Foster Care: An Unparalleled Journey

MaryRose is a foster parent coach and a former child welfare case manager. She owns and operates her own online coaching business that supports foster parents as they support children and families. MaryRose works with foster parents on things like advocating effectively, setting and enforcing boundaries, supporting parents on their journey to reunification and so much more. She believes that the o...

Foster care was not in Laurel's plans. Laurel had a young family member that needed a place to be safe and loved.  She stepped up and provided a loving and safe place for her young family member to stay. As time progressed his chances at reunification diminished.  This led to a complicated relationship with his birth mom. They continue to work their way through a complicated familial relationship....

Darren and Margie Fink are an amazing couple who jumped into Foster Care and Adoption head first! Together they created Transfiguring Adoption . Darren received his bachelor's degree in visual fine arts. Since university, he has worked in varying graphic design and social media management positions. He's an imaginative foster/adoptive parent that can get children to go to bed by inventing a detail...

  Ginger Baerg is a wife, mother, and high school math teacher.  God called Ginger and her husband, Dustin, to grow their family, by fostering and adopting.   Over the past seven years, the Baerg family has fostered six kids, and have adopted two, becoming a family of seven! Other episodes mentioned today: Hope for Amy Connected Parenting with Melissa Corkum   Ginger's Links My Patchwork Family Bo...

Travis resides in Fayetteville, Tennessee, and is a jack of all trades. He preaches, coaches, teaches, parents, and finds a way to still rock the social media world. He is married to Whitney and they have two awesome kiddos, Hailee and Daniel. Travis has worked with the Riverside Church of Christ and Riverside Christian Academy for 13 years. He is the pulpit minister for the church and the head fo...

Intimacy Expert,  Allana   Pratt is a global media personality and go-to authority for those who have suffered heartbreak and are ready to live unapologetically and attract an open-hearted, ideal relationship. Her vulnerability and courage landed her a featured weekly column on the GoodMenProject, she's been chosen as an Icon of Influence and featured as Guest Expert on Huffington Post, People Mag...

Anthony Trucks talks about his own  Unparalleled Journey from foster care, through the NFL, and beyond. That journey allowed him to become the amazing and inspirational human that he is today! Along the road, he was met with struggles and learned to master the man he was in order to become the man he wanted to be! This is from his website https://anthonytrucks.com/ Where Shift Started At the age o...

SONIA MARTIN, LICSW, PIP, TBRI® PRACTITIONER Director - Central Alabama Sonia joined Lifeline in July of 2019.  She is from Montgomery, Alabama, and serves as our Director in the Central Alabama area. She engages the central Alabama church community in implementing Families Count, birth mother support and services, and speaking to parents, professionals, Judges, DHR attorneys, & GAL's at various c...

Foster Care Advocate Jen Lilley in Washington, DC Jen Lilley is an actress known for her roles on Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and numerous roles as a leading lady on the Hallmark Channel and The Lifetime Channel. She is less well known as the daughter of a Judge and the leader of a women and children's facility. However, we got to know her as a foster care advocate in this episode.  Jen a...

Foster Care and Infant Felonies with Ruben Jay Ruben Jay grew up in foster care and was eventually adopted into a family where he was raised by David and Paula. There he found a family that he was proud to be a part of.  Ruben Jay is an American radio & podcast host, producer, and is the President of MultiMediaMouth.com. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Ruben grew up hearing teachers,...

Bryan Post has been working in the homes of low-income families bringing mindfulness and presence for 20 years. He helps parents learn that stress turns off the memory system and changes how they learn. He teaches emotional understanding inside of families that have the stress and anxiety of past trauma. Especially emotional absence and parental depression and how to overcome that emotional absenc...

Heather's story of trauma began at birth. Being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was only the beginning of her struggles that have followed her through life. Even through multiple diagnoses, she has managed to find her way to work on her abuse and neglect both in her biological family and in foster care. Today she has overcome more than most of us will experience in our entire life! She tells her...

A Story of hope Eric MacDougall was in foster care for 3 1/2 years between the ages of 10 1/2 and 14 years old. While in foster care he found some great male role models that offered him the opportunity to learn all about boundaries and discipline - even if he didn't consider it an opportunity at the time! While learning to deal with a deep sense of loneliness, he also had to face his own self lim...

Melissa drops wisdom on us this week about the intricacies of parenting for adopted, foster, and transracial families! We covered: The Guilt of Parenting Understanding and overcoming "blocked trust" and "blocked care" Attachment disorders and how it affects our relationships Using the enneagram as a tool for parenting - The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile (not an affiliate...

In this episode, I delve into the steps involved in becoming a foster parent and there is also some news about the show as well! I discussed some of the steps required to become a foster parent including the parts of a home study, background checks, and some of the things that will get you disqualified. If you would like to see the things we are doing online, here are some links: All of our links...

Ryan and his wife became accidental foster parents. They took his great-niece into their home when she needed a place to stay. They already had a daughter and it changed the face of their family. Foster care created some difficulties for their family, but it also created a relationship that will they will all challenge for the rest of their lives! Ryan is also a podcaster! Check out his links belo...

Kristine Pienkowski has a dual role in the foster care system. She was both a child in care and a helper of children who are currently in foster care.  She and her husband own and operate The Ranch of Hope Reins where they help teach kids using an EGALA model of equine therapy. Listen to this episode and understand why she loves helping kids at risk and how it empowers children to become healthy a...

Foster care is always challenging for all parties involved. At this point in time, we as a nation need someone to exemplify humanity done right.  Interracial adoption and foster care can be hot-button issues. Barry Farmer, the host of the nationally syndicated Barry Farmer Morning Show, tells his story of foster care as a child, and as a foster and adoptive parent. Strong fathers are the solution...

Brian tells his story of spending almost his entire childhood in the foster care system. After 20 placements, he has many stories to tell. If it had not been for his last and longest placement, he may have never found a place to call home.  He tells a real and raw story that is all too common in the foster care system. He also talks about the lessons that he learned and how his experience has made...

Providing Continuity of Community for Older Adolescent Teens in Care   •offering an online virtual community delivering evidence based curriculum called REAL Essentials to Kids in Care, grades 9-12. The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for mentoring and community for Older Adolescent Youth in Care throughout their many transitions.   •Services will last for 5 years.     •Partici...

Born in 1969, leading international foster care expert and consultant and TED Talk speaker Dr. John DeGarmo has worn many hats throughout his life. Singing and dancing while touring around the world in the international supergroup, Up With People, serving as a D.J. at four different radio stations on two different continents, working in the professional wrestling industry, teaching English and Dra...

Karin Davis-Thompson has experience as a foster, adoptive, and a special-needs mom. In this episode, she tells her story of what it takes to fight for the best outcomes for your child - especially when they can't fight for themselves.  Her foster, and eventually adopted, daughter had some significant needs and rights that she was not aware of before the adoption was finalized.  So what did she do?...

Caroline wasn't in a good place to parent a child - and she knew it. Shame kept her from sharing her story until one day when she made the decision to talk about her feelings. Telling other moms they aren't alone has changed the lives of many women and created many opportunities for her to help others. She invites birth moms to join her in her Facebook group: Caring for Birthmothers support group...

Dr Nick Sotelo joins me this week to discuss the tie between kids in Foster Care and kids in the juvenile justice system. He works as a counselor at the Oregon Youth Authority. As a child, he experienced a lot of the same traumas that children in foster care experience. As a young man, he grew through those experiences. As an adult, he became an invaluable resource to children that found themselve...

John and Val have been working for the cause of the orphan for many years. They have a nonprofit organization that serves the orphans of Kenya, Africa.  In 2018 they were called to help a little boy named Jesse. They tell their story on this week's episode of Foster Care: An Unparalleled Journey. If you are interested in learning about their passion project in Kenya, visit Mercy's Hope or reach ou...