In this episode of The Forgotten Podcast, Jami sits down with Vania Ferreira to address a sensitive and profoundly challenging topic that foster and adoptive families occasionally face but rarely discuss: what to do when your child hurts another child. Vania opens up about her family's lived experiences with severe behavioral challenges, trauma-induced chaos, and navigating the heartbreaking revelation of child-on-child sexual abuse.

Vania shares the raw realities of her family's journey, which began under-prepared as an unexpected kinship emergency placement in late 2013. She details the intense initial year of dealing with extreme anger, threats, and violence from children who had been exposed to heavy domestic abuse. Just as their home was transitioning into a season of calm and trust, the family faced their ultimate nightmare when their child disclosed experiencing sexual abuse and vocalized an active intent to hurt other children. Vania openly describes the overwhelming whirlwind that followed, including police reports, hospital evaluations, state investigations, and a complete lack of public inpatient resources.

Throughout the conversation, Vania details how this crisis forced her family into deep isolation, unable to safely participate in church or community events. She addresses the painful legal and emotional crossroads her family endured, caught between threats of child abandonment and child endangerment from the state. Ultimately, the episode highlights the profound spiritual turning point where the Lord challenged Vania to move past natural anger and hatred, choosing to extend the unconditional love and forgiveness of Christ to a child acting out in brokenness.

This episode offers critical, life-saving guidance on body safety and boundary rules for young children. Vania provides invaluable advice on teaching accurate body terminology without shame, defining the strict line between secrets and surprises, and establishing safe words. It stands as a vital resource and a message of redemption, reminding caregivers that they are not alone and that true healing is possible through the strength and identity found in Christ.

About the Guest

Vania Ferreira has been an active part of the foster and adoption community alongside her husband, Rob, since 2013. She is a mother to many, including four children whom they have adopted. Having walked through unexpected kinship placements and navigating complex trauma within her home, Vania is dedicated to breaking the silence surrounding child-on-child abuse by offering families practical boundary education and gospel-centered hope.

In This Episode

• The unique vulnerabilities of entering kinship care through emergency guardianship without traditional foster parent training.

• Managing extreme childhood trauma behaviors, threats of violence, and a desire for chaos in the home.

• Navigating the intense aftermath of a child's sexual abuse disclosure, including medical evaluations and state agency investigations.

• The severe isolation families face when dealing with behavioral safety concerns that prevent them from accessing church or local community groups.

• Facing systemic gaps, including the total lack of inpatient services for young children and a state system that leaves parents trapped between child abandonment and endangerment charges.

• The challenging spiritual calling to protect biological children through separation while continuing to love, forgive, and advocate for a child who has caused harm.

• Practical body safety guidelines for parents, including teaching correct anatomy terms, establishing household boundary rules, and practicing situational exits.

• Redefining the difference between dangerous "secrets" and safe "surprises" to equip vulnerable children with a protective voice.

• Creating a family culture centered on Ephesians 6, daily scriptural anchoring, and trusting in the Lord's strength over your own.

Resources + Links

• Learn more about The Forgotten Initiative - https://theforgotteninitiative.org/

• Follow TFI on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theforgotteninitiative/

In this episode of The Forgotten Podcast, Jami sits down with Melissa Murphy and Chandler Edge from Beyond Measure Pediatric Therapies to discuss Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). As occupational therapy professionals, they share how this frequently undiagnosed condition impacts children in foster care and the families who love them.

Melissa and Chandler break down how the central nervous system controls our daily experiences and what happens when a child's sensory system is out of balance due to genetics, prenatal care, birth history, or early childhood trauma. They explore how sensory dysregulation is often misinterpreted as defiance or hyperactivity, offering practical guidance to help caregivers distinguish between a sensory meltdown and goal-directed behavior. Learn how to implement actionable tools like sensory diets, heavy work, and calming spaces to support your child today.

• Melissa Murphy is an occupational therapist, owner of Beyond Measure Pediatric Therapies, and a dedicated advocate for complex medical diagnoses and community inclusion.

• Chandler Edge is an occupational therapist assistant and partner at Beyond Measure Pediatric Therapies, working alongside Melissa to support families navigating daily functional challenges.
  
  

• Introduction to sensory processing disorder and the central nervous system.

• Why sensory processing challenges are highly prevalent within the foster care community.

• Root causes of sensory dysregulation: genetics, prenatal care, and early life trauma.

• The three patterns: sensory seeking, sensory over-responsivity, and sensory under-responsivity.

• How to distinguish between a true sensory meltdown and standard behavioral tantrums.

• Practical home tools: sensory diets, heavy work activities, and weighted blankets.

• Setting up calm corners and advocating for inclusive spaces in churches and classrooms.

• The importance of parental patience, self-compassion, and trusting your gut instincts.
  
  

• Learn more about The Forgotten Initiative: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/

• Follow TFI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theforgotteninitiative/