12-year-old junior golfer Autumn and her adoptive father, Donnie, share their journey from foster care to adoption. Golf became a life-changing outlet for Autumn, helping her build confidence, mental resilience, and a positive outlook. With resilience, hope, and the transformative power of family and sports, they reflect on the challenges and joys of fostering, while offering encouragement to others considering adoption or foster care.

“When I was in foster care, I knew there would be better days; getting adopted was by far the best day in the world. There are kids waiting for a foster home or waiting to get adopted, and people should want to help.” – Autumn

“Don’t let your fear stop you from asking questions about foster care; that’s what led us to having the most amazing daughter in the world. There are kids like Autumn who are amazing and just need love to thrive; they were born to soar. Maybe they’re waiting for you.” – Donnie

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The emotional journey of transitioning from foster care to adoption
• Autumn’s inspiring perspective on adoption and resilience
• How discovering golf transformed her life and confidence
• Life lessons learned from sports, competition, and perseverance
• Practical advice for prospective foster and adoptive parents
• Encouragement for youth currently in foster care
• The importance of advocacy, storytelling, and breaking stigmas in foster care

Timestamps

• 00:00:00 – Introduction and purpose of the podcast
• 00:00:27 – Meet Donnie and Autumn
• 00:00:46 – Autumn’s first day with her adoptive family
• 00:03:12 – Transition from foster care to adoption
• 00:05:04 – Autumn’s perspective on adoption
• 00:06:34 – Autumn’s joyful outlook and early life
• 00:09:24 – Choosing joy despite challenges
• 00:10:27 – Discovering golf & sports
• 00:12:34 – Becoming a top junior golfer
• 00:13:46 – Lessons learned from adoption
• 00:15:05 – Fears and hopes in fostering/adoption
• 00:17:12 – PSA: Foster care in NC
• 00:17:32 – Autumn’s charity golf tournament
• 00:19:33 – Life lessons from golf
• 00:25:11 – Staying positive through adversity
• 00:26:52 – Advice for children in foster care
• 00:28:21 – Advice for prospective foster/adoptive parents
• 00:31:56 – Raising awareness for adoption
• 00:33:02 – Sharing her story publicly
• 00:36:33 – Breaking stigmas and final thoughts
• 00:37:47 – Closing remarks

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/
• Let’s be friends! Follow us on social media:
  • Facebook: @chsnorthcarolina
  • Instagram: @chs_nc
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/chs-nc
  • YouTube: @chsnc