Becoming Fosters

Today, I was able to spend some time with KC Koonce. KC is a wife, a Master’s student, a Department of Human Services employee, and, get this, she is an adoptive and foster momma to 10, you heard that right, 10 kiddos right now. And I would argue, a real life superhero. KC started to feel that tug, you know the one… when she was driving a sibling set to multiple different homes. KC decided in that moment that she knew she would become a foster mom at some point, with the goal of keeping siblings together during their time in care. The stories she shares today are inspiring and uplifting, so grab your coffee, hide in your closet (where I may have been during this recording), hop on that bicycle, or pop in those airpods while you cruz every isle of Target as we listen to KC’s story of Becoming Fosters.

Today… we are talking about a pretty ummm… squishy subject… Foster care is the willingness to provide safe space for a child until their biological family is healthy enough to reunite, but the reality is that isn’t the happy ending of all cases. There are times when reunification is no longer a viable option and adoption becoming the case goal. Adoption can be such an incredible part of a family’s story and often is, but just like with anything in life can come with great highs and low lows. We have 3 biological daughters who are 15, 14, and 12, we also have an adopted son who is 2 and an 11month old foster daughter who will become our forever daughter early next year. That is a significant age gap, and to be honest there have been moments with two babies crying in the backseat of my car that I think, “What have I done?” Maybe you have asked yourself that same question when it comes to parenting, biologically, through adoption, or foster care.  But what happens when the roller coaster of parenting and adoption doesn’t start to tick back up the next hill? Today we are talking about adoption regret. I have read a lot about this over the last several weeks and every story is so vastly different. Our guest today has decided to bravely share her adoption regret story. Whether this story is eerily similar to what you are walking through, or maybe vastly different, but you recognize the feelings and emotion, I hope you are encouraged as we listen to this mama share her vulnerable story of adoption regret.

Today… I  found some time in the chaos of our busy home to steal some moments away with my one and only, the real MVP, Adrian Ramirez. I created this podcast to share stories from foster and adopted parents but was recently asked why we hadn’t shared ours, so today is the day. Adrian and I have been fostering for 6 years, and we don’t know it all, but we have learned a lot along the way. Fun fact, Adrian is an Enneagram 7, I am a dreaded 3. If you know much about enneagrams, you know how much I need him and how much he needs me. So grab some coffee, pop in those earbuds as you listen to our story of Becoming Fosters!

You guys, today’s guest is full of stories that are encouraging, loving, and hilarious. When I first heard about Whitney Hollingsworth, I knew I needed to meet her, she sounded like my type of person. We attempted to connect quite a few times over the last year but something about 10 kids between us, working, wifing, kept us apart. So when it was time to slow down during quarantine we were finally able to find a coordinating time that would work for both of us. Whitney has not only been a foster parent for 9 years but she has a super unique perspective because she has been employed by the Department of Human Services for over a decade, and bonus, adding to her knowledge and lens, her husband is an adoption attorney. He was part of our adoption story with Ford and if he will have us, will be again this fall. So, I am a big fan of this couple. What I love most is, Whitney, never asked a family to do something she wasn’t willing to take on herself and she shared a depth of understanding at work because of her even bigger work, right in her home. So as you drive to work, plop down in your cozy chair, step on the treadmill, or stroll every aisle of Target, lean in as we listen to Whitney’s story of Becoming Fosters.

Today’s guest is Shelby Shupe. She is an adoptive mama through foster care. She even has one of those emergency type placements that turns into forever. Those are actually my favorite, seeing as that is how my family was built. Shelby lives over on the west coast, but neither of us realized that until it was about time to record and we were two hours apart. Shelby and her husband dived into foster care prior to having children biologically and have created a dream life, living in the country, but way closer to a beach than me over here in Oklahoma, and raising their tribe. I hope you get comfortable, grab some coffee,  or pop in those earbuds as you stroll every isle of Target, as we listen to Shelby’s story of Becoming Fosters.

Today I sat down with Tina… Tina and her brother were adopted through foster care as young children. In her earliest years, Tina remembers the reality of foster care and shares how those experiences continue to impact who she is today. She is able to provide insight and encouragement through her experience. Tina didn’t let foster care stifle her story, but she honors it as a piece of who she is and continues to let those pieces of her, uplift those around her.

If you are a foster parent, looking into becoming one, or you serve foster kids and families in a different capacity, today’s episode is something you need to lean into. So grab a chair, go for a drive, or pop in your earbuds as we listen to Tina’s story.

Today, Amanda Torres carved out some time to sit down with me to talk. Amanda is a wife, mama to her tribe, and a fellow foster mama, it was so great to spend some time soaking up her story. Amanda and her family actually started the foster process, of course by the prompting of Jesus but with the encouragement of Miranda Seagraves, from episode 16. Miranda needed a babysitter one evening and Amanda said, yes. Even before she opened her home, Amanda’s heart was bent to fill the needs around her. So lean in as we listen to Amanda’s story of Becoming Fosters.

Judy Temaat,  knew she was called to foster care but didn’t feel called to become a foster parent. Instead she took what she knew and helped launch a new chapter of the Angels Organization that started in Austin, TX. The information Judy shares today will get anyone mobilized and provides an exciting and life changing opportunity to get involved in foster care, without opening your home.

Miranda Segraves is a biological, adoptive, and foster Mama. Miranda, husband and children have been a foster family for 10 years. If you are a foster family you know the grit and sheer determination it takes to foster, but that hasn’t worn Miranda down or made her shy away. Instead she continues to race towards the need and the children who enter her home and their biological families, for whatever length of time, reap the benefit of knowing Miranda and being loved by her. So grab your coffee, snuggle up in your comfy chair, hop on the treadmill, or pop in those earphones and hide in the closet from the kids, as we listen to Miranda’s story of Becoming Fosters.

Today’s episode looks a little different. This is the first ever episode that I have recorded without sitting in the same room with my guest. And the next several will be the same… We are in an incredibly unique time in history. COVID-19 has rocked the entire world and, in its wake, the way we foster. It’s paused court, it’s seemingly halted progressing towards goals, family visits are remote, Zoom and FaceTime are our new best friends for therapy and worker visits… but there is plenty of good happening if we look just past the surface.

Today I spent some time with Mandi Mays. You may remember her and her husband Jon from Season 1, Episode 9- Wise, not Safe. Mandi and I are both foster moms, we both work in community focused work, are married to pastors, have lots of kids, and we are friends. We wanted to take some time and just talk candidly about how COVID-19 has impacted us personally, because the reality is, you might need to hear that you aren’t the only one feeling all of the things. So grab your coffee, pop in those headphones, hide in the bathroom, or take a walk around the block while you spend some time with Mandi and me today.