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August 13, 2025

Jeremy Carney, MSW, PhD  and Charley Joyce, MSW know that child welfare work can be challenging.  Yet it offers a deeply rewarding career path for individuals passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Hear how their professional experiences have made a profound difference in their lives and for others!

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The post Why Becoming a Child Welfare Professional is a Great Idea appeared first on Foster Adopt Minnesota.

Children and adults alike can be their own harshest critics, and our culture often perpetuates this.  But there is a powerful yet underutilized tool called mindful self-compassion. In this episode, we are joined by one of the experts in mindful self-compassion, Jamie Lynn Tatera. Jamie Lynn is a teacher, trainer, author, and the creator the Parent-Child Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Program. She’ll tell us about mindful self-compassion and how it can positively influence children, caregivers, and our communities.

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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.

FOSTER ADOPT MINNESOTA

The post If Our Family Provides Foster Care, Will Our Family Change? appeared first on Foster Adopt Minnesota.

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.

FOSTER ADOPT MINNESOTA

The post The Exhaustion of Parenting a Child with Bottomless Needs appeared first on Foster Adopt Minnesota.

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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The post School Issues for Children in Foster Care appeared first on Foster Adopt Minnesota.

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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