Host Sandra Flach is a mom of 8 children, 5 through adoption—one kinship and 4 international. Her youngest 2 are teens diagnosed with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). With over 30 years of parenting experience and 20 plus years as an adoptive and kinship parent, she’s made mountains of mistakes and learned loads of lessons. She understands the difficult road of parenting children with trauma histories—and she is still in the trenches! The Adoption & Foster Care Journey is a podcast to encourage, educate, and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care, and kinship care. We aim to support adoptive and foster families by sharing encouraging real-life stories and equipping them with modern-day research and parenting techniques.
Episodes
Monday Nov 07, 2022
Episode 350 - Finding Hope with Former Foster Youth, Amber Jewell
Monday Nov 07, 2022
Monday Nov 07, 2022
“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” -Proverbs 23:18
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach, talks with Amber Jewell LMSW—a former foster youth, now a foster and adoptive mom founder of Finding Hope LLC, and author of the book Finding Hope—12 Keys to Healing Hardship, Hurt & Sorrow.
Listen in as Amber shares her story and how she found hope and healing along the way.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Monday Oct 31, 2022
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” James 1:19
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach, shares the primary characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and takes a closer look at slow processing pace—a symptom of FASD. If you are an adoptive, foster or kinship caregiver, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Listen in as Sandra shares from her personal experience parenting 5 adopted children—2 diagnosed with FAS.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
We are thrilled to bring you a series of bonus episodes featuring special guest. Dr. Jerrod Brown PhD. In each of these bonus episodes, Dr. Brown will share what every adoptive and foster parent needs to know regarding FASD, trauma, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
On this week’s bonus episode, the 13th in our series, Dr. Brown and host, Sandra Flach discuss planning and organizing—the core of executive function. This is another topic that parents might not realize can be a symptom of trauma or an FASD. Listen in as Dr. Brown explains how it works and what parents can do to support kids struggling with this important brain task.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Episode 348 - Primary Characteristics of FASD: Dysmaturity with Sandra Flach
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Mark 10:14
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach, shares the primary characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and takes a closer look at the symptom of dysmaturity. If you are an adoptive, foster or kinship caregiver, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Listen in as Sandra shares from her personal experience parenting 5 adopted children—2 diagnosed with FAS.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
We are thrilled to bring you a series of bonus episodes featuring special guest. Dr. Jerrod Brown PhD. In each of these bonus episodes, Dr. Brown will share what every adoptive and foster parent needs to know regarding FASD, trauma, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
On this week’s bonus episode, the 12th in our series, Dr. Brown and host, Sandra Flach discuss trauma and information processing. If you have a child who struggles with slow processing pace, you won’t want to miss this episode. Listen in and learn how individuals with trauma histories and/or prenatal alcohol exposure struggle with information processing.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Episode 347 - Foster Parents—Planting Seeds of Hope with Melissa Smallwood
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Monday Oct 17, 2022
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach, speaks with former foster youth, Melissa Smallwood. Melissa is a licensed counselor and provides coaching services through her business, Mending Hearts Coaching. She’s a foster and adoptive mom and a therapist offering hope and encouragement to families navigating the often murky waters of foster care and adoption.
Listen in as Melissa shares her story and why she is so passionate about supporting foster and adoptive families. Melissa has also written the book Foster Parent Prayers—Support and Encouragement for Foster & Adoptive Families.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
We are thrilled to bring you a series of bonus episodes featuring special guest. Dr. Jerrod Brown PhD. In each of these bonus episodes, Dr. Brown will share what every adoptive and foster parent needs to know regarding FASD, trauma, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
On this week’s bonus episode, the 11th in our series, Dr. Brown and host, Sandra Flach discuss trauma and cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility can be thought of as the brain’s stick shift—it allows us to switch gears from one task to the next. If you have a child who struggles with transitions, you won’t want to miss this episode. Listen in and learn how cognitive flexibility deficits impact the daily lives of individuals with FASD and/or trauma histories.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Oct 10, 2022
Monday Oct 10, 2022
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach, speaks with foster and adoptive dad, Cecil Stokes. Cecil is an award-winning writer, producer, and director of more than 500 commercials, films, and TV shows. His life and career changed when he became an adoptive dad to his amazing son, Boone.
Listen in as Cecil shares about becoming a dad, his new career with CarePortal, and the release of his first children’s book, I Love You to the Sun and Beyond.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
We are thrilled to bring you a series of bonus episodes featuring special guest. Dr. Jerrod Brown PhD. In each of these bonus episodes, Dr. Brown will share what every adoptive and foster parent needs to know regarding FASD, trauma, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
On this week’s bonus episode, the tenth in our series, Dr. Brown and host, Sandra Flach discuss trauma and working memory. Working memory is the brain’s post-it note and is the main component of executive function. Listen in and learn how working memory deficits impact the daily lives of individuals with FASD and/or trauma histories.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Episode 345 - Caution—Rough Road Ahead: Parenting Teens with Trauma & FASD
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Monday Oct 03, 2022
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you to care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
Raising teenagers with trauma and prenatal exposure to alcohol is a hard road. Host, Sandra Flach, has been a mom for 33 years and shares how her family is in the roughest season yet.
On this episode, Sandra offers guidance and encouragement for navigating the ruts and bumps of this parenting journey. Listen in as she shares about the importance of being creative, curious, and connected.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode: