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

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

In this episode, Bennie shares her family’s powerful foster care journey—how she and her husband felt called to foster, the impact on their biological son, and the joys and challenges of opening their home. She emphasizes the importance of keeping siblings together, the ongoing need for foster parents (especially for older children and sibling groups), and the role of strong support systems in making fostering sustainable.

Bennie’s story highlights the resilience of children in care, the gradual growth of love, and the profound rewards of providing a safe, nurturing home. Her story is one that shows how love can overcome previously held notions of what you think you can handle; she also offers practical, compassionate advice for families considering fostering.

“It has been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing. I would 110%, without a doubt, do it again. I call it The Dream. For me, it’s sitting outside with a cold glass of iced tea in hand, watching my three kids laugh, play, and live out their beautiful little lives. I would highly recommend it to anyone who's thinking about fostering.” –Bennie

What you will hear in this episode:

• Why Bennie and her husband chose to become foster parents
• How fostering affected their biological son’s life and perspective
• The most rewarding moments of fostering—watching children heal and thrive
• Challenges of supporting children who have experienced trauma
• The value of agency support, caseworkers, and foster parent community connections
• Advice for new foster parents: research, prepare, and set realistic expectations
• The urgent need for foster parents for sibling groups and older children
• Insights on bonding with children in care vs. biological children
• What surprised Bennie most about the licensing process
• Her hopes and dreams for her children and reflections on the rewards of fostering

Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
00:27 – Bennie’s Family and Starting the Foster Journey
02:05 – Deciding to Foster: Influences and Hesitations
04:04 – Parenting Biological Children vs. Children in Care
06:43 – Helping Children Adjust to Placement Changes
08:32 – Most Rewarding Aspects of Fostering
09:41 – Biggest Challenges in Fostering
11:45 – Support Systems for Foster Families
12:58 – Advice for Prospective Foster Parents
14:11 – Current Needs in the Foster Care System
15:18 – Importance of Keeping Siblings Together
17:21 – Reflections on Sibling Separation
19:58 – Foster Care Statistics and Call to Action
20:19 – Adjusting to New Family Routines
24:02 – Encouraging Emotional Expression
24:50 – Loving Children in Care vs. Biological Children
27:49 – Building Bonds and Overcoming Misconceptions
32:07 – Support from Other Foster Parents
33:00 – Most Surprising Aspects of Fostering
35:10 – Would You Do It Again?
36:24 – Openness and Flexibil

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