In this episode, Eileen Devine, licensed clinical social worker and founder of Brain First Parenting, shares how we can support individuals with challenging behaviors by moving away from rewards and consequences and toward a deeper understanding of the brain-behavior connection. Eileen also shares her personal experience of raising a daughter who lives with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

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Foster parents should be aware that fire-setting can be a serious and potentially dangerous behavior that requires careful attention and intervention.  It’s crucial to understand the child’s reasons behind fire-setting, including curiosity, impulsive behavior, or underlying emotional issues.  Understanding the causes, signs, and appropriate responses can help foster parents manage this behavior effectively and keep everyone safe.

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This is an important question as families consider caring for children and teens in foster care. While there are no certain answers, it’s vital to consider all the ways a family could change and different experiences families may encounter. Charley Joyce and Rick Delaney have helped numerous families prepare for the uncertainties and changes that come with providing foster care, and today they will share their knowledge and insights.

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In this episode, we are joined by Scott Yeomans, who shares his story as a kinship caregiver, acknowledging the unanticipated commitment, emotions and decisions he and his family have faced.

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Unfortunately, the life experiences of foster youth have often been impacted by abandonment, trauma and neglect. These experiences can result in youth being chronically scared and coping by wanting constant reassurance and protection from safe adults who are often foster parents. In this podcast, Dr. Rick Delaney and Charley Joyce will discuss backgrounds that create this neediness, implications for foster parents and considerations when responding. Unfortunately, the life experiences of foster youth have often been impacted by abandonment, trauma and neglect. These experiences can result in youth being chronically scared and coping by wanting constant reassurance and protection from safe adults who are often foster parents. In this podcast, Dr. Rick Delaney and Charley Joyce will discuss backgrounds that create this neediness, implications for foster parents and considerations when responding.

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In this episode, Britt Frank–therapist, author, speaker, and adjunct professor—shares tools and insights from her brand new book, Align Your Mind. Listen in as she brings us personal stories, practical tips, and new ways of navigating all the different parts of ourselves.

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In this episode, Rick Delaney and Charley Joyce focus on the behavioral and emotional challenges children in foster care and families experience within the school system.  Tune in to learn how school-related issues impact foster parents and their interactions with their children, and how parents can advocate for their child’s educational needs and rights.

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In this episode, we are joined by Holly Guyer, Mark Watkins and Sandi Falck. Holly, Mark and Sandi are siblings who were adopted at birth. They share their story–from what they were told by their parents in childhood, to the information they learned along the way, to connecting in adulthood. They also share how the adoption law change in Minnesota helped them learn more information about their birth parents.

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Ellie Krug is a former civil trial attorney, nonprofit leader, radio/podcast host, author and national speaker on human inclusivity. Most of all, she is the parent of two Korean-born adult daughters, one of whom Ellie lost when she came out as transgender in 2009. Our interview will touch upon the challenges of being an adoptive parent years after the adoptive child comes home, but will particularly focus on how Ellie and her oldest daughter regained their relationship following several years of estrangement. Theirs is a story of open hearts, persistence, and love.

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Rick Delaney and Charley Joyce will define what is meant by anger and aggression directed at mother figures in foster care. We will learn how they determined this can be a dynamic in foster care, describe what the anger/aggression looks like, possible reasons for the anger and some considerations in how foster families might respond.

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