experience—raising two sons, one with ADHD and the other with autism. Through vulnerability and vision, Chris opens up about the grief, learning, and breakthroug...

In this episode of Every Child Belongs , Kim Botto welcomes Dr. Steve Grcevich, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and founder of Key Ministry. With decades of experience and a deep passion for inclusion, Dr. Steve shares his journey from medical practice to ministry, focusing on helping churches welcome families impacted by hidden disabilities and mental health conditions. Dr. Steve unpacks eye-...