Beneath the Branches - a podcast from The Adoption and Foster Care Clinic

This episode features a developmental therapist discussing the critical first six months after a child is placed in a new environment, focusing on attachment, regulation, and making informed decisions about childcare and school placement for foster and adopted children Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Child Placement and First Six Months 00:27 What Supports Regulation and Attachment 01:26 Creating a...

This episode explores the complexities of language transitions in international adoptees, emphasizing the importance of connection, communication techniques, and supporting language development to foster attachment and identity. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Language Transitions in Adoption 05:07 The Grief of Losing a First Language 10:00 Understanding Language Acquisition in Children 15:11 The R...

This episode explores the complex relationship between food, memory, and safety in the first six months of a child's placement in a new home. Kelly and Amy share insights on managing food behaviors, cultural considerations, and strategies for fostering security and attachment through nutrition. Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Food in Early Childhood 05:52 Understanding Feeding Behaviors in Ne...

This episode explores the critical importance of cocooning in the first six months of adoption or foster placement. It covers how slowing down, creating a safe space, and reducing external interactions can strengthen attachment and regulate the nervous system, especially for children with trauma backgrounds. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Cocooning 06:11 Understanding Cocooning and Its Importance...

In this conversation, Kelly Alligood from the Foster Coalition shares her journey and insights into the challenges faced by foster families and children. The discussion covers the importance of support systems, the misconceptions surrounding foster care, and the unique challenges faced by grandparents raising grandchildren. The conversation also highlights the need for training and resources for f...

This episode explores how adoptive and foster parents can navigate hard conversations about a child's trauma and history. It offers practical advice on timing, language, emotional safety, and working with therapists to support children's healing and identity development. Chapters 00:00 Navigating Conversations About Trauma Histories 04:43 The Role of Parents as Story Keepers 10:25 Creating...

This episode focuses on safety during the first six months of a child's placement in foster or adoptive homes. Experts discuss strategies for creating felt safety, managing aggression, sexualized behaviors, and supporting family attachment. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Safety in Adoption 03:09 Understanding Felt Safety for Children 06:00 Addressing Aggression in Adopted Children 09:12 Practical...

In this episode, the hosts discuss the complexities of sibling dynamics in adoption, focusing on the challenges of managing relationships, grief, and resentment that can arise when a new child enters the family. They emphasize the importance of nurturing connections, setting realistic expectations, and the role of community support in fostering a healthy family environment. The conversation highli...

This conversation delves into the complexities of parenting adopted children, particularly focusing on the first six months after adoption. The speakers discuss the importance of understanding the child's survival brain versus learning brain, the necessity of building attachment and safety, and how traditional discipline methods may not be effective. They emphasize the need for connection, self-ca...

This episode of Beneath the Branches focuses on the initial stages of adoption and foster care, emphasizing the importance of setting realistic expectations, fostering attachment, and creating a nurturing environment for newly placed children. The conversation covers essential topics such as cocooning, sleep challenges, nutrition, building trust, and managing transitions to daycare or school. It a...

This conversation explores the complex emotions and experiences surrounding reunion for adoptees. Caitlin and Kelly share their personal journeys of searching for their birth families, the challenges they faced, and the impact on their relationships with their adoptive parents. The discussion highlights the importance of open communication, cultural identity, and the ongoing emotional journey that...

In this special episode of  Beneath the Branches , we welcome Show Hope’s Executive Director, Kristin Parks, and Director of Programs, Justin Myers—leaders of an organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to adoption and equipping families with the support they need to thrive.  Together, we explore their personal journeys into the adoption constellation, what makes working with Show Hope uni...

When the hard feels never-ending, it’s easy to ask: Is there any hope? In this episode of Beneath the Branches , we have an honest conversation about how hope can be found in the middle of exhaustion, overwhelm, and challenging behaviors. Our team shares how connection, realistic expectations, and community can transform despair into courage to keep going. Whether you’re an adoptive, foster, or ki...

When kids “act out,” what if it’s not manipulation—but communication? In this conversation, our Adoption & Foster Care Clinic team unpacks why co-regulation must come before correction, how to parent to emotional age (not just chronological), and how understanding the window of tolerance can transform your home. You’ll hear practical steps, gentle scripts, and real-life examples of repair, att...

A real talk about expectations surrounding holidays and special days- the emotional landmines that you may not prepare for, and how to give grace for yourself and your kids. This episode creates space for adoptive, foster, and kinship care moms to reflect honestly on the unique complexities of Mother’s Day, Family Day, Birthdays—why it often doesn’t feel like a Hallmark holiday they wanted, and ho...

While this conversation was recorded during standardized testing season, the insights go far beyond a few high-stakes weeks in the spring. For adoptive, foster, and kinship care children, the same challenges that can make testing stressful—such as early trauma, attachment disruptions, and emotional regulation struggles—also impact their day-to-day school experience. Clinicians Caitlin Inman and Ke...

In this powerful episode, we welcome back Amy Elmore, our long-time occupational therapist and feeding specialist, to explore one of the most emotionally charged parenting challenges for children with trauma histories-- feeding. From picky eating and food refusal to bottle aversion and sensory challenges, Amy breaks down the why behind feeding difficulties and offers trauma-informed insights and r...

We’re diving into one of the most vital yet misunderstood aspects of holistic care for children from hard places: occupational therapy . Join us as we explore how OT at our clinic goes far beyond handwriting practice—supporting families through sensory regulation, feeding challenges, trauma recovery, and more. → Listen now and learn how OT builds bridges to connection, safety, and healing. *This e...

In this episode of Beneath the Branches, we dig into the foundational role attachment plays in a child’s development—and why it matters so deeply in adoptive, foster, and kinship care. We begin with the basics: What is attachment, and how is it formed? You'll learn the difference between secure and insecure attachment and how early caregiving relationships shape a child's ability to trust, regulat...

In this foundational episode of Beneath theBranches, we explore how trauma—whether it occurs in utero, infancy, childhood, or even adolescence—reshapes a child’s brain, body, and beliefs about the world. For adoptees and children in foster or kinship care, those early experiences often leave invisible wounds that show up later in behavior, relationships, and self-understanding. Our clinicians unpa...

For children in adoptive, foster, or kinship families—especially those in transcultural placements or with complex trauma histories—developing a strong sense of identity and belonging doesn’t happen automatically. In this episode, we explore why racial mirrors and shared-experience support are essential tools for nurturing healthy identity in kids who may not see themselves reflected in their fami...

Vacations are meant to be relaxing—but for children in adoptive, foster, or kinship families, travel can stir up unexpected emotions, triggers, and challenges. In this episode, we unpack why changes in routine, unfamiliar environments, and even the idea of “leaving home” can be difficult for kids with trauma histories. Our clinicians share insight on how to prepare for travel, signs your child may...

Welcome to the "Beneath the Branches" podcast. In this first episode, three of The Adoption and Foster Care Clinic staff members sit down to talk about why we’re launching this podcast and what we hope it will become. Our goal? To be real, to be vulnerable, and to normalize the hard . Adoption, foster and kinship care come with so much beauty—but also deep challenges, messy emotions, and...