In this episode of "In Real Life: Foster Care Unfiltered," guest Tim shares his inspiring journey as a professional in child welfare, which leads to being a single foster parent and then adoptive parent, as well as a kinship provider. Tim recounts becoming a guardian to twins, fostering to adopt an 8-year-old boy, and later fostering and adopting his niece through kinship care. He discusses the challenges, rewards, and milestones of building a family through fostering, the importance of trauma-informed parenting, and the value of community support. Tim encourages listeners to consider fostering, emphasizing the life-changing impact it can have on both children and families.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into at first; it was scary and overwhelming, but I had a supportive community. I’ve seen incredible growth in the children I cared for. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be willing. If you’ve ever wondered about fostering, take the next step. You could be the change a child is waiting for.” - Tim

What You Will Learn:

• Personal journey of becoming a foster and adoptive parent.
• Experiences and challenges faced in the child welfare system.
• The importance of stable and loving home environments for children in foster care.
• Transition from personal fostering to professional involvement in child welfare.
• Insights on kinship care and the process of fostering a family member.
• The significance of trauma-informed parenting and understanding children's behaviors.
• The role of support systems and community resources in fostering.
• Emotional milestones in the parent-child relationship during adoption.
• Strategies for managing expectations and power struggles with children.
• Encouragement for others to consider fostering or adopting and the impact it can have.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Introduction
• 00:00:51 – Meet Tim
• 00:01:09 – Becoming a Guardian & Caseworker
• 00:02:13 – First Adoption & Kinship Care
• 00:04:01 – Common Threads in Care
• 00:06:13 – Advice for New Families
• 00:08:53 – Support Systems
• 00:11:09 – Family Dynamics
• 00:18:06 – Single Parenting
• 00:20:16 – Foster Care in NC
• 00:20:37 – Rewarding Moments
• 00:25:21 – Parenting Lessons
• 00:31:10 – Therapeutic Progress
• 00:35:37 – Myths & Relationships
• 00:40:29 – Family Is Forever
• 00:42:37 – Encouragement
• 00:43:20 – Closing

Episode Resources:

• Catch up on previous episodes of In Real Life: Foster Care Unfiltered here: https://chsnc.org/about/podcast/
• For more information about Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, visit: chsnc.org
• To be a guest on the podcast, email: inreallifepodcast@chsnc.org
• To learn more about foster care, visit: https://chsnc.org/adoption-and-foster-care/get-started/
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  • Facebook: @chsnorthcarolina
  • Instagram: @chs_nc
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/chs-nc
  • YouTube: @chsnc