Shannon lost her husband and took in a nonverbal autistic relative within a month. No training, no long runway, just a phone call, a lot of prayer, and a simple conviction: “I could not let him go into foster care. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”In this conversation, we walk through what kinship care actually is, how it’s different from “traditional” foster care, and what it looks like to step into that role while carrying your own grief. Shannon talks about behaviors at home vs school, how trauma stacks on top of autism, the power of stability and routine, and the very practical ways her kids, church, and community have shown up, from home repairs to hot meals. We also get into safety plans, the legal side, why proximity to these stories matters, and how God had been preparing Shannon for years through her work with IDD long before this little boy ever moved into her home. CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro01:22 Podcast Welcome02:18 Kinship Versus Foster03:35 Meet Shannon04:56 Taking The Call07:14 Early Days And Behaviors09:50 Communication And Stability13:20 Safety Plan Explained16:21 Advocacy And Meetings20:59 Faith And Support22:32 Adoption Home Study23:03 Community Help Network23:52 Meals That Make It25:30 Equipped For The Call26:42 School Behavior Struggles30:04 Kinship Family Dynamics33:42 Adoption Hope Ahead34:34 How To Support Kinship37:26 Autism And Trauma40:58 Patience And Daily Routines42:22 Final Encouragement And Thanks

Most people talk about foster care in theory. Tim and Esther have lived it for over a decade: teens, newborns, reunifications, adoptions, heartbreak, and now tiny homes for kids aging out of the system. This conversation is raw, specific, and very real about what it actually costs and why they still say it’s worth it.We walk through their first placements, the shock of how deep the need really is, and the surprising impact on their own daughters. You’ll hear about a mom threatening to “get her back just to abandon her again,” a teen kidnapped across state lines to avoid CPS, newborns labeled “failure to thrive” who just needed human contact, and an 18‑year‑old who gleefully left as the whole family wept on the porch. Then we pivot to where their calling has landed now: eight tiny homes for aged‑out and unaccompanied youth, the Hive space, and why serving this “forgotten right side of the system” may be one of the most strategic ways to push back homelessness, addiction, and generational brokenness in our communities. CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Intro 00:05:21 The first nudge toward foster care and aging‑out ministry 00:15:14 First foster teens, CPS reality, and their oldest daughter 00:19:06 Newborns, reunification, and the cost of letting go 00:22:59 How big the need really is and why 1% could change it 00:30:29 How early neglect shapes the teen years 00:36:33 The Hive and the vision for eight tiny homes 00:41:12 Looking ahead: building, partnering, and what’s next

What happens when you say yes “just to foster” and God quietly has something much bigger in mind? In this episode, Fred and Kim share how two little girls showed up for an “emergency placement” and ended up changing their family, their faith, and even Fred’s entire career.They talk through the long road from first conviction in a tiny Atlanta church, to years of praying and waiting, to finally opening their home when their biological daughters were teenagers. From legal battles and an unexpected job loss, to a little girl asking in the car, “When I go to my next home…,” their story pulls back the curtain on what foster care and adoption actually feel like from the inside. You’ll hear about the ripple effects on their older daughters, their church, their views on what it means to be truly pro‑life, and why they believe the blessings of fostering and adoption outweigh the cost, every time.Chapters00:00:00 Intro 00:01:00 Introducing Fred & Kim Reich 00:03:55 Wrestling With The Call To Foster 00:09:40 Early Church History And Caring For The Abandoned 00:11:00 Sanctuary City, Foster Care, And “Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” 00:13:00 First Respite Placement And Then The Big Call 00:13:35 Saying Yes To Two Girls For “24–48 Hours” 00:17:30 The Hidden Insecurity Of “My Next Home” 00:20:35 How God Used Foster Care To Pull Fred Out Of Coaching 00:24:45 How All Four Daughters Now View Adoption 00:25:15 Ripple Effects In Their Church And Community 00:27:25 “Consider The Children If You Don’t Step In” 00:29:45 An Intern, A Missing Paper, And God Behind The Scenes 00:31:30 Closing Thoughts And Invitation To Step Into The Story