Special Thanks to my Patrons for supporting A Fostered Life!
Episode 23
When people think about foster care, we usually imagine children removed from situations where they are being severely abused or neglected by their natural parents. We hear stories in the news about examples of horrific abuse or neglect, and we celebrate that these children have been rescued and placed in a loving and safe foster home.
But this narrative, while certainly sometimes true, is an oversimplification of the circumstances that lead to children being removed from their parents. It might surprise you to know that about half of the children in foster care have an intellectual disability that can make caring for them difficult. If we’re willing to go upstream of the foster care system, we would likely find families that could actually remain intact with some outside help. In the foster care world, this is known as “family preservation.” An important questions we should be asking is, “How could this child have avoided being in foster care in the first place?” What can be done for a family in crisis before they become a family in crisis?
In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Whitney King, a Behavioral Specialist and CEO of LEAF Behavior Support, LLC, whose life and work is devoted to supporting nontraditional families impacted by intellectual, developmental, learning, and/or mental health challenges. In this conversation, we took a deep dive into the challenges of parenting children with special needs and how being part of someone’s village of support could make all the difference in helping keep families together.
I really appreciated Whitney’s perspective, and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!
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Be sure to subscribe to A Fostered Life podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. For more information and resources for foster parents, please visit afosteredlife.com, where you’ll find blog posts, recommended reading, youtube videos, and social media links all designed to help foster parents feel more equipped for their foster care journey.
It’s my prayer that no foster parent ever feels like they’re going at it alone. If you’re a foster parent who is feeling like you’re out there on your own, consider joining The Flourishig Foster Parent, a community designed to encourage, equip and connect foster parents.
If you’re enjoying this podcast, please take a moment to rate A Fostered Life on iTunes. It would help me out so much.
Thanks for listening and thanks for caring about foster care.
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Ep 25: Natalie Vecchione on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
Ep 24: Dr. Samantha Coleman and Sandria Washington Take Us "Black to the Beginning"
Ep 22: Jason Johnson on the Unique Role of the Foster Father
Ep 21: Marvin Charles on Reuniting Fathers With Their Children
Ep 20: Rena Konomis of Project Search and Reunion
Ep 19 Virtual Visits in Quarantine
Ep 18 Foster Care for Refugees
Ep 17: From Cuddler to CASA
A Listener’s Feedback on Episode 10
Ep 16: Author & Entrepreneur MaLisa Riley
Ep 15: Blogger, Child Abuse Survivor, and FFY Cherie Renee
Happy New Year! Announcing This Month's Giveaway Winners!
Ep 13: Advocate and Author Jillana Goble
Ep 12: Three Strands—A Church-Based Approach to Supporting Reunification and Family Preservation: My Conversation with Tonya Foulkrod, Part 2
Ep 11: From Foster Parent to Family Preservation Advocate: My Conversation With Tonya Foulkrod, Part 1
Ep 10: Foster Parenting Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Conversation with Kevin
Ep. 9: When Foster Parents Fight for Reunification: A Conversation with Lauren
Ep. 8: It's Never Too Late to Choose Love: A Conversation with Bryan Post
Ep 7: Foster Parenting & Flexibility: A Conversation with Melissa Smallwood
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