Licensed to Love

Ep.12 While thousands of children wait for safe, loving families, too many qualified same-sex parents are discouraged and kids are overlooked by outdated foster and adoptions agency bias. This episode highlights the work of Families Thrive, a New York based agency committed to supporting all families through the foster care and adoption journey. Veronica Black, Lauri McKnight, and Rachel Doig expl...

Unsure about your rights, your voice, or what comes next in the family court process? Ep. 11 Licensed to Love Nicole Bayly, Esq. a foster and adoptive parent with over 20 years of experience in Monroe County breaks down what really happens inside family court. From understanding why children are removed from their homes to what permanency hearings actually mean for your role as a foster parent, Ni...

Ep. 10 pulls back the curtain on the real work of foster care—reunification, healing, and breaking generational cycles. Foster parents Tiffany and Louis Rivera share what it really feels like to love children as your own… and still help them return home. From building relationships with birth parents to managing the emotional toll of goodbye, the Riveras offer a perspective most people don’t talk...

Ep. 9 Unconditional love as a foster parent means showing up again and again… even after the child leaves your home. It looks like answering late-night calls, sending groceries across state lines, and reminding a child—no matter where life takes them—that they still have a family. In this episode of Licensed to Love, you’ll hear the story of a foster-adoptive mom whose commitment didn’t end when t...

“Kids know when they are loved and when they are chosen.” Ep. 8 Veronica Black sits down with Trelawney McCoy, a foster and adoptive parent whose life is a living example of what it means to stand in the gap for children who need stability most. Trelawney has fostered more than 30 children and adopted 11, all while working full-time, mentoring young women, and leading a youth football program with...

Ep. 7 “Usually when I made a mistake, I would just get moved to another house. But here, you actually showed that you cared about me.” - Joubert Black, 19 I was in foster care. I moved through seven different placements. Every time I messed up, I learned to expect the same outcome: pack up, move on, start over. On this episode of License to Love, I sit down with my mom, Veronica Black, to share wh...

Ep. 6 Opening your heart to foster a child is an act of love—but staying open when it hurts takes courage. This week on Licensed to Love, host Veronica welcomes Michelle Hinds back to the podcast for a deeply honest conversation about what it really means to become a foster family—and how that journey ultimately led her and her husband to adoption in New York State. As a dedicated home finder with...

Ep. 5 What does foster care really look like behind closed doors—especially when teens are involved? In this powerful episode of Licensed to Love, Families Thrive’s Director of Program Services, Veronica Black-Turner sits down with seasoned foster parent Jeronda James for an honest, compassionate conversation about the realities of fostering in New York State. Jeronda shares her lived experience o...

Ep. 4 This week on Licensed to Love, we’re breaking down the heart of the initial fostering process: the training, preparation, and ongoing support that Families Thrive gives every family who says “yes.” 💛 Director of Program Services Veronica Black sits down with Michelle Hinds, a seasoned home finder and trainer, to walk you through the 10-week trauma-informed course that equips families to und...

Ep. 3 The holidays are supposed to be magical—but for foster children, they can also be complicated and emotional. In this heartfelt episode of Licensed to Love, hosts Lauri McKnight and Veronica Black of Families Thrive unpack the emotional landscape of the holiday season for children in foster care. With some insights from current foster parents, they explore how to navigate holiday triggers, ma...

Ep. 2 For Monique Burney, the desire to become a foster mom came from personal experience—she grew up in foster care herself and understood the power of keeping siblings together. What she didn’t know was whether she qualified to do it on her own as a single parent. In this heartfelt episode of Licensed to Love, Monique shares how her path to fostering began with that question—and how a conversati...

Ep. 1 In this debut episode of License to Love, hosts Lauri McKnight (Executive Director) and Veronica Black (Director of Program Services) of Families Thrive share the inspiring journey of how their organization evolved from Children Awaiting Parents into a comprehensive foster care and adoption agency. With decades of combined experience, Lauri and Veronica open the door to what fostering and ad...

Have you ever felt called to do more? To open your heart—and your home—to a child who needs love and stability? Meet Lauri & Veronica, two moms with decades of lived and professional experience in foster care and adoption. As executives at Families Thrive Inc, they’re guiding future parents through the real journey of fostering and adoption in New York State. Because every child deserves a safe, l...