We have broken systems all over this country, one of which is the foster care system. On July 23, 2022, Family By Heart podcast host, Dustin Gruss, filled in at Independence United Methodist Church in Ohio and gave a sermon detailing his experience within the broken foster care system. Despite the fact that Gruss and his wife adopted their two sons from the foster care system, they acknowledge that there are issues in place that make it hard for the biological parents to sometimes get their children back from the foster system. Gruss and his wife trusted in God's plan for their children and for them, but know that there is another side of things and that their is much work to be done in the foster care system and the other broken systems. In this message Gruss encourages other's to seek a relationship with God and find a way God would want to use them to heal these broken systems so God's will would be done.

SPECIAL NOTE: Dustin Gruss is NOT a licensed pastor. In addition to his own public speaking appearances he has been active in various ways within his own church community and he was simply asked to step in during a scheduled absence.

To contact Gruss email him at: [email protected] or follow him on social: instagram.com/familybyheartpod.

In the world of foster care, foster families and the foster youth alike can use all the help they can get. That's why there are incredible foster care non-profit organizations like the Cleveland Angels.

In this week's episode of the Family By Heart Podcast, host and foster to adopt parent Dustin Gruss, sits down with foster care volunteers, Seth, Cynthia and Sarah Tomasch to discuss their experience volunteering in the foster community. The Tomasch family volunteered with the Cleveland Angels non-profit as parts of their foster family Love Box and Dare to Dream foster youth mentorship programs. Cynthia and Sarah were actually the Love Box sponsors of Gruss and his family, Gruss' now adopted son pictured in the video image.

Included in their discussion - how Seth and Cynthia discovered the foster care non-profit organization, the Cleveland Angels, what they've learned about foster care, how volunteering has changed their perspective and how they plan on continuing to volunteer in the foster care community.

For more on the Cleveland Angels non-profit foster organization, visit: cleangels.org Or to find one of the 20+ Angels chapters nearest you, visit: nationalangels.org

Do you have a story to share about fertility, foster care or adoption? Or maybe you decided to live child free? You're still a part of the family and others could use hearing your message. Contact Dustin at [email protected].

Justin Black is a foster care alumni, author, foster youth advocate, speaker and host of "Rose from Concrete" podcast.

Black and his wife, Alexis, wrote "Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovering Healing, Happiness, and Love". Together, written in alternating chapters, they reveal how two people brutalized in childhood managed to defy the odds, get healthy, and build a new life together. They used hope and a sense of purpose to guide them. They also share a desire to help others who similarily suffer, teaching them to reject the abusive patterns of their past, thereby breaking the cycle of generational violence and neglect through their ROSE Empowerment Group and Redefining Normal brand.

Dustin and Justin discuss the book writing process, the importance of affirmations when trying to transform your life, overcoming generational trauma, faith being the center of their approach in raising their family and how his different organizations are helping other affected youth.

www.re-definingnormal.com

Instagram: @re.definingnormal

Book on Amazon: Redefining Normal

In this week's episode of Family By Heart, host, Dustin Gruss, speaks with Simon Benn, host of the Thriving Adoptees podcast.

In this episode Benn and Gruss discuss Benn's thriving podcast, some of the guests he has had and topics covered, Benn's idea of society being trauma obsessed versus hope obsessed, what his experience podcasting has taught him and Benn's experience being an adoptee himself.

Benn was adopted at just 5 weeks old and lived what he thought was a fairly normal life in the UK. But when he discovered around his 40th birthday that his long treasured teddy bear was actually a gift from his birth mom, he started to uncover some intense anger, questions and emotional confusion that he hadn't realized he had been carrying all these years, perceiving that he was "unloved". Benn then got into personal development to find happiness and eventually sold his publishing business to help others.

He started working with kids in 2013 - running fun activity workshops with 1600 youngsters to inspire them to be happy, confident and make their dreams come true.

​After which he decided to share what he's learned with parents and professionals to make more of a difference through online talking events with the US, UK and Australia as well as being a guest on many podcasts before launching his own, "Thriving Adoptees" which has over 175 episodes in just 2 years time.

To find out more on Simon Benn, visit his webpage: simonbenn.co.uk or Google "Thriving Adoptees"

Do you have a story of fertility struggle, foster care, adoption or choosing to be child free? Are you struggling with life decisions and events related to family building? Contact Dustin Gruss at [email protected] about being a guest on the podcast or for a free coaching consult.

Fertility struggles take an emotional and physical toll on any woman looking to have a baby. And it can certainly put a strain on a marriage or relationship when having difficulty trying to conceive. But what about the emotional and mental toll it takes on the husband or male in the relationship? Author Keegan Prue joins host Dustin Gruss in this episode of Family By Heart to talk about the male perspective when it comes to going through fertility struggles.

They discuss Prue's book, "The IVF Dad", being released July 7,2022, share their own fertility issue stories, the stereotypical idea of men not being emotional, what emotional triggers they experienced and how they were able to stand in a space with their partners.

Prue is an educator and author that lives in New York. He and his wife started trying to conceive 5 years ago and after two rounds of IVF, two miscarriages and three embryo tranfers they finally had their miracle baby in 2020. That experience inspired him to write "The IVF Dad: What I Learned on My Infertility Journey, and How it Can Help You." He wanted to help other men and couples going through fertility issues feel more informed, empowered and equipped to support themselves and each other.

Purchase "The IVF Dad" book here.

Author's note- One third of the sales of "The IVF Dad" will go to The Stork Foundation. The Stork Foundation provides financial assistance to low resource individuals who require costly medical infertility treatments that would otherwise be out of financial reach. 

Instagram: @theivfdad

Web: theivfdad.com

Email: [email protected]

To contact host, Dustin Gruss, find him on Instagram: @familybyheartpod or email him at [email protected].

At the heart of each family, no matter in what form the family is created, lies the head of the family. It might be the parents, a guardian, a foster parent, an older sibling, etc.. But while taking care of the kids of the family is a HUGE responsibility to the head of the family, so is taking care of themselves. And if the heart and head of the family is a married couple or a team of two people working together, it is important that the team stays connected to each other- not only so that they can best care for the kids but care for their relationship and be an example of what a healthy team or marriage looks like.

In this episode of Family By Heart host/coach, Dustin Gruss, talks about this important fact and then provides examples of how to stay connected to your partner and to yourself.

Any examples he missed? Send him your thoughts and ideas. Needing a little assistance/consulting as you navigate the infertility/foster care/adoption space? Reach out to him for that too. Email him at: [email protected]

For the video version of this podcast watch here.

Infertility is an issue that many couples never think they will have to face. But when they do, infertility slaps them in the face- hard. In this week's episode host, Dustin Gruss, shares a message he gave at a local church's meditative service. In his message he details the journey that he and his wife went through from just their second date, through the rough times during their early discovery of their infertility to where they are now, having just adopted their two boys.

This short message could be considered an abridged version of episodes 2 and 3, "Our Story", but this just from Dustin's perspective and has more of a spirituality focus.

To enjoy the whole meditative experience of this service, listen here.

For speaking engagements, appearances or assistance on dealing with fertility struggles of your own, contact Gruss at: [email protected].

Please, where available, Like, Share and Subscribe.

After 8 episodes, 6 guests and 2 Awareness' periods (Infertility Awareness Week and Foster Care Awareness Month)- it is time for a recap episode!

In this episode host, Dustin Gruss, tips his cap to each episode and guest. And to show there is always room for improvement, Gruss shares the books that he has read or is starting to read to further educate himself on the topics of infertility, foster care and adoption.

PRODUCTION NOTE: The video portion of this episode did not properly record and therefore didn't digitally transfer making this episode audio only.

For the books Dustin referenced in this episode:

Transcending Infertility: 9 Keys... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NWD1MKM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

What He Can Expect When She's Not Expecting: How to Support Your Wife, Save Your Marriage, and Conquer Infertility! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ULMHZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_F8MXF5J4K07M8FY7DWC9

Foster the Family: Encouragement,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B2MDQC5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Redefining Normal : How Two... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MDHZ5KZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The Black Foster Youth Handbook:... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CJB8CM9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Fostered: One Woman’s Powerful Story of Finding Faith and Family through Foster Care https://www.amazon.com/dp/1087750970/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_XXYRAJKSSEY3EQNSG4EG

The New Dad Dictionary: Everything He Really Needs to Know - from A to Z https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440585237/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_8VYHRDK9TY6X7HA4Z72E

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZT6RHY/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_CQ9EJAVEXBG8KZSCC8PW

These are just links to Amazon, Dustin and Family By Heart do not get any financial benefit from sharing these links.

To contact Dustin about your story, ideas for another episode or for some assistance, email him at: [email protected]

You don't need to be a foster parent to have an impact on the foster community. That's the message that Executive Assistant, Hannah Budic, learned when she joined the Cleveland Angels, a non-profit organization in Northeast Ohio that supports the families and children in the foster community. Listen to Hannah's experience growing up with parents that fostered, her continued passion to help and how she got involved with the Cleveland Angels.

The Cleveland Angels is one of 22 national chapters of the Angels organization. They run two main programs, "Dare to Dream" and "Love Box Families". Dare to Dream is a mentorship program that pairs a screened and qualified adult with an older youth in the foster system and the Love Box Families pairs individuals or groups with a family that is hosting a foster youth and provides them with a monthly box of supplies, gifts and encouragement.

Currently in the Cleveland area there are 27 Love Box families looking to be matched and mentorship needs in Elyria for females and Parma and Euclid for males. For more info or how you can help visit cleangels.org.

To find an Angels chapter near you or how you can help, visit nationalangels.org.

Do you have a story to share about fertility, foster care or adoption? Or maybe you decided to live child free? You're still part of the family and others could use hearing your message. Contact Dustin at [email protected]

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and as more people become aware of the need, many people ask if they would "qualify" to be a foster parent, unsure if they are up for the large task. In this episode podcast host and Family Transition Coach, Dustin Gruss, breaks down an infographic that featured some of the more relevant qualifications to become a foster parent as well as his own knowledge and experience. The infographic referenced is courtesy of For Children's Sake, a non-profit foster-to-adopt organization out of Virginia.

For more information relevant to your location, contact your local Department of Child and Family Services or Job and Family Services.

If you have any questions from this episode, please contact Dustin at: [email protected].

To watch this episode, visit here.