EP 2: Nesting
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Kevin is back in this episode telling us all about how nesting is a thing for dads, it just looks a little bit different than it does for moms.
EP 1: Second Time Around
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You’ve all heard me talking about how the second round of adoption is going, now hear Kevin’s side.
The new podcast is back!
EP 33: Disrupting a Foster Placement with Bailey
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Bailey and her husband recently disrupted a foster placement of two boys. In this episode she explains what disruption is, why they chose to do it (spoiler alert! it was in the best interest of their boys), and how that makes her think about foster care in a whole different way.
Things we talk about:
Rachel's blog post on loving foster placements vs. forever kids.
Respite Stories Vol. 1: My Found Girl with Corrie
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Welcome to our first Stories episode! In these episodes a member of our community will read an essay they have written for you to listen to. This week Corrie, our staff writer, has written a great essay about her "Found Girl." Enjoy!
EP 32: Intentional Foster Motherhood with Kimberly V.
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Kimberly and her family decided to open up their home to foster care after they watched close friends do the same. In that time she has fostered several children and recently finalized the adoption of a sibling set of three. In her time of fostering and watching kids come and go she became passionate about being intentional in motherhood. In this episode she shares her story and some practical tips and advice on how to be intentional with motherhood when you're not sure how long your kids will be yours.
EP 31: Listener Q&A
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Have a question? We have answers! Caitlin and her husband Kevin talk all about what life is like when you adopt from foster care, what you can do if your husband is not on board, and what the future plans for Respite Redefined are.
Jason Johnson: Fostering or Adopting: For the Husband that's not sure.
EP 30: Growing up in a Foster Family with Kylee
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The youngest biological child, Kylee was six when her parents decided to open their home to foster. Growing up with kids who kept coming and going is what led Kylee to become a social worker. In this episode she tells her story about how foster care positively impacted her life and encourages moms with bio kids that foster care doesn't have to be scary.
Things we talked about:
EP 29: Foster Alum to Foster Mom with Lexi
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Lexi is a former foster teen who now calls herself a foster mom. In this episdoe, she shares her story of what it was like being a teenager in the foster care system, what she has learned about herself throughout this life, and what has surprised her the most about being a foster mom. She also shares the one best thing that you as a foster/adopt mom can do for your kids.
Show your support of this episode by leaving us a review on iTunes and sharing this episode on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
EP 28: Parenting Sexually Harmed Children
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Caitlin talks with a mom about what it's like to parent children who have been sexually harmed. This mom gives great insight to what it's like to be a foster family and gives great tips and encouragement to others in trenches of foster care
EP 27: Infertility and Adoption with Kimberley
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Kimberley and Caitlin talk about life with infertility, how it affects the way they parent, and how it has led them to foster care adoption. They both get vulnerable and explore how infertility has changed their life for the better.
Connect with Kimberley on Instagram
EP 26: Adoption and Identity Part 2
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Welcome back to season 3! In this episode, Caitlin shares an update on her last episode about adoption and identity. She talks about how she takes off her adoption hat, what that actually means for her, how beneficial it is, and how you can do it, too. Be sure to leave a review on iTunes and check out the new website!
EP 25: Adoption and Identity
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When does adoption become WHO you are instead of just a part of your story? Caitlin discusses her struggles with finding this balance of being an adoption mom along with being a regular mom and a regular person.
EP 23: Working Mom with Jen M.
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Jen thought she wouldn't be able to foster/adopt if she was a working mom, but decided to go for it anyway. In this episode she talks to Caitlin about what it's like to be a working foster/adopt mom and gives some practical advice and encouragement to any other working moms out there.
EP 19: Being Strong in the Wait with Austin
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After becoming licensed foster parents, it took Austin and her husband almost another year before they got their first placement. During that time Austin learned some crucial things about how to wait well during all that time.
Connect with Austin: instagram
EP 18: Fostering Special Needs with Lauren
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At the age of 21--the minimum age of a foster parent in her state--Lauren applied to be a foster mom. She then completed the necessary extra training to take in only kids with traditional special needs. A young, single mom who just started her career, Lauren didn't let anything stop her from fostering.
This episode was recorded before Lauren received any placements. In this episode she talks with Caitlin about why she wanted to foster, why she wanted children with special needs, and why she didn't wait for the "right time" to apply.
Connect with Lauren: instagram
EP 17: Handling the Unknowns of Medical Care with Myranda
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Myranda and Caitlin spend time venting about their frustrations about taking placements with little to no medical records. What do you do when you're not sure if a child has been vaccinated? How do you advocate for the best medical care when you don't know your child's birthday? Or what they're allergic to?
Both moms give anecdotes and provide some practical advice on how to care for children when you're not sure what their medical history is.
Connect with Myranda: instagram
EP 16: Bio Babes and Foster Teens with Emily R.
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Emily and her husband has fostered mostly older children. When they learned Emily was pregnant, they didn't let that stop them from taking in two teen boys. Not only did they work to make these boys feel a part of the family by getting involved in the boys' lives and letting the boys get involved in all aspects of Emily's pregnancy, they are also committed to the boys' reunification with their father.
This is a great episode to learn what it looks like to foster older children.
EP 15: Foster Mom-ing 101 with Jen S.
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Jen has been a foster mom to over 70 children. In this episode she talks about how her family got started in foster care and gives some really practical tips on how to get started as a foster mom.
Connect with Jen: Instagram
EP 14: Instant Family with Shelby
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Shelby is a brand new foster-to-adopt mom. Recently, she and her husband finalized the adoption of their first non-respite care placement. Congrats, Shelby! In this episode, Shelby talks about what it's like to pursue foster-to-adopt as new, young parents, and tells the very funny and awesome story of what happened during her first placement.
Connect with Shelby: instagram
Respite Redefined EP 13: Deciding to Foster with Jamie
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Jamie already had biological children when she and her husband decided to become foster parents. A question that is frequently asked is How will this affect my biological children? Jamie gives great insight to how their days work, how foster care has both positively and negatively affected her family and encourages all us moms to keep embracing the crazy train that is foster care.
Shownotes:
"I am crazy. Anything that I do that appears crazy is in order to point to God and to bring Him glory. And if I am trying to appear normal or pretend that I have it altogether, I'm not doing that for God, I'm doing that for my own glory."
2 Corinthians 5:13-14 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
Connect with Jamie: instagram
