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 Jul 10, 2023
Monday Jul 10, 2023
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
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.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach, completes her series on the Primary Characteristics of FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) with the topic of strengths.
God created each individual with strengths, gifts, and talents—including our kids with trauma histories and prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs. All of His children are created special and wired with special abilities.
Listen in and learn how to mine for treasures in your kiddo and why it’s important to focus on their strengths.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
“Learn to to good. Seek justice. Correct oppression. Bring justice to the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.” Isaiah 1:17
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 Herbie Newell, president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services, the largest Evangelical Christian adoption agency in America. He’s also the host of The Defender Podcast and author of Image Bearers: Shifting from Pro-Birth to Pro-Life.
Listen to the episode as Herbie shares his heart for the unborn, life, and adoption.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Jun 26, 2023
Monday Jun 26, 2023
“Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.” James 1:27
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, continues her Dad Series where every episode in June features a conversation with an adoptive or foster dad.
Listen in this week as Sandra speaks with Jonathan Grimaldi. Jon and his wife Kristen are foster and adoptive parents living in Buffalo, NY. Jon is a former pastor who recently took the role of Executive Director for Every Child, a kinship, foster and adoption support ministry based in western NY.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Jun 19, 2023
Monday Jun 19, 2023
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” 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.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach, continues her annual Dad Series where every episode in June features a conversation with an adoptive or foster dad.
Listen in as Sandra speaks with Derek Carter. Derek and his wife Holly have adopted four children through foster care. He is also the manager of Focus on the Family’s foster and adoption program.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your socials!
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Jun 12, 2023
Monday Jun 12, 2023
“If you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction.” James 5:20
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, continues her annual Dad Series where every episode in June features a conversation with an adoptive or foster dad.
Listen in as Sandra speaks with Steve Poissant. Steve and his wife Laura are parents of five teenagers adopted through foster care—including some with FASD. Steve is also thee Area Director for CarePortal NY.
Listen to Steve’s inspiring story on episode 382 and please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your socials!
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Jun 05, 2023
Monday Jun 05, 2023
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
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, launches her annual Dad Series where every episode in June features a conversation with an adoptive or foster dad.
Listen in as Sandra speaks with Jonathan Reid, a dad of six kiddos adopted through foster care. He is also the founder and director of Fostering Hope New England—a ministry empowering churches and individuals to care for children and families impacted by foster care. Jonathan is also a trained practitioner in Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI).
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
sandraflach@justicefororphansny.org
Monday May 29, 2023
Monday May 29, 2023
"As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful.” Ezekiel 16:4-7a
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, Sheree Galek. Sheree is a Certified Mental Health Coach working toward her degree in Crisis Counseling. She has spent time doing trauma ministry in the church and has worked in victim services as a Paralegal Advocate helping survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Sheree is also a former foster youth currently serving as an advocate for emancipated foster youth in partnership with Foster Hope NY. It is her desire to give insight to the internal journey of a foster child and how words, actions and assumptions can either build, empower and heal or defeat, deflate and destroy. She is passionate about raising awareness to the challenges of foster survival and how we can help improve the process. Listen to Sheree’s inspiring story of hope!
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your socials.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday May 22, 2023
Monday May 22, 2023
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." -Genesis 50:20
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, Khalila Riga. As a survivor leader since 2013, Khalila brings a unique perspective to the vulnerabilities of children in foster care being exploited and trafficked.
Listen in as Khalila shares her own harrowing journey from being trafficked and exploited to ultimately being redeemed by God. You won’t want to miss this beauty from ashes testimony!
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your socials.
Links mentioned in this episode:
sandraflach@justicefororphansny.org
https://www.khalilariga.com/
Monday May 15, 2023
Monday May 15, 2023
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
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 Miriam Cobb, founder of the Empty Frames Initiative. Empty Frames seeks to empower orphaned and vulnerable youth as they transition out of foster care by providing training in life skills, counseling, community, and access to the Gospel.
Listen in as Miriam shares about how youth in foster care are vulnerable to being trafficked and the important role good foster families play in providing a hope and future for kids in care.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday May 08, 2023
Monday May 08, 2023
“And thee God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10
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, now foster and adoptive mom, Angela Paganelli. Angela is founder of Foster Blessings—a church based ministry serving foster and kinship families in Dutchess County, NY. She’s also the author of the newly released book of the same name, Foster Blessings.
Listen in as Angela shares her story along with her passion to serve the foster care community through Foster Blessings, her Fostering Conversations support group, and Fostering Our Faith podcast.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
sandraflach@justicefororphansny.org
@Foster Blessings on FB
Foster Blessings website