Fostering Voices Podcast

Summary: What happens when you choose to put your comfort space aside and open up your heart and home to a child in foster care? Spoiler alert, it can be humbling, messy, and chaotic at times, but it can also be the most rewarding experience that will change your life and the life of another, forever. Join us as we have a conversation with Stacy Bradley on Fighting the Fear of Stigma in Foster Car...

Summary: Truth…Parenting is hard, but those little moments of sweetness can make the tough days bearable. But what happens when those moments feel few and far between?  Often in our foster care and adoption journeys the struggle to connect with our children can be an all too frequent reality. Join us as we welcome Chris and Caitlin and have a real conversation about connecting when connection is h...

Summary: Life can be tough sometimes, but for a young adult aging out of foster care the transition can be life altering and either set them up for success or leave them without a connection or direction. Join us as we have a conversation with Zack, a young adult with lived experience, and how connection and having a community changed his trajectory in life. Chapters:  0:00 – Intro 0:26 – Welcome,...

Summary: Community is what gets us through life. In today's conversation we talk with Anika Robinson about finding your people and the importance of community and connection in our everyday lives. Chapters:  0:00 – Intro 0:26 – Welcome Anika! 1:44 – Advocacy for Children 3:10 – Establishing Connections 8:38 – ASA Now 14:04 – Finding Hope in Dark Times 20:39 – The Powerful Impacts of Community 27:5...

Episode 152: Interracial Adoption and Finding Your Identity Summary: A personal look into an adoptees story involving interracial adoption and her journey to discover her personal identity along the way. Chapters:  0:00 – Intro 0:52 – Welcome Ann! 1:32 – Ann's Work and Focus 12:00 – A Position of Learning 16:44 – Ann's Journey 24:33 – Wanting Kids to Experience More Individuals Like Themselves 32:...

Meet your new hosts, Kim and Brian Vehon and learn a little bit about the heart behind their why and their vision for the Fostering Voices podcast. Chapters: 0:00 – Intro 0:25 – Welcome Back In!! 1:43 – Creation of Foster Arizona and Community 21:34 – Our Mission at Foster AZ 27:19 – Thank you!!! Links: https://fosterarizona.org/ https://www.aecf.org/blog/child-welfare-and-foster-care-statistics h...

Friends, as we FINALLY wrap up season 8, we are also wrapping up our time as your hosts of the Fostering Voices Podcast. We have loved the 5 years that we were the hosts, but we are so excited for your new hosts to take over, Brian and Kim Vehon of Foster Arizona!   Chapters:   0:00 - Intro   13:54 – Good Word of the Day!!!   Good Word of the Day!!!   Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NIV   1 There is a time for...

This episode features an interview with an AMAZING foster mama who happens to be single. Lina Bublys thought life would look differently than it does now, but she is still so grateful and so active in blessing those around her, especially her foster babes. We salute all you foster parents out there, but you single foster parents take the cake! Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 8:46 – What's Been Helping Chri...

We are so often triggered by negative things that happen, but what about the positive things? This episode features a story of our son and the time we picked up a homeless lady on our way to McDonald's, and how that left a serious impression on his soul. Our call to action - take a chance. Say kind things, do kind things for others. And also, don't discount foster kids as broken and bad. They are...

This episode features an episode with host, Jihae! Join us as Chris grills Jihae on life's highs and lows. And you will even hear what Jihae's favorite physical attribute is of Chris'. It's very appropriate and clean. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:30 – Jihae Describes Growing Up in Her Parent's House 6:44 – What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge In Life? 9:19 – What Helped You Overcome That? 11:12 – What...

This episode is a quick interview with your host, Chris Watson! Get to know Chris and what drives him to be a WINNER at all times. We hope you enjoy getting to know Chris a little better! Next week will be Chris interviewing Jihae. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 3:01 – Thank you, SHOWIT!! 4:27 – Story From This Week 5:12 – Showit EDM and Plank Challenge 10:07 – What Makes Chris a Winner? 12:00 – What is a...

In this episode we share some highs and lows of the last month. Highs include seeing our big kids become amazing big kids. Not without faults and failures, but as young people who are trying to figure out what it looks like to be a loyal, kind person who has integrity. Church camps and cousins are also very high on the list. And in the lows category, Chris' dad had a stroke, Chris and Jihae have b...

This episode features an incredible interview with Ben Malcolmson, author of Walk On: From Pee Wee Dropout to NFL Sidelines: My Unlikely Story of Football, Purpose, and Following an Amazing God. Ben has seen some major lows in his life, starting with having an alcoholic mom, and being thrust into college life a year early. But God was with him every step of the way, and brought him through so many...

This week we have a less than 5 minute episode! In light of the horrifying events of this last week, we just want to encourage you to talk to your kids about it. Cause they have heard about it. But they should hear about it from you and be able to talk about it with you. Cry together, pray together, and be prepared together. We don't need to live lives of fear as parents, so let's definitely make...

This episode is for parents of teens and teens! We would LOVE for teenagers to listen to this episode, but it wasn't until midway through the recording that Jihae realized she was using her condescending 'mom voice', for which she is VERY SORRY. She tries to reserve that for exclusive use to the Watson children, so we are sorry you have to hear it during this episode. But, it's a serious one, and...

This episode features and interview with Health and Lifestyle Coach, Bekah Tinter. She shares some truly simple tips and habits you can implement to enjoy a healthier, and more enjoyable lifestyle. Chapters:   0:00 - Intro    3:56 - Honest Stories in Adoption   10:27 – Health Tips from Bekah   20:32 – Good Word of the Day!!!   Links:   Bek and Kev   Uncommon Freedom with Kevin Tinter   Good Word o...

Grant Botma, author, business owner, and super family man! He gives us some great tips on having more harmony in our lives. Chapters: 0:00 – Intro  1:19 – Welcome, Grant! 5:56 – Talking About a Unicorn 7:25 – Work-Life Harmony 13:09 – Tips on Harmonizing Your Life 25:55 – One More Thing to Do to Work Towards Harmony 31:40 – Good Word Of The Day!!! 32:48 – Focusing on Health Links: Grant Botma Work...

In this episode we talk about 'Everyone Communicates, Few Connect', a great book by John C. Maxwell. And we just want to encourage everyone (including ourselves) to always strive to connect with your loved ones, and those around you! Chapters: 0:00 - Intro  3:41 - "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" 18:57 – Good Word Of The Day!!! 20:02 – Thank you to our sponsor, Showit!! Links: Everyone Communi...

This week's episode is with the incredible Bethany Lauren. She loves the Bible and she wants you to learn how to read it, understand it, and love it as well. We hope this interview will encourage you to be more spiritually healthy! Chapters: 0:00 - Intro  6:03 - Welcome, Bethany!! 7:55 – A Little About Bethany 12:16 – Bethany's Foster Care Journey 16:08 – Some Tips for Approaching Studying the Bib...

This episode talks about a bit of a funk that Chris had been in recently, and he realized it was stemming from his need to control things, which also caused him to feel less empathetic towards others. Might you be in the same boat? Check out this episode! Chapters: 0:00 - Intro  2:14 - What We Are Reading 3:20 – That Thing Where You DM Us 9:12 – Being in a Bit of a Funk 22:00 – Getting Out of the...

This episode features my sweet friend, Jodie Botma, who on the outside may look like she has a pretty darn good life! And she does! But she has also just come out of such a dark and hard season, and she shares with us how she survived the longest and darkest year of her life. And she has gone through many hard things in her life already, so that is actually saying a lot! Even though we may not hav...

This episode features my sweet friend, Jodie Botma, who on the outside may look like she has a pretty darn good life! And she does! But she has also just come out of such a dark and hard season, and she shares with us how she survived the longest and darkest year of her life. And she has gone through many hard things in her life already, so that is actually saying a lot! Even though we may not hav...

The amazing Robert T Watson went to be with the Lord on February 15th, and what an amazing grandfather he was to Chris, and I, and all of our many children and cousins! This episode is in memory of this phenomenal man of God, who chose to live his life with great intentionality and love and prayer. We would truly not be who we are without him. We hope you enjoy this episode, and that it inspires y...

This week we are so pleased to have Dr. Dayna Harris - a Child Psychologist, with us on the podcast! She has an Educational Specialist Degree and a Doctor of Education Degree, and she truly loves to work with kids. In fact we met because she was the Child Psychologist at our kids' school! And her son is one of my son's best friends! Dr. Harris shares with us how to help our kids to think about wha...

This week we are so pleased to have Dr. Dayna Harris - a Child Psychologist, with us on the podcast! She has an Educational Specialist Degree and a Doctor of Education Degree, and she truly loves to work with kids. In fact we met because she was the Child Psychologist at our kids' school! And her son is one of my son's best friends! Dr. Harris shares with us how to help our kids to think about wha...