Blog – Podcast – Foster Parents
I am a father to 7 children, foster dad to 20 or so kids. I've got this blog and a podcast with my wife Amanda.
In this podcast episode, you will hear about Carl. “Carl” was not really named Carl. However, that is the nickname he acquired as a child in foster care in our home. He was the sweetest and possibly one of the happiest little boys we have ever had the pleasure to meet on our foster care…Read more
At this point, I think we have all heard or even joined the chorus of voices crying out for the need for male role models in the lives of today’s children. In our own foster journey, we have noticed the constant lack of strong, positive male role models in the lives of most of the…Read more
According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer-term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have…Read more
For as long as I can remember my wife and me have had different parenting styles with our children. Whether it is Foster kids, adopted kids, bio kids, or just kids from the neighborhood hanging around the house we are just wired differently. Don’t et me wrong, we have similar goals and are on the…Read more
When Amanda and I first started doing foster care we noticed that there were a lot of sibling groups compared to single kids that needed a home. As time went on, we fostered almost exclusively sibling groups. As I think back I can only remember about 3 of the 20 or so kids that we…Read more
A friend of mine, Larry Hagner (the founder of the Good Dad Project and the Dad Edge Podcast) once said: “You only get 18 summers with them, why not make it epic?” So last night when after I got out of the shower after a long day at work my youngest son asked me to…Read more
Provide a safe environment Provide the necessities of life Watch for any signs of special needs Help educate and mentor biological families Love Strength Provide a safe environment First and foremost, as a foster parent safety is of paramount importance. Having a home where the fear of being in danger of violent encounters and being…Read more
Here are a few of the financial benefits of adopting a child from foster care. But, before anyone gets confused I want to clarify a few things. Foster care is not a place to make money! In some other countries, it is considered a job that you are paid to do. Here in the US,…Read more
The process of adoption through the foster care system can be anywhere from fairly simple to time-consuming and complex. The short answer is that the foster to adopt process can take 6 months (plus the time for filing court documents), all the way up to 28 months if you are the first placement for a…Read more
The truth is that there are very few things that we can’t make work in our lives. If you are pulled or led, or if you feel driven towards helping a specific group – you can make it work. I am not saying it will not be hard. Most likely it will not be “Mother Theresa ministering to the dying souls of Calcutta” hard. Doing things that are worth doing are almost always hard, but the reason we do hard things is that it is worth it!