Foster the Wallens with Sly and Kelly

Send us Fan Mail Adoption doesn’t happen in one moment. It happens in deadlines, court continuances, sleepless nights, phone calls that stop your heart, and the slow work of helping kids feel safe enough to be kids again. We start with Grace’s private adoption, which went from “we just found out” to “she’s here” in about 30 days. That quick timeline still meant a home study, attorneys, references,...

Send us Fan Mail The biggest surprise we didn’t expect in foster care wasn’t the paperwork, the routines, or even the heartbreak of saying goodbye. It was the biological families. When kids first came into our home, we were handed a snapshot of someone’s worst day and quietly taught to keep our distance, protect ourselves, and brace for drama. So we did. We made assumptions about bio moms and dads...

Send us Fan Mail The moment you realize a child you love is going home feels like someone suddenly knocked the wind out of you. One minute you’re packing lunches, folding tiny clothes, and building routines… and the next, you’re trying to figure out how to say goodbye to someone who became part of your family. This week on our foster care series, we’re talking about the hardest part of fostering:...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the county number flashes across your phone… and you have only seconds to decide if your life is about to change forever? In this episode, we take you back to those early foster care days — the waiting, the anxiety, the fear, and the split-second “yes” that changed everything. We share the reality behind placement calls, what counties tell you (and what they don’...

Send us Fan Mail The foster care license is the part nobody glamorizes and it can test your schedule, your patience, and your confidence before a child ever walks through your door. We share what licensing looked like for us as a married couple and parents, from the first online inquiry to the moment the agency lays out the reality: training hours, home study visits, safety requirements, and a mou...

Send us Fan Mail You don’t end up with seven kids by accident. We’re Kelly and Sly—and somewhere along the way, our home became the place where sibling groups land… and where love has to stretch further than the budget. Hard stories. Soft hearts. Fierce love. This is Foster the Wallens. Where foster care meets real life—and no one tells it perfectly. After more than a decade as foster parents and...