This episode of Beneath the Branches focuses on the initial stages of adoption and foster care, emphasizing the importance of setting realistic expectations, fostering attachment, and creating a nurturing environment for newly placed children. The conversation covers essential topics such as cocooning, sleep challenges, nutrition, building trust, and managing transitions to daycare or school. It also highlights the significance of understanding behavioral challenges and cultural considerations that may arise during the adjustment period. The first 6 months sets a foundation for attachment for future success. This season, we'll focus on helping you make the most of this pivotal time!

For more information, please visit our website at www.adoptionfosterclinic.org

In this special episode of Beneath the Branches, we welcome Show Hope’s Executive Director, Kristin Parks, and Director of Programs, Justin Myers—leaders of an organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to adoption and equipping families with the support they need to thrive.

Together, we explore their personal journeys into the adoption constellation, what makes working with Show Hope unique, and the heart behind their mission. They share practical insight into the challenges adoptive, foster, and kinship families face today, how Show Hope is responding, and the one thing they most want families to know. Whether you’re a parent, a professional, or simply passionate about making a difference, you’ll leave this conversation inspired by the power of hope in action—and equipped with ways you can be part of the story.

We are always grateful for our partner, Show Hope, who made our podcast possible! They have done so much for our mission and our families, providing Adoption Aid Grants, Pre+Post Adoption Support, Medical Care Grants, Advocacy. Learn more about their incredible mission at www.showhope.org.

When kids “act out,” what if it’s not manipulation—but communication? In this conversation, our Adoption & Foster Care Clinic team unpacks why co-regulation must come before correction, how to parent to emotional age (not just chronological), and how understanding the window of tolerance can transform your home. You’ll hear practical steps, gentle scripts, and real-life examples of repair, attunement, and modeling calm when your child can’t find theirs.

🌿 Learn more: adoptionfosterclinic.org
💛 Give to support families: adoptionfosterclinic.org/give
Thank you to our sponsor, Show Hope.

What you'll learn:

• Behavior as communication: seeing the need beneath the behavior

• Why connection is not the opposite of correction—it’s the tool for correction

• Co-regulation, emotional age vs. chronological age, and realistic expectations

• Window of tolerance (hypo/hyperarousal) and how to bring kids back into it

• Scripts parents can use in the heat of the moment + the power of repair

• Grounding ideas (breath, cold water, safe touch), tone/eyes/face, and modeling

When the hard feels never-ending, it’s easy to ask: Is there any hope?

In this episode of Beneath the Branches, we have an honest conversation about how hope can be found in the middle of exhaustion, overwhelm, and challenging behaviors. Our team shares how connection, realistic expectations, and community can transform despair into courage to keep going.

Whether you’re an adoptive, foster, or kinship care parent, you’ll leave with practical ways to redefine hope—not as the finish line, but as small, life-giving moments along the way.

Hope isn’t the absence of struggle. It’s the presence of connection and support while you’re in it.

Whether you're deep in the trenches or simply needing encouragement, this episode is a reminder that even on the hardest days, hope is beneath the branches with you.

A real talk about expectations surrounding holidays and special days- the emotional landmines that you may not prepare for, and how to give grace for yourself and your kids. This episode creates space for adoptive, foster, and kinship care moms to reflect honestly on the unique complexities of Mother’s Day, Family Day, Birthdays—why it often doesn’t feel like a Hallmark holiday they wanted, and how to shift expectations, hold space for our kids' grief, and still find meaning in these days.

While this conversation was recorded during standardized testing season, the insights go far beyond a few high-stakes weeks in the spring. For adoptive, foster, and kinship care children, the same challenges that can make testing stressful—such as early trauma, attachment disruptions, and emotional regulation struggles—also impact their day-to-day school experience. Clinicians Caitlin Inman and Kelly Curry unpack the root causes of school-related anxiety, share practical strategies for supporting focus and confidence, and highlight how families can advocate for accommodations that truly help. You’ll also hear how The Adoption & Foster Care Clinic partners with parents and schools to create academic plans that honor the whole child—not just a test score. Whether it’s the first week of school or the days leading up to a big exam, this conversation will equip you to help your child feel safe, supported, and set up for success all year long.*This episode is sponsored by Show Hope, a movement to care for orphans by engaging the church and reducing barriers to adoption. Learn more at (www.showhope.org).

This podcast is produced by The Adoption & Foster Care Clinic, an independent nonprofit interdisciplinary medical and therapeutic clinic that provides trauma-informed comprehensive medical and ongoing therapeutic services for adoptive, foster and kinship care families (both pre and post adoption)—learn more at The Adoption and Foster Care Clinic .

In this powerful episode, we welcome back Amy Elmore, our long-time occupational therapist and feeding specialist, to explore one of the most emotionally charged parenting challenges for children with trauma histories-- feeding.From picky eating and food refusal to bottle aversion and sensory challenges, Amy breaks down the why behind feeding difficulties and offers trauma-informed insights and real-life strategies that work.We dive deep into how early feeding experiences impact brain development, emotional safety, and attachment—and how healing often begins with one safe bite.This episode is a must-listen for caregivers, clinicians, and anyone working with children from hard places.For many children from adoptive, foster, or kinship backgrounds, mealtime isn’t just about food—it’s about trust, control, trauma, and healing. Whether your child is a “vacuum cleaner” eater, a picky one, or struggling with sensory aversion, Amy offers trauma-informed wisdom, practical strategies, and compassionate insight to help families navigate the complex world of feeding therapy.You’ll learn:Why trauma disrupts hunger cues and feeding developmentWhat to do when a child refuses food—or eats too muchHow parent stress and child feeding behaviors become intertwinedWhen to seek help—and how virtual parent coaching is changing access to supportIf you’ve ever ended a mealtime in tears or worry, this episode is for you.Supported by our friends at Show Hope.

We’re diving into one of the most vital yet misunderstood aspects of holistic care for children from hard places: occupational therapy. Join us as we explore how OT at our clinic goes far beyond handwriting practice—supporting families through sensory regulation, feeding challenges, trauma recovery, and more.

→ Listen now and learn how OT builds bridges to connection, safety, and healing.

*This episode is sponsored by Show Hope. Learn more at (www.showhope.com). This podcast is produced by The Adoption and Foster Care Clinic (www.theadoptionfosterclinic.org), an independent nonprofit interdisciplinary medical and therapeutic clinic that provides trauma-informed comprehensive medical and ongoing therapeutic services for adoptive, foster and kinship care families (pre and post adoption)