Beauty For Ashes

Do foster parents really get paid? 👀

It’s one of the questions people ask all the time, so we’re finally talking about it! In this episode, we’re breaking down the truth about foster parent payments, what that money is actually for, how the process works, and some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding foster care and finances.

We’re keeping it real, answering the questions you might be too afraid to ask, and sharing what we wish more people understood about fostering. Because yes… there’s definitely more to the story than “you get paid to foster.” 😂

🎙️ Tune in, learn something new, and come chat with us!

Reunification is one of the most beautiful—and complicated—parts of foster care.

In this episode, we’re opening our hearts about what it means to walk through reunification and the feelings that can come with it. We talk honestly about the emotions that don’t always fit neatly together: the happiness of seeing a child return to their family, the grief of saying goodbye, the love that makes both feelings possible, and the reminder that both things can be true.

You can celebrate a family being restored and still mourn the relationship and season you’re leaving behind. You can be deeply grateful and deeply heartbroken. You can trust that reunification is good while acknowledging that goodbye still hurts.

This is a conversation about holding space for the whole story—the joy, the grief, the love, and the letting go.

It’s been a whole year, and somehow, we’re older, wiser, a little more tired, and definitely not the same people who recorded Season 1.

Welcome back to the podcast and Season 2, Episode 1! After taking a year away, we’re finally sitting down and catching up on where life has taken us. We’ve grown, changed, experienced new things, learned some lessons, and honestly… life has been LIFE.

In this episode, we’re just getting reacquainted — talking about what we’ve been up to, where we are in life now, how much has changed since you last heard from us, and what you can expect from this new season.

No big production. No pretending we have it all figured out. Just us, older by a year, back behind the mics and ready to catch you up.

Season 2 starts now. Welcome back. We missed you. ❤️

In this powerful episode of Beauty for Ashes, we sit down with Heather Hill as she shares her deeply personal journey to foster care.

Heather opens up about experiencing the loss of a biological child and how, in the midst of unimaginable grief, she began to feel a calling to foster. She shares her thoughts on that calling, the emotions that came with it, and what it means to say yes to something when your heart has already experienced such profound loss.

This is a raw, honest, and deeply moving conversation about grief, faith, motherhood, and the unexpected ways a calling can take shape.

Heather’s story will stay with you long after the episode ends.

This is a chilling episode. A must-listen. 🕊️🤍

Angel’s Journey: From County Social Worker to Empowering Moms in Crisis

In this episode of Beauty for Ashes, we’re sitting down with Angel to hear the story behind her journey from working as a county social worker to dedicating her life to empowering moms in crisis.

Angel shares what she witnessed while working within the child welfare system, the experiences that changed her perspective, and what ultimately led her to believe that supporting and strengthening mothers can make a lasting difference for entire families.

This conversation is about compassion, purpose, advocacy, and what happens when we choose to meet people in their hardest moments with support instead of judgment.

Angel’s story is a reminder that sometimes God uses the places we’ve been to prepare us for the work we’re called to do next.

From working within the system to empowering women beyond it—this is Angel’s journey. 🤍

In this episode of Beauty for Ashes, we’re breaking down some of the biggest myths and misconceptions surrounding foster care—and talking about how those beliefs can ultimately hurt children, biological families, foster families, and the people trying to help.

From common assumptions about why children enter care to misconceptions about birth parents, reunification, foster parents, and the child welfare system, we’re separating fact from fiction and having the conversations that don’t always get talked about.

Foster care is complicated. Families are complicated. And behind every case is a real child and real people navigating circumstances they never expected.

Our hope is that this episode challenges the way you think, replaces judgment with understanding, and encourages more compassion for everyone involved.

Because when we believe the wrong things about foster care, kids and families can pay the price.

Come listen, learn, and see foster care through a different lens. 🤍

In this episode of Beauty for Ashes, we’re getting personal as co-host Kayla shares her story.

Kayla opens up about the experiences, struggles, lessons, and moments that have shaped who she is today. Her story is one of learning to walk through difficult seasons, finding God in the middle of them, and discovering that even the hardest parts of our lives can become something beautiful.

This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and a reminder that our past does not have to define our future.

Sometimes, the very places that broke us become the places where God begins to rebuild us.

“To give them beauty for ashes…” — Isaiah 61:3 🕊️

In this pilot episode, we introduce the heart behind the podcast, what Beauty for Ashes means to us, and what you can expect from this journey. We talk about faith, life, healing, growth, and finding beauty in the places we never thought we’d have to walk through.

This episode was originally released, but unfortunately, the original upload was deleted. So we’re bringing it back!

If you’re new here, welcome. If you were here for the original, thank you for coming back. We’re so glad you’re here.

“To give them beauty for ashes…” — Isaiah 61:3

Let’s begin. 🕊️

The Heart Between is a deeply personal and powerful journey through grief, love, and the calling to foster. Our guest, Heather Hill—a mom of four and foster mom to two—this podcast explores the sacred space between loss and healing, heartbreak and hope. After the devastating loss of her daughter Layla, Heather and her family stepped into the world of foster care, finding purpose in the pain and light in the darkest places. From fostering toddlers to welcoming teens, Heather shares honest reflections on motherhood, resilience, and the messy beauty of loving children who come and go. Raw, real, and redemptive, The Heart Between is a space for anyone navigating the in-between—and learning how to love bravely through it all.

Meet Angel—a passionate social worker whose career has taken her from the front lines of county child welfare to a private foster care agency, and now into a new role supporting moms facing unexpected pregnancies. In this heartfelt conversation, Angel shares what inspired her to become a social worker, what she's learned along the way, and how her current work helps women build strong foundations for themselves and their babies. If you're curious about the inner workings of foster care, the transition between public and private sectors, or the power of wraparound support for vulnerable families, this episode is a must-listen.