Matt Stafford grew up in foster care and was eventually permanently placed with a family—but never adopted. While living in a home with biological and adopted children who shared the family name, Matt was left wondering why he didn’t belong in the same way.

Despite a stable placement, Matt was required to continue visitations with biological parents who claimed to love him but also caused him harm. Those experiences shaped his understanding of what family really means: trust, safety, and faith—not biology or paperwork.

In this powerful episode of Roots and Branches: Adoption Stories, Matt shares:

• What it felt like to be permanently placed but not adopted
• How forced visitations affected his sense of safety and identity
• Whether the decision not to adopt was about control, not his best interest
• How the foster care system failed him—and how it can do better
• Why he now dedicates his life to helping kids who struggle socially and often get labeled as “trouble”

This conversation challenges assumptions about permanency, adoption, and what children in care truly need to heal and thrive.

#FosterCare #Permanency #NotAdopted #ChildWelfare #FosterYouthVoices #SystemReform #RootsAndBranchesPodcast

What would you do if a DNA test revealed you had a 40-year-old son you never knew existed?

In this episode of Roots and Branches: Adoption Stories, author and trauma-healing mentor Jim Pehkoven shares the shock of discovering he had been a father his entire adult life. Jim opens up about meeting his son, respecting his choice not to pursue a relationship, and how his book DNA Results can help you navigate the trauma of unexpected family discovery.

A powerful story about truth, boundaries, and healing.

#RootsAndBranchesPodcast #AdoptionStories #DNASurprise #UnexpectedFamily
#BirthFatherStory #FamilyTruth #HealingTrauma #DNA Results
#AncestryDNA #FamilyReunion #AdoptionAwareness

In this episode of Roots and Branches: Adoption Stories, Kris Austin shares adoption from both sides of the story. First as a branch, growing up with an adopted brother, and later as a root, becoming a mother through adoption herself.

Kris reflects on sibling bonds, reunion with birth family, the courage of birth parents, and the deep truth that family is built through love, honesty, and connection—not biology alone. Her story highlights the beauty and goodness that adoption can bring across generations.: 

  #RootsAndBranches
#AdoptionStories
#AdoptionJourney
#AdoptiveFamily
#BirthParentLove
#AdopteeVoices
#AdoptionAwareness
#ChosenFamily
#FamilyIsLove
#AdoptionPodcast  

From a troubled upbringing to time in jail, Bubba’s life has been shaped by hardship — but also by transformation. In today’s episode, Bubba opens up about the pivotal moments that reshaped his future, the lessons he learned behind bars, and the powerful decision to legally adopt Mick, the little boy who changed everything.

We explore:
How his childhood shaped the man he became
What led to the decisions that landed him in prison
How incarceration became a turning point instead of an ending
The truth about meeting his now-wife, a former correctional officer
His surprising journey into fatherhood and adopting Mick
How podcasting (The Scene Projects) became his mission and livelihood
Why he believes he is becoming the father he always wished he had

This is a story about second chances, accountability, healing, and the unexpected paths that lead us to family.

#AdoptionStories #SecondChances #Fatherhood #Transformation #RootsAndBranchesPodcast #TheSceneProjects

International expert Richard Villasana shares the heartbreaking—and inspiring—truth behind the U.S. family separation crisis. From foster care pipelines to immigration failures, Richard exposes how thousands of children became lost in the system and the heroic efforts to reunite them with family. Based on his book Do No Harm, this episode reveals what really happened, why it matters, and how we can ALL be part of the solution.

#RootsAndBranches #AdoptionStories #FosterCare #ImmigrationCrisis #DoNoHarm #RichardVillasana #FamilySeparation #Reunification #ChildWelfare #Podcast   

From a fresh start in Colorado to the challenges of COVID, Dan and Tina found themselves facing business struggles, family upheaval — and a life-changing decision. When their three-year-old niece needed a safe home, they opened their hearts and became kinship foster parents.

In this episode, Dan and Tina shares the emotional and complicated process of fostering a child within the family, the realities of kinship care, and the long, often frustrating road toward adoption.

If you are a kinship caregiver, in the middle of foster-to-adopt, or supporting someone who is — this story will resonate deeply.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Becoming a kinship foster parent with almost no notice
• Navigating the foster system as family
• The emotional bond that grew with their niece
• The slow, complicated path toward adoption
• How fostering changed their marriage, their plans, and their purpose

Join me, Janet Munro, as we continue uncovering the powerful and complex stories of adoption — the roots, the branches, and everything in between.

#KinshipCare #FosterToAdopt #AdoptionStories #FamilyMatters #RootsAndBranches #FosterCareAwareness #KinshipAdoption #AdoptionJourney #COVIDStories

When Kala prayed for children during a church retreat, she didn’t know the path would lead through heartbreak, patience, faith — and ultimately, family.

She and her husband, Terry, began fostering, following in her sister’s footsteps. Over time they cared for three children who each returned to their biological families. Months later, one phone call changed everything:
Would they take back one of the children — along with her two siblings?

For 2½ years, Kala and Terry opened their home and hearts to all three. When two siblings left to live with their grandparents, Evey remained. On March 17, 2021, her biological father sent the message that would change their lives:

“The most loving thing I can do is let Evey be adopted.”

With both parents relinquishing their rights, Evey’s adoption was finalized in November 2021, making Kala and Terry her forever family.

This story is for anyone walking the foster-to-adopt journey, wondering if love, faith, and perseverance truly make a difference. Spoiler: they do.

#FosterToAdopt #AdoptionStories #FaithJourney #RootsAndBranchesPodcast #FosteringLove #FamilyByHeart #AdoptiveMom #OpenHeartsOpenHome

Adopted by her grandparents as a baby, Deanna grew up learning the cost of secrecy — and chose to raise her children with honesty and transparency. Today, she and her husband are parents to seven, including two teenagers they adopted to keep them out of the system. Her story is one of resilience, compassion, and the true meaning of family.

#AdoptionStories #RootsAndBranches #FamilyIsLove #AdoptionJourney #AdopteeVoices #BreakingTheSilence

Peter was born in England, raised in New Zealand, and loved by his adoptive parents. But at 18, after moving to Australia, he began searching for his biological family. His journey through DNA testing and worldwide connections led to surprising discoveries, new siblings, and life-changing reunions. Join us for Peter’s powerful adoption story — one of persistence, identity, and family found across the globe. #AdoptionStories #RootsAndBranches #DNAJourney #AdopteeVoices #FamilyDiscovery #SearchAndReunion

Michael’s childhood was filled with trauma, but also love from the family who raised him. In this episode, he shares how forgiveness, faith, and baptism gave him the closure he needed. His message is clear: everyone has struggles, but healing begins with forgiveness.

#adoptionstories #powerofforgiveness #healingjourney #faithandhealing #rootsandbranches