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 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
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:
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 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 ninth in our series, Dr. Brown and host, Sandra Flach discuss trauma and metacognition. While Executive Function is the Boss of the Brain - metacognition is the Boss of the Boss. Listen in as they discuss how trauma and prenatal exposure to alcohol and other substances impact metacognition.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Monday Sep 26, 2022
“The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.” Isaiah 1:31
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.
In honor of International FASD Awareness Month, all of our September episodes will focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. FASD affects a disproportionate number of children in child welfare, therefore is a topic every adoptive and foster parent must be aware of and skilled in.
On this episode host Sandra Flach collaborates with fellow FASD podcasters Natalie Vecchione of FASD Hope, Kurt Lewis of Pregnancy & Alcohol—the Surprising Reality, Gilberto Spenser of Wired Differently—Rewire Your Brain, and Robbie Seale of FASD Family Life. Listen in as they panel asks Dr. Jerrod Brown PhD pressing questions about FASD.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
@nofasd Australia
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Friday Sep 23, 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 eighth in our series, Dr. Brown and host, Sandra Flach talk about Self-Regulation—also known as impulse control. Listen in as they discuss how trauma and prenatal exposure to alcohol and other substances impact the brain causing impulsivity and other challenges.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Monday Sep 19, 2022
“Oh Lord, you have searched me and you have known me. For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:1, 13-14
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.
In honor of International FASD Awareness Month, all of our September episodes will focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. FASD affects a disproportionate number of children in child welfare, therefore is a topic every adoptive and foster parent must be aware of and skilled in.
On this episode host Sandra Flach talks with former foster youth, Lucas Boyce. Lucas was born developmentally delayed as a result of prenatal drug and alcohol exposure. He overcame many odds to eventually graduate from college, serve in the White House, and become an executive with the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
Listen in as Lucas shares his against all odds story of hard work, determination, and grace.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Friday Sep 16, 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 seventh in our series, Dr. Brown and host, Sandra Flach talk about Executive Function—the Boss of the Brain. Listen in as they discuss how trauma and prenatal exposure to alcohol and other substances impact impacts the brain and causes executive dysfunction and learn how parents and caregivers can support an individual with executive function challenges.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode: