The words "not enough" are heard every day in our nation's foster care system. The More Than Enough Podcast connects you to people, ideas, and tools that will help you and your community work together to fill the biggest gaps in caring for children and families where you live. Together, you can move from "not enough" to "more than enough."

Listen as Joanna shares the heartbreaking details of losing her mother and the events that led her to foster care at the age of three. Over the years Joanna lived in group homes, with various foster families, and sometimes her biological family. Through each of the more than six placements she had, Joanna was impacted by each of these placements and unfortunately had a few traumatic experiences that profoundly affected her. Joanna held onto hope that one day she would be able to be reunited with her father and live with him. She shares with us the journey of searching for her father and how that process changed things for her. Her story is a powerful testament to her determination to overcome trauma and hardship. Then listen with us as Kayla shares some practical tips for parenting children from hard places. She acknowledges the trauma that children carry with them into homes and offers advice and stories to guide caregivers. Kayla brings more than 10 years of fostering and parenting experience to the conversation. Her words offer encouragement to those who are parenting children touched by foster care. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

Listen to Veronica as she shares about her life caring for her six younger siblings at the age of thirteen… until her life drastically changed on her 14th birthday. Her mother went on the run with Veronica and her siblings, living in a tent and barely surviving, until the Department of Social Services removed them from their mother’s care. For the next few years she experienced kinship care, various foster families, potential adoptive families, and other placements that had a profound impact on her. Veronica had various people who supported her and gave her a voice. From her foster mother to her Guardian Ad Litem. But Veronica’s life was still filled with uncertainty and struggles, often her only comfort found by sleeping in the same room as her younger brother. She fought hard for her and her brother to be adopted together, but they continued to face challenges that threatened Veronica’s hopes. Join us in listening to Veronica share openly and honestly about the struggles found within foster care, the significance of giving children in foster care a voice, and ultimately the unconditional love of a forever family. Then, listen as Jailynn Smiley shares some practical tips about the process and paperwork that comes with foster care and adoption. She answers some of the biggest questions and concerns, such as how clean your house actually needs to be before a home visit, and how to survive the sometimes overwhelming paperwork. Jailynn brings over 20 years of experience to the conversation and her words will equip anyone with the tools they need to more efficiently and peacefully navigate the logistics of engaging in foster care. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

Annie Hernandez entered Foster Care at the age of ten and experienced a variety of placements, including a group home. Listen to Annie talk about her experience in different environments and reflect on how her experiences shaped her. Annie speaks with perspective and maturity as she shares about her interactions with her foster mother and how their relationship shifted over the years. Then, to continue our Foster Care Journey, a foster and adoptive couple, Frantz and Stephanie Guignard, share about the intentional decisions they made over the years that impacted both their biological children and eventually their foster and adoptive children. The Guignards remind us of the importance of listening to our children and to the Lord. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

Joe Rogers was the child of an immigrant and eventually entered Foster Care at the age of twelve. He found love and stability. Listen to Joe share about his experiences with both chaos and ownership throughout his time during and after foster care. He shares with listeners the impact that his foster mother had on him and the changes that happened in his heart and his life because of her actions. Then, to continue our Foster Care Journey, a foster and adoptive mom, Trisha Weber, shares with us some common motivations that she has seen in the foster care world, in the church, and beyond. She reminds us of what is most important and gives some practical tips about transforming expectations. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

Calli Crowder entered foster care at the age of thirteen along with her three sisters. Calli shares why she was placed in care, her relationship with her mother and with her foster parents, and the events that shaped her time in the system. Having experienced injustice, Calli now uses her voice and her story to advocate for justice for kids in foster care. We hear what Calli does now and how she has experienced God throughout her life. Then, to kick-off our Foster Journey series, Jason Johnson, foster and adoptive dad and the Director of the National Church Ministry Initiative for CAFO, joins us to discuss where the Foster Journey begins. He addresses our hearts, our relationships, and the first steps in the foster care journey. Jason provides both great theology and practical advice for anyone just beginning to consider foster care for the first time. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

In this episode, Chardonnay Rosa shares with us the stories and experiences that shaped her childhood. She describes how her early life was filled with chaos, uncertainty, and hurt. When Chardonnay was 14, she learned, through the words of others, that she had a voice regarding her circumstances and she chose to call CPS and enter foster care. From a young age, Chardonnay always had a sense that her life would be different. She clung to that hope until a church, and the message it shared with her, helped to make that hope a reality. Listen with us as Chardonnay shares about the hardship she endured, but the hope that brought her through those difficult moments. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

In this episode, Tyrone Flowers sits down with us and shares his story of growing up. Tyrone’s early life was full of hardship as he entered foster care at the age of seven and was moved between four different foster care placements in his early years. In high school, Tyrone repeatedly heard the message that he would fail in life and end up dead or in jail. He discusses with us the impact those words had on his life and how he wants to alter those messages for youth today. Another tragedy struck Tyrone later in life. Listen how he shares how he lived through that tragedy and learned about forgiveness. From Tyrone’s story, we can gain tremendous insight into foster care and living life with hope. Then, we are joined by seven different guests. Inspired by Tyrone’s belief that we can all be a piece in the puzzle of a foster child’s life, we will listen to seven different individuals who each play a different role in the foster care journey. As they share, consider which role you may identify with and which piece of the puzzle you may be! Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

This episode has a few fun elements to it! First, Jaimie Lynn Moore, a former foster youth, and her mom share the story of Jaimie’s unique adoption at age 19. Then, you will listen to Jaimie’s interview from CAFO’s 2018 Summit. As Jaimie bravely shares her story in front of a live audience, you will hear some of the traumatic things she experienced before and during foster care, and what aging out of the foster care system was like for her. Jaimie is honest about the fear of constant displacement she began to carry with her and her distrust of people’s promises. She shares the insight she’s gained since and how some of her life shifted after her adoption. Then, we are joined by Dr. Sharen Ford. Dr. Ford brings her years of experience in foster care to the interview as she explains the importance of promises and consistent, permanent influences in the lives of foster youth. She helps us to understand not only why these influences are important, but a few ways to establish these relationships with foster youth. Dr. Ford also emphasizes how vital it is to seek God’s leading and wisdom when engaging with foster youth. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

In this episode, our youngest guest, Trent Taylor, sits down to discuss his life before, during, and after foster care. Trent entered foster care at the age of four and was placed with more than five different homes until being adopted at age nine. He shares with us the difficulty in transitioning frequently, but the changes that came when one set of foster parents chose to express their love and care for Trent with consistent words and actions. Now, Trent encourages both crowds and readers (he wrote a book!) to look beyond the behavior of youth in foster care, and he aspires to help youth navigate their trauma. After Trent, you will hear from Robbie Seay, a worship pastor and foster dad. Through his interview, you will notice his desire for people to be moved by the Spirit of God before engaging with foster care and the importance of the Spirit when engaging with foster youth. Robbie then shares with us the hopes he has for his children as they grow and the practical ways he communicates his love and God’s love with them. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.

In this episode, Crystal Williams discusses the heartbreak she experienced when she lost her baby brother and when she entered foster care. At the age of six, Crystal chose to express her feelings about losing her baby brother in a poem. She shares her poem in today’s episode and explains how poetry has continued to serve as an outlet for her. You’ll then hear her desire for today’s youth to discover their own gifts and use them for good. Crystal also shares how adults positively transformed her experience in foster care and encouraged her to use her gifts to follow her dreams. As she chooses to come alongside today’s youth, Crystal is able to offer insight into effective ways to empower youth in foster care. We are then joined by Tom Lukasik. Tom brings his experience as a foster dad into his role as Vice President of Community Engagement at 4Kids of South Florida. Through the years, he and his wife, Linda, have fostered over 50 children and interacted with countless other children in and out of foster care. In this episode, he shares useful tips for empowering kids in foster care every day and into the future. Visit MoreThanEnoughTogether.org/freedownload to access the companion PDF to this series--“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”--and share these types of insights with others in your community.