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 Mar 25, 2024
Monday Mar 25, 2024
"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." Ephisians 3:20
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 talks with returning guest, Jessica Hurlbut. Jessica is a wife, pastor, writer, podcaster, and mom of five—two autistic, two adopted, and one typical teen boy. She and her husband, Greg, are lead pastors of New Testament Church in Upstate New York. Jessica and her husband also host a weekly podcast, Full Spectrum Parent, the only faith-based autism parenting podcast. And her first book, Unlimited Motherhood: Overcome 12 Limits That Overwhelm & Conflict Our Hearts has just hit the shelves!
Listen in as Jessica shares how she navigates her parenting journey and her faith.
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 Mar 18, 2024
Monday Mar 18, 2024
"Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" Romans 2:4
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 returning guest, Dr. Jerrod Brown, PhD.
Listen in as Dr. Brown unpacks how prenatal and childhood trauma affect attachment and the importance of Attachment-Informed Parenting.
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 Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Ephesians 3:16-17
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 talks with Laura Bedard. Laura and her husband are parents of an adopted son with FASD. She’s part of the FASD United Family Navigator team and author of the children’s books, My Adopted Feelings and My FASD Feelings.
Listen in as Laura shares her family’s adoption story, how she began her FASD journey, and why she’s passionate about helping other families navigate FASD.
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
Focus on the Family FASD Resource
Sunday Mar 03, 2024
Sunday Mar 03, 2024
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” Psalm 68:5-6
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 talks with adoptive mom, Kelly Henderson. A special educator by profession, Kelly is a former public school teacher of students with emotional and behavioral disorders, and has worked in national and federal special education policy and research settings. Kelly’s family is formed in part through foster care and adoption. Her teen and young adult children have a range of learning, behavioral, medical and cognitive disabilities.
Kelly is also Executive Director of Formed Families Forward, a Virginia based nonprofit dedicated to supporting foster, kinship, and adoptive families of children and youth with disabilities and other special needs, including FASD.
Listen in as Sandra and Kelly discuss serving and supporting families well.
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
Sunday Feb 25, 2024
Sunday Feb 25, 2024
"From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. He said: In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry." Jonah 2:1-2
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 talks with adoptive mom, Pam Willis. After fostering for six years, Pam and her husband Gary adopted a sibling set of seven children through foster care.
Listen in as Pam shares her incredible second chance adoption story.
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
Focus on the Family FASD Resource
Pam Willis @second.chance.7
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
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 talks with Dr. Jerrod Brown about what foster and adoptive parents need to know about Gut-Brain Health Axis Dysfunction.
Listen in as Dr. Brown unpacks this vitally important topic.
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 Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering—before our God & Father—your works of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thessalonians 1:2-3
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 a message about the trials and challenges of parenting children with trauma and prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs.
Listen in as Sandra encourages caregivers to plug in to Jesus for the power they need to navigate the journey.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
“But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it, while Aaron & Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So, his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” Exodus 17:12
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 adoptive mom and FASD Family Navigator, Kristen Eriksen.
Kristen is mom to teenage twins with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. She’s also a Family Navigator with FASD United and works with family’s in Massachusetts through massFAS.
Listen in to Sandra and Kristen’s conversation and be encouraged for your parenting journey.
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 Jan 29, 2024
Monday Jan 29, 2024
“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Thessalonians 5:11
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 FASD mentor and coach, Laurie Anderson. Laurie shares from her years of experience as a Big Sister and now guardian of a young woman with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
As Laurie advocated for her daughter she committed herself to learning all she could about FASD. Today, she’s a sought after mentor and coach and an asset to the FASD community.
Listen in as Laurie shares her story and encourages our listeners.
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
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” 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 speaks with adoptive mom and orphan advocate, Sindy Ost. Sindy and her husband are parents of 6 adopted daughters. She is also the leader of many Facebook adoption support groups and Seas the Connection—a foundation providing respite retreats for adoptive and foster moms.
Listen in as Sindy shares her family’s adoption story and offers encouragement to moms.
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