Fostering & Adoption Podcast with Nikki & Larry

Tyriq shares his experience growing up in foster care, offering an honest look at the challenges, lessons, and moments that shaped his journey. A powerful conversation about resilience, belonging, and finding your way through life's toughest circumstances.  

Season 3, Episode 4 What is it really like growing up in a foster home as the biological child? In this episode, Kam shares his honest perspective on growing up around foster kids, constant change, and what home life looked like behind the scenes. A raw conversation about family, identity, and finding connection in the middle of it all.

What happens when a foster placement becomes forever family? In this heartfelt episode of the Fostering & Adoption Podcast, Jahlil joins Nikki & Larry to reflect on his experience growing up in foster care and finding the home that would ultimately change his life. From entering their home as a foster child to becoming part of the family permanently, Jahlil shares his perspective on belong...

Season 3, Episode 2 of the Fostering & Adoption Podcast with Nikki & Larry dives into the truth about supporting foster families beyond surface-level help. Nikki & Larry share honest insight on what foster families really experience, the misconceptions people often have, and how meaningful support can truly make a difference. Real conversations. Real perspective. Real impact.

What is it really like growing up in a home full of foster kids? In the Season 3 premiere of the Fostering & Adoption Podcast, Nikki & Larry sit down with their biological son, Nik—now grown—as he opens up about his experience growing up in a household centered around foster care. From love and purpose… to chaos and challenges—this is a side of fostering most people never hear. 🎙️ This epi...

Season 2 of the Fostering & Adoption Podcast has been an incredible journey. In this special Season 2 Finale (Episode 11), we take a moment to reflect on the conversations, stories, and powerful lessons shared throughout this season. From foster care experiences to adoption journeys, every episode has highlighted the realities, challenges, and hope found within this community. This episode is...

Adoption is a beautiful calling, but it also comes with challenges that many people don’t see. In this episode of the Fostering Adoption Podcast, we share the real journey of becoming adoptive parents — from the waiting and uncertainty to the growth, healing, and deep joy along the way. We talk honestly about the emotional ups and downs, the lessons learned, and what it truly means to build a fami...

Kid Compliance Isn’t What You Think… And That Matters. In this episode of the Fostering Adoption Podcast, we unpack what kid compliance really is — and why so many parents feel stuck in power struggles, frustration, and constant correction. Compliance isn’t about control, fear, or “because I said so.” It’s about understanding what’s happening beneath the behavior and learning how connection change...

Season 2 Episode 8 is for the ones who feel like everything is happening at once. In this episode of the Fostering Adoption Podcast, we talk about the real transition from chaos to normalcy — the emotional whiplash, the unpredictable moments, the pressure of trying to “do it right,” and what it actually takes to find your rhythm again. Because fostering and adoption doesn’t always feel like a beau...

Season 2, Episode 7 of the Fostering & Adoption Podcast is a Q&A-style conversation centered around the questions that always come up when people start thinking about fostering and adoption—what, when, how, and why. This episode is about creating space for honest curiosity, real conversation, and learning through shared experience. Whether you’re just beginning to explore the idea or alrea...

Season 2, Episode 6 of the Fostering & Adoption Podcast dives into one of the most challenging and least talked-about parts of fostering and adoption—navigating relationships with biological parents. In this episode, we speak honestly about the emotional tension, boundaries, misunderstandings, and faith required when bio parents are still part of the journey. This conversation isn’t about blam...

Fostering isn’t just a calling — it’s an emotional, mental, and spiritual challenge. In Season 2, Episode 5 of the Fostering Adoption Podcast, Nikki & Larry open up about the realities most families are afraid to say out loud: the exhaustion, pressure, uncertainty, and moments that nearly pushed them to their limit. This episode explores: • The mental toll of fostering • How stress and trauma...

In Season 2, Episode 4 of the Fostering Adoption Podcast, we dive into one of the hardest and most important realities within foster and adoptive care: the disorders, disruptions, and emotional battles children experience long before they arrive in a new home. This episode sheds light on: • The hidden challenges children are navigating daily • How trauma and instability shape behavior • Why “actin...

In this powerful episode, Nikki & Larry open up about one of the most emotional chapters of their foster care journey — the day they had to discharge a child they deeply loved, and the unbelievable moment when that same child returned to their lives in a way they never expected. They share what it felt like to navigate grief, hope, and restoration all at the same time. And they go even deeper,...

In this powerful episode, Nikki & Larry share the pivotal moment they made the decision to open their home — and their hearts — to children in need. From the conversations that led up to it, to the emotions that came with saying “yes,” Season 2 Episode 2 dives deep into what it truly means to create a safe, loving space for others. Listen as they unpack: The story behind their decision The imp...

In this opening episode, Nikki and Larry invite you into their story — the life experiences, family values, and defining moments that shaped their passion for fostering and adoption. From their childhood influences to the early years of their marriage, they share how faith, compassion, and a heart for service became the foundation of their home. You’ll learn who they are, what shaped them, and why...

In our Season 1 finale, we wrap things up by sharing our greatest takeaways, holy highlights and favorite moments from the 21 incredible people we had on the show. You also will get a sneak peak of the exciting things to come in Season 2 and a special announcement! See you in November! Are you a foster or adoptive parent who would like to share what God has done in your life? Are you an organizati...

Mom guilt and mental health are a real battle and foster moms are no exception. Today, Jamie Hillburn shares her story and how she has learned to not only manage her anxiety and depression, but how she also includes her children in the journey so they understand hard moments are okay and even necessary.   Are you a foster or adoptive parent who would like to share what God has done in your life? A...

In today’s episode we dive into the world of equine therapy and the vast array of benefits it holds for our children and community. Filmed on location at locally owned and operated Runnin’ Free Ranch, listen to Amy Dojahn as she shares how her and her husband Ken (DJ) started this incredible organization and their passion for using horses to bring healing to our community. This one is jam packed w...

"His little face was just pressed up against the glass." Dr. Vickie Smith recounts the very first GLYP (God Loves You Party) she ever hosted and how excited and overjoyed this little boy felt knowing the party was "just for him". He didn't have much; his mother just asked for a coat for the winter so they wouldn't be cold. But they received so much more than a coat. This family received a showerin...

In this vibrant and heartfelt conversation, Heather Tipps, owner of En Route Academy of the Arts, opens up about the transformative role of creativity in children’s lives—and how a single supportive environment can ignite lifelong growth. Drawing from a rich family legacy of music, ministry, and teaching, Heather and her sister envisioned an academy that would reach beyond technical mastery to nur...

In today's conclusion of Eric Porter's story, we continue to hear the miraculous ways God is showing up in his ministry Backyard Orphans. As Eric continues his efforts to save orphans, both here and around the world, he also shares what God is stirring in his heart for the crisis happening at our border. The shocking reality and desperate state of those in our community calls for our immediate act...

"Eric, you're flying over kids to reach kids." That was the message Eric Porter received from God one day 14 years ago. As a pastor, he heard story after story of kids in his local community being neglected, abandoned and abused. When he began to witness it firsthand, he knew something had to change. So, when God said "go", he packed up his wife and kids and set out on a new mission: to rescue the...

This episode spotlights Kandi Shaw, a dedicated therapist and advocate who has spent nearly two decades supporting children and families in Ellis County. Drawing on her expansive experience as a trauma-informed therapist, member of the Child Welfare Board, writer of adoption home studies, and leader in transitional living programs, Kandi offers listeners an in-depth look at the interconnected supp...

This heartwarming episode features April Walker as she shares her family’s remarkable path through eight years of hope, heartbreak, and unwavering faith on the road to parenthood. After she and her husband were told by doctors they might never have children, they explored foster care and adoption—only to be met with setbacks, losses, and challenging moves. April’s story unfolds with emotional hone...