Whether it’s across the world or in all four corners of her home, my guest today has over two decades of experience in the foster care and adoptive community. Beth Guckenberger lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, Todd. Together, they serve as the Co-Executive Directors of Back2Back Ministries, a nonprofit dedicated to providing comprehensive care to vulnerable children and families worldwide.

After graduating from Indiana University, the Guckenbergers moved to Monterrey, Mexico, where they lived for 15 years. Between biological, foster, and adopted children, they have raised eleven children. Today, Beth travels and speaks regularly at conferences, youth gatherings, and church services about “reckless faith.”

In this episode, you’ll hear the power of trusting God’s plan even when things feel overwhelming, strategies for maintaining a strong marriage in the midst of demanding family responsibilities, some of the hardships and joys that come with stepping into hard places, and much more!

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/beth-guckenberger-277/

Adoption and foster care are often depicted in dramatic ways in the media. 

Whether it’s an adult suddenly discovering the truth that they were adopted or a depiction of constant conflict between a child involved in the foster care system and their caregivers, media can easily give us a skewed perspective of what life is actually like for the real people navigating these situations. 

That’s why it’s so important to listen to the real voices of children, families, and workers in the foster care community—not to chase sensational details, but to approach their stories with compassionate curiosity. When we do, we discover that each journey is unique, that many see their experiences as stories of strength rather than sorrow, and that every person’s life is far richer than a single chapter.

My guest for this conversation knows this firsthand. While adoption isn’t the defining feature of her daily identity, it has profoundly shaped her perspective.

Hope Watts was adopted through the foster care system as a young child. Today, she enjoys raising awareness about foster care and encouraging others with a message of quiet resilience. 

In this episode, you’ll hear the importance of holding space for each other’s stories, some powerful encouragement for foster parents, how to meet people with compassion, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/hope-watts-276/

If you’re listening to this, chances are it was passion that first pulled you into your role in the foster care community—whether you’re a professional, a caregiver, an advocate, or a faithful supporter.

But here’s something you might not have realized yet: just because you started in one role doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll stay. As we grow and gain experience, our passions often deepen and shift—and one of the beautiful things about this work is discovering new ways to use your gifts to serve children and families in need.

My guest for this conversation knows this well! He has seen this work from nearly every angle. Thomas Dent has welcomed children into his home as an adoptive and former foster parent. He has also worked inside Mississippi’s child welfare system as their former Director of Faith Based and Volunteer Services and Foster Parent Liaison. He knows the challenges that come with this calling, but in the face of those battles, Thomas carries a deep, steady hope in Jesus—the Father of the fatherless.

In this episode, you’ll hear some of the challenges of working within a broken system, what a blessing a supportive community can be to vulnerable families, how your passion makes your work personal, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/thomas-dent-275/

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” – James 1:27 (ESV)

You’ve probably heard this verse if you’ve ever been to an adoption or foster care training, attended a conference that discussed child welfare, or even just sat through your fair share of sermons. The message of this verse couldn’t be clearer: God cares deeply about the most vulnerable, and we should too! My guests for this conversation know all about this calling and are here to talk about what it can look like in practice.

David and Julie Zimmer have been married for 15 years and are parents to four children together—three by birth and one through foster care. David is the Head of Production and Promotion at Sovereign Grace Music in Louisville, KY. Julie volunteers at BSide U 4 Life, a local pregnancy care center in downtown Louisville, where she supports vulnerable families by offering childcare to parents attending GED, parenting, and Bible classes. David and Julie are passionate about foster care and dedicated to standing in the gap for children and families in need.

In this episode, you’ll hear about the emotional challenges that come along with fostering, the importance of investing in your marriage, the necessity of acknowledging our limitations, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/david-julie-zimmer-274/

Content / Trigger Warning: This episode does contain mentions and descriptions of abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. If any of this may be triggering for you, we recommend you either listen carefully, listen with someone else, or you may even consider skipping this episode.

Unfortunately, so many children who enter foster care have experienced some terrible things in their lives. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that in 2022, children entered foster care for the following reasons:

• 62% due to neglect
• 33% due to drug abuse
• 13% due to physical abuse
• 6% due to alcohol abuse
• 4% due to sexual abuse

These are just a few of the circumstances that cause removal, and they total to over 100% because these challenges are not mutually exclusive.

My guest for this conversation knows this all too well. Destini McAlister experienced neglect and abandonment while she was still an infant. She would then go on to experience sexual abuse and rejection throughout her foster care journey.

Although Destini’s journey was filled with hardship, her story is one of hope.

In this episode, you’ll hear how God was guiding Destini’s steps throughout her journey, the importance of processing the past, how hope can be found even in the darkest of stories, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/destini-mcalister-273/

The child welfare system can be confusing and complex. Families are often expected to navigate administrative systems, the criminal justice system, the legal system, and the social system—all at the same time and with no prior instruction. 

Our guest today knows the child welfare system inside and out—and she’s passionate about helping families navigate it with hope and clarity. She also understands that its challenges don’t impact everyone equally. Her work focuses on uncovering why families of color often face worse outcomes and unpacking the systemic issues behind those disparities.

Shanelle Dupree is a former child welfare administrator who has practiced child welfare law. She is currently the executive director of Racial Equity Collaborative, a nonprofit focused on advancing racial equity for families and communities through collaborative action.

In this episode, Shanelle shares the correlation between child welfare outcomes and race, why it’s crucial for parents to have the uncomfortable conversations about race with their foster or adoptive children, how to advocate for your child when they encounter racial discrimination, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/shanelle-dupree-272/ 

Note: In this episode, Jami talks about her pregnancy—but don’t worry, you didn’t miss another baby announcement! If you’re part of our TFI family, you know her sweet little one has already arrived. This episode was recorded back in January!

Sometimes, it can feel like the conversation within the foster care community is predominantly shaped by female voices. While it’s wonderful to have such a strong female perspective in this space, it can be a challenge for men to find resources that speak to their unique experiences. 

This is the heartbeat behind the Foster Fathers podcast. Hosts Chris Easley and Kyle Seick are striving to create a community where men can learn and grow from one another within the context of foster care. 

Chris and Kyle met during virtual foster care training classes in Boise, Idaho. They quickly bonded over shared humor and mutual support as they embarked on their foster care journeys. Together they offer valuable advice, encouragement, and connection to other foster and adoptive fathers who are navigating the joys and struggles that come with this calling.

In this episode, you’ll hear what inspired Chris and Kyle to become foster fathers, an honest take on some of the challenges of foster care and adoption, common misconceptions about the men and women who become foster parents, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/foster-fathers-271/

There are many requirements that a biological parent must meet in order to reunify with their children. While these requirements are necessary to ensure that children are being reunited with parents who can provide a safe and stable environment, many parents struggle to overcome the circumstances that led to their children being placed in foster care in the first place.

In the state of Illinois, the reunification rate was just 20% in 2021. Just as children and foster parents need a supportive community, biological parents working toward reunification need a strong, steady network around them too.

One such parent is Jacob Jackson. After a car accident, Jacob found himself addicted to prescription drugs, which led him into a tumultuous season of life. When he was at the end of his rope, Jacob attempted to take his own life. With nowhere else to turn, he entered the Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge and by the grace of God found a connection with a local church. 

It was during this time that Jacob learned his children had entered foster care. Determined to reunite with them, he threw himself into recovery, working tirelessly to complete the program and meet every requirement needed to regain full custody.

In this episode, you’ll hear the obstacles Jacob had to overcome, the ways that anyone can fall into difficult circumstances, how the support of the local church played a vital role in reunification, and much more.

Foster care is both rewarding and challenging. It’s happy at times and sad at others; it brings hard days as well as beautiful moments. If you are in the foster care community, you’ve likely seen (or experienced) this firsthand.

But what do we do when we come to the end of ourselves? How do we respond when we feel called to open our homes again to those in need—yet find ourselves unsure if our hearts are ready to face the joys and the pain that foster care can bring?

Our guest for this episode knows this tension well. Sarah Hott’s journey through fostering, adopting, and parenting has taught her profound lessons about faith, community, and the power of love.

Sarah and her husband, Chris, have been foster parents for over six years. They currently have five children in their home—three by adoption from foster care, one biological, and one foster child. Sarah believes that few things draw you to the heart of Jesus like opening your home and heart to children in need and their families.

In this episode, you’ll hear more of Sarah’s personal journey as she shifted from foster parent to adoptive mom, her thoughts on the power and necessity of a supportive community, the ways God showed up when she was at her maximum capacity, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/sarah-hott-269/

Substance use is a major factor in foster care cases; in 2017 alone, more than half of the children who entered care under age 5 did so because of parental drug use. Addiction is an issue that runs parallel to the foster care community, and it’s a struggle that agency workers and foster parents often witness firsthand in the lives of the families they serve.

For those of us who have never battled with addiction, it can be easy to think we have nothing in common with parents whose substance use results in their children being removed from their care. However, my guest today is here to help us see these people through a new lens—one that emphasizes compassion, understanding, and shared humanity.

Christina Dent is the Founder and Vice President of Mission at End It For Good, a nonprofit that invites people to support approaches to drug addiction that prioritize life, preserve families, and promote public safety. As an adoptive mom and former foster mom, Christina’s experiences in foster care ignited a passion in her for finding better solutions for addiction.

In this episode, she shares the realities of addiction and drug use, how drug addiction intersects with foster care, why we should reframe the way we think and speak about those struggling with addiction, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/christina-dent-268/