Welcome to Season Two of the What to Expect While Fostering and Adopting podcast!

I’m Christine Marie — adoptive mom, former foster parent, and biblical mindset coach. Whether you're navigating foster care, adoption, or parenting a child with trauma or mental health challenges — you’re in the right place.

In this season premiere, I’m joined by Donna Kirkwood — former special education teacher, adoptive mom, author, and woman of deep faith — as she shares her family’s journey of saying “yes” to adopting a child with high needs.

From the early days of behavioral challenges and medication decisions to the later diagnosis of schizoaffective bipolar disorder, Donna walks us through how faith, structure, and community helped them navigate trauma-informed parenting and deep unknowns.

We talk about:

Adopting a child with high needs and complex diagnoses

Parenting through mental health challenges with grace and structure

Medications and behavioral support through a trauma-informed lens

Why boundaries, faith, and consistency matter

Donna’s book, He Is the Vine, as a source of spiritual encouragement during hard seasons

Whether you're parenting a child with trauma, navigating mental health in adoption, or walking through uncertainty with God — this episode will speak to your heart.

☕ Grab your coffee and settle in — this one will stretch you, strengthen you, and remind you why love is always worth it.

💕 PS — Want to join a supportive space for women who are navigating foster care, adoption, or just want to love others well? Come join us here:

Connect with Donna Kirkwood:

Welcome to the What to Expect While Fostering and Adopting podcast. I’m Christine Marie — adoptive mom, former foster parent, and biblical mindset coach. Whether you’re in the early stages of foster care, navigating adoption, or standing in a season of unknowns — this space was created for you.

Today’s episode is different.

It’s not polished or perfectly planned — it’s real. It’s raw. It’s what I’m walking through right now.

Last night, my daughter chose to leave.

Not because I stopped loving her — but because love doesn’t force.

This episode is a reflection on what it means to surrender your child to God when nothing makes sense. It’s for the mama who’s exhausted. The one who’s grieving. The one who has done everything “right” and still feels like it’s falling apart.

If you’ve ever had to release control, grieve what could have been, or trust God with the child you love — I pray this message meets you in that sacred space.

☕ Grab your coffee and settle in — this one will stretch you, strengthen you, and remind you why love is always worth it.

XO-Christine

💕 PS — Want to join a supportive space for women who are navigating foster care, adoption, or just want to love others well? Come join us here:

This week’s episode is one I hope every adoptive and foster parent listens to - and listens with an open heart.

I’m honored to sit down with Sydney Curtin - birth mom, author of Courageous Considerations, speaker, life coach, and founder of Curtin Call - as she shares the raw and painful truth about her adoption story, and why she’s now advocating for ethical reform across the entire industry.

In 2019, Sydney made what she believed was the most loving and selfless decision a mother could make - placing her daughter for adoption. What followed was a heartbreaking unraveling of promises made to her and her child. From being coerced into signing away her rights to experiencing the gut-wrenching reality of an unenforceable open adoption, Sydney’s story exposes what many don’t realize about the current adoption system.

Together, we talk about:

Sydney’s book, Courageous Considerations, is a powerful tool designed to help both adoptive and natural families ask the hard questions before, during, and after placement. Because adoption, when done right, is not the severing of one family - it’s the joining of two.

Whether you’ve adopted, are considering adoption, or want to better understand the full picture of what ethical, relational adoption can look like - this conversation will challenge you, stretch you, and invite you into something deeper.

☕ Grab your coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in.

💕 PS — Want to join a supportive space for women who are navigating foster care, adoption, or just want to love others well?

Come join us here:

Connect with Sydney Curtin:

If the college admissions process feels overwhelming… you’re not alone.

And if you’re a foster or adoptive parent? There are even more layers to navigate.

This week on What to Expect While Fostering and Adopting, I had the absolute honor of sitting down with Cynthia Nash, a college admissions and financial aid coach with over 20 years of experience at top-tier universities like Northwestern and Vanderbilt- and friend, this conversation is packed with gold.

Cynthia has helped students earn millions in scholarships and grants, including:

Whether you’re parenting a child from foster care, adoption, or not—you’ll walk away from this episode equipped with tools and insight to help your teen step into a future they didn’t think was possible.

In this episode, we talk about:

Whether your child is in 9th grade or nearing graduation- this episode will give you real steps, renewed hope, and a fresh vision for what’s possible.

Now, grab your cup of coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in!

XO,

💕 Join Our Community!

Join us here:

https://www.youtube.com/@fosteringandadopting

Get Cynthia’s Free College Admissions Guide:

Contact Cynthia Nash

Learn About Her Coaching Programs:

This week on What to Expect While Fostering and Adopting, I had the absolute honor of sitting down with April Ficklin, a TBRI® Practitioner, adoptive mom, and the Director of Family Support Services for Flourishing Families of South Carolina.

April brings both professional wisdom and personal experience to this conversation. Her work is centered on helping adoptive families find real connection, healing, and hope through Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and her heart for trauma-informed care is nothing short of powerful.

In this episode, we talk about:

Whether you’re new to adoption or knee-deep in the hard parts, this conversation will remind you that healing is possible and you don’t have to do this alone.

☕ Now, grab your cup of coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in!

XO,

💕 Join Our Community!

https://www.youtube.com/@fosteringandadopting

Connect with April Ficklin:

In this episode of What to Expect While Fostering and Adopting, I’m sitting down with my friend Rebecca Del Pozo- an adoptee, an adoptive mom, and a fierce advocate for families who’ve walked this road from every angle.

This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and deeply encouraging.

Rebecca doesn’t just talk about adoption- she’s lived it in every form. From the unexpected twists and tender moments to the hard decisions and holy perspective shifts, she shares how the Lord has used adoption to shape her family, her faith, and her purpose.

If you’ve ever wrestled with the "why" behind your story, or wondered if you’re the right person for the calling in front of you, Rebecca’s story will meet you right where you are- and lift your eyes higher.

☕ Now, grab your cup of coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in!

XO,

💕 Join Our Community!

🎙️ More from Rebecca:

Welcome back to the What to Expect While Fostering and Adopting podcast! I’m Christine Marie — adoptive mom, former foster parent, and biblical mindset coach — and today’s guest is someone whose voice and impact in the foster care space cannot be overstated.

I’m honored to sit down with Dr. John DeGarmo, founder and director of The Foster Care Institute, international speaker, best-selling author of 10 books, and foster/adoptive dad to over 60 children. Dr. DeGarmo has worked alongside child welfare agencies across the globe and is a leading voice for system change and trauma-informed parenting.

In this conversation, we dive into the realities of foster care that few are willing to talk about — from the mental health crisis and over-medication of foster youth to the growing burnout among caregivers. We also talk about practical tools and mindsets that can help foster and adoptive parents stay grounded, effective, and full of hope even in the hardest seasons.

Whether you’re currently fostering, considering it, or simply want to better support foster families in your community, this episode is packed with insight, encouragement, and truth.

☕ So grab your coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in.

XO, Christine Marie

🎧 In this episode, we cover:

The over-medication crisis in foster care

How trauma shows up in children and how to respond with connection

The importance of mental health support for foster families

What foster parents need most (and why many are walking away)

Dr. DeGarmo’s personal journey and why he still believes in the system, despite its flaws

About Dr. John DeGarmo:

International keynote speaker and trainer

Connect with Dr. DeGarmo:

💕 Join Our Free Community of Christian Foster & Adoptive Moms:

This one is for the foster and adoptive parents carrying the weight no one sees—who keep showing up, even when it feels like everything is falling apart.

Today, I’m sitting down with Devin Schubert—an adoptive dad of three—for a conversation about the cost of obedience, the depth of trauma, and the God who restores what we thought was lost forever.

After adopting his son, Devin walked through five years of chaos:

When his wife left, Devin stepped into solo fatherhood, determined to fight for his son—alone.

Flat on his back, ready to give up, Jesus walked in and said:

And now—four years later—his son is being reunited with him and moving back home in just 4 months.

This episode is a story of resilience, radical love, and full-circle redemption for every parent who’s ever wondered, “Is it worth it?”

Tune in now and be reminded:

☕ Grab your coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in.

📌 Connect with Devin:

🎥 Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@fosteringandadopting

Today, I’m joined by the incredible DJ Noble, a former radio host, teacher, and long-time foster parent with a powerful 15-year journey that spans across Virginia and Kansas. In this episode, we’re talking about the REAL side of foster care—the emotions, the relationships, the red tape, and the redemption.

Together, we unpack:

DJ brings so much wisdom—not just from his professional background in sociology, urban affairs, and theology—but from living this life every single day. With his wife, Sanna, they’ve raised two biological sons and fostered dozens more. Right now? They’ve got three boys in their home and are still showing up with heart, humor, and purpose.

This conversation is full of real talk, practical insight, and encouragement for anyone currently fostering or considering the call.

Listen now to hear how DJ balances faith, family, and fostering—and why the way we view biological families could change everything.

Check out DJ’s podcast “Off The Grid” at www.IndiesCollective.com for more of his powerful voice and mission.

☕ Grab your coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in!

XO, Christine Marie

📌 Follow for more faith-based foster care conversations: @cortisol_coach

Welcome back to the What to Expect While Fostering and Adopting podcast — a Christ-centered space for foster and adoptive moms navigating the complex, beautiful, and often messy journey of parenting children from hard places. I’m Christine Marie, an adoptive mom and certified Biblical mindset coach, and I’m so thankful you’re here.

In this powerful episode, I’m joined by Nicole Barlow — fellow adoptive mama of six, Host of Foster Parent Well podcast, TBRI® practitioner, and wellness coach — as we dive into the heart of trauma-informed parenting. Nicole shares her family’s story of adopting through foster care and how Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) became the game-changer in helping her children heal.

If you’re new to TBRI, it’s a trauma-informed, connection-centered parenting model designed to meet the needs of children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma. It helps parents build trust, strengthen attachment, and bring safety and regulation to kids from hard places.

Nicole offers practical tools, mindset shifts, and powerful encouragement for adoptive and foster moms who are feeling overwhelmed or unsure of how to help their children heal. Whether you're considering foster care, currently fostering, or in the thick of post-adoption life, this episode will bring hope, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose.

☕ Now, grab your cup of coffee, get comfy, and let’s dig in!

XO, Christine Marie

💕 Join Our Community!

After you listen, I’d love for you to come be part of our inner circle of Christian foster and adoptive mamas! Our Facebook group is full of real talk, support, prayer, and resources for women walking this road. Join us here:

facebook.com/groups/fostercareandadoptionforchristianwomen

Connect with Nicole Barlow: