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 Apr 12, 2021
Monday Apr 12, 2021
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:3-5
“The cross of Christ is our adoption process. Adoption is not a man-made plan B but God’s plan A from the beginning, even before He made the world. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His family. He would not leave us as orphans. Through Jesus Christ, He would adopt us and make us His children. We would be orphans no more.”
The above words are the opening lines from Sandra Flach’s new book, Orphans No More: A Journey Back to the Father. Sandra, adoptive mom, Exec. Dir. of Justice For Orphans, and podcast host, penned this memoir about her family’s adoption journey and lessons she learned about our spiritual adoption through the lens of an adoptive parent.
This week on her Orphans No More podcast, Sandra shares about the inspiration for writing the book and reads some excerpts. Orphans No More—A Journey Back to the Father releases in June. Tune in to learn how you can join Sandra’s Book Launch Team and be among the first to read her e-book.
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Monday Apr 05, 2021
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Monday Mar 29, 2021
“The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:5-6
Sandra Flach, host of our Orphans No More podcast, states, “I need the Lord to sustain me AND I need His wisdom and knowledge to navigate this adoptive parenting journey.”
This week on the show, Sandra shares some of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder knowledge she’s gained. She also dives into why FASD knowledge is important for foster and adoptive parents and how to apply it. Sandra closes the episode with prayer for families.
Tune in and learn how FASD is not “just” a behavioral problem but a lifelong developmental disability and why everyone involved with a person with FASD must be FASD informed.
Listen in to episode #267 HERE as Sandra, an adoptive mom of five kids, shares from her lived experience of parenting two kids diagnosed with an FASD. .
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Monday Mar 22, 2021
Monday Mar 22, 2021
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Shame, stigma, and myths surrounding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders create barriers to helping individuals on the spectrum. The more caregivers are educated about FASD and the more equipped they are to parent children with an FASD, the more successful the outcomes will be for our kids.
This week on our Orphans No More podcast, host Sandra Flach, dives into two more FASD Facts from the FAFASD website. Tune in and learn how to navigate the shame and stigma associated with FASDs and how to tackle the myth that conveys a message of hopelessness surrounding those with an FASD.
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Monday Mar 15, 2021
Monday Mar 15, 2021
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33
Caring for individuals with trauma, including brain-based disabilities, is a difficult road to navigate. Daily struggles managing behaviors, educational and medical needs, and lack of support often takes a toll on marriages, siblings, and caregiver’s health.
On this week’s episode of Orphans No More, host Sandra Flach talks with adoptive mom, Gwen Bartley. Gwen struggled to meet the needs of her three adopted children, each with various mental health and intellectual disabilities. Fighting for services led her to establish Amazing Grace Advocacy—a nonprofit organization supporting families affected by brain disorders.
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Links mentioned in this episode:
AmazingGraceAdvocacy.org
Monday Mar 08, 2021
Monday Mar 08, 2021
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Caregivers of individuals with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder experience high levels of stress. Some of that stress is directly related with a lack of educated and informed systems and supports. However, parents of children with an FASD make fierce advocates.
On this week’s episode of Orphans No More, host Sandra Flach talks with adoptive dad, Joel Sheagren. A film director and producer by trade, Joel is passionate about bringing awareness to FASD. His current project, Embraced—Truth About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders , is a documentary created to shed light on the subject.
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Monday Mar 01, 2021
Monday Mar 01, 2021
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
Children suffering from childhood trauma experience big feelings. They need help learning how to appropriately express big emotions. Asking for help and trusting other people require a huge amount of courage. Kids healing from difficult life experiences need a safe space for conversations about complex thoughts and feelings. Riley the Brave creates that safe space.
Jessica Sinarski is the author of Riley the Brave—a book about a little bear with big feelings. On this week’s episode of our Orphans No More podcast, host Sandra Flach talks with Jessica about equipping parents and professionals to be healers for hurting children.
Listen in to their conversation as Jessica shares about Riley the Brave and other Brave Brains resources.
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Monday Feb 22, 2021
Monday Feb 22, 2021
“LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, somber people can no longer terrify them.” Psalm 10:17-18
Eighty percent of the children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are in the foster care system. The average age that children with an FASD begin having trouble with the law is 12.8 years old. Fifty percent of individuals with an FASD have a history of confinement in a jail, prison, chemical health treatment facility, or psychiatric hospital.
According to Proof Alliance, FASD behaviors that contribute to these poor outcomes are confabulation, memory challenges, difficulty with impulse control, inability to understand consequences, difficulty connecting cause and effect, and vulnerability to peer pressure. Caregivers of individuals with an FASD are familiar with these behaviors. What can be done to help assure the success of our kids?
On this week’s episode of our Orphans No More podcast, host Sandra Flach talks with Albany County Court Judge Andra Ackerman about FASD and the criminal justice system. Over her career, Judge Ackerman has fiercely advocated for vulnerable children in the system. Born to an alcoholic mother, Andra spent time in the foster care system. Her experience fuels her passion for justice for vulnerable youth.
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Monday Feb 15, 2021
Monday Feb 15, 2021
“Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight.” Psalm 94:19
Remote learning has put an immense strain on families of school age children. Foster and adoptive parents are especially challenged. Imagine navigating the logistics of multiple children with special needs all needing to be online on different devices at the same time.
On this week’s episode of our Orphans No More podcast, host Sandra Flach talks with adoptive mom, Sherrie Wixtrom. Sherrie knows first hand about the challenges of parenting and educating children with trauma histories. She and her husband, Karl, are parents to eight adopted children. Six kids still live home ranging in ages from 14-22 years, five of whom have an FASD.
Listen in to their conversation as Sherrie shares advice and offers hope to help families struggling in this season.
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Monday Feb 08, 2021
Monday Feb 08, 2021
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
Fifty percent of newly certified foster parents resign from fostering after the first year. For many, caring for traumatized children is daunting, isolating, and heartbreaking. However, those who receive support from the community around them tend to thrive, as do the kids placed in their homes.
Foster Well is a Delaware based nonprofit working to connect the foster care community with those who want to love and support them. On this week’s Orphans No More podcast episode, we talk with Foster Well founder, Christine Robinson. Listen in as Christine shares practical ways volunteers can help a foster family to foster well.
Host Sandra Flach also shares two more Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder facts from FAFASD.org. FASD discussion bookends the guest interview. So be sure to listen to the end.
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