Foster the Family

This Thanksgiving, we’re overwhelmed with gratitude for every single part of our Foster the Family community: ?? Our generous donors, who make it possible to meet tangible needs and offer necessary programming to our families. ?? Our amazing volunteers, who give of their time to serve and support others. ?? Our dedicated team members, who use their gifts and talents to turn their compassion into action. ?? Our incredible community partners, who we link arms with to bring hope to more families. ?? Our sweet friends and families and online community, who join in this mission and celebrate every single step we take together. Our work and impact wouldn't be as great without all these groups-- without YOU! This Thanksgiving, as we reflect on all that we are thankful for, we are inspired by what’s possible when we come together. We are excited to offer another opportunity for us to come together! Mark your calendars for Giving Tuesday, December 3! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, every dollar you give will be doubled, up to $80,000! Let’s double the impact, double the hope, and double the support for those we serve. Together, we can make an even greater impact in the lives of vulnerable children and families. #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUs #Thanksgiving #BetterTogether #FosterCare #Adoption #GivingTuesday

Do you have a heart for vulnerable children and the drive to make a lasting impact in the foster care space? We are hiring! Foster the Family is a thriving organization that is quickly growing with support groups and practical response programs in support of foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Swipe to see our current open positions and read all about them here: https://lnkd.in/guqaGXYf #hiring #nowhiring #childwelfare #nonprofit

Last week, adoptee and international adoptive parent, Melissa Corkum shared invaluable insight with us. As we walk into the second day of Week 4 of #NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth, we are excited to hear from Kayla Moffitt, adoptive parent via foster care and Foster the Family team member. We asked Kayla what the idea of "Together" means to her in the adoption space. Here's what she said: "Together is the start. The start to healing and hope. The start of relationships and restoration.? The start towards understanding and unity. In the beginning of our journey, I made the mistake of thinking that my children’s lives didn’t begin until the day they entered into my home. I thought I could love away their pain. I thought I was the better option. I thought I could rewrite their stories and erase all that came before me. I thought wrong. Today, I understand the impact of together and what it means in this space. I understand that my children had lives— full lives with experiences and memories and traditions and connections. I understand that I’m not the better option— that my children’s biological mother is not my competition, and that if I ever make my children feel as though they have to choose between her or me, I’m failing them. I understand that I could never rewrite their stories, and the chapters that came before me are just as precious, well-written, and worthy of reading as the ones that came after. Together, with respect and honor, eyes open and ready to see, ears ready to listen— the birth parents, the adoptees, and the adoptive parents— it's a beautiful place to be. A beautiful place worth fighting for." #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #ThisIsAdoption #Adoption #BeTheVillage #EveryoneCanDoSomething #NAAM #AdoptionAwarenessMonth #AdoptionAwareness #AdoptiveParents #AdoptiveFamilies

As we wrap up week 3 of #NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth, we want to share our sincere gratitude to Melissa Corkum. Her willingness to share her story and the wisdom she's gained is something we do not take lightly, and we are honored to have collaborated with her this month. We asked her to share about something she is passionate about, something she holds close to her heart, as an adoptee and an international adoptive parent. Here's what she said: "Over the years, as I came to understand the depth of corruption in much of international adoption, I’ve experienced both guilt and regret over the naivete with which my husband and I approached adoption as adoptive parents. My faith allows me to hold space for the both/ands of our story. I grieve that my children may have lost access to their birth country and families unnecessarily, while also being deeply thankful for the profound lessons their presence in our family has taught me. Knowing better means we can do better. I hope that sharing my story and increased awareness will help prospective adoptive parents approach adoption with greater understanding and caution. Ultimately, I hope more children get to stay within their communities and countries, preserving their roots and connections." Melissa, what a gift you are to our community and to this space. #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #ThisIsAdoption #Adoption #BeTheVillage #EveryoneCanDoSomething #NAAM #AdoptionAwarenessMonth #AdoptionAwareness #AdopteeVoices #AdoptiveParents #AdoptiveFamilies

Why is it important to lean in and listen to all parts of the adoption triad? Hear from Melissa Corkum: "As both an adoptive parent and adoptee, I often find myself navigating between spaces that don’t always feel like home. Adoptee and adoptive parent circles each carry their own unique perspectives, and sometimes, it can feel isolating to be caught in the middle. When any of us—adoptees, birth parents, or adoptive parents—don’t feel our voices are heard, it can feel disorienting, even dysregulating. Often, we respond by getting louder, but in doing so, it becomes harder to really hear and see each other’s perspectives. For all parts of the adoption triad to come together, I believe it starts with each of us doing our own inner work. Adoptive parents, in particular, hold the most privilege within the triad, and part of that privilege includes the responsibility to listen and create space for adoptees and birth parents to share their experiences. When we arrive at the table whole, with a sense of groundedness and respect for one another, we’re better able to listen and support rather than needing validation or understanding from others. In this process, I feel that adoptees should have the space to lead and shape the narrative. After all, we are the ones who had the least say in the choices that brought us here. When adoptees are given room to share their stories, it can create a more balanced, compassionate dialogue where each voice in the triad has room to be heard and respected." #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #ThisIsAdoption #Adoption #NAAM #AdoptionAwarenessMonth #AdoptionAwareness #AdopteeVoices #AdoptiveParents #AdoptiveFamilies

During #NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth, we want to show all parts of adoption-- and we don't want to shy away from the hard. One hard thing that many adoptive parents may not realize they are struggling with? Blocked Care. Melissa Corkum, co-author of Reclaim Compassion: The Adoptive Parent's Guide to Overcoming Blocked Care with Neuroscience and Faith, shares her own struggle with blocked care: "Our adoption agency sent us to Korea to pick up our youngest grossly underprepared. We hadn’t anticipated feeling like kidnappers as we walked away from our son’s foster parents of one and half years. Nor were we ready for the whirlwind of behaviors he exhibited once he was in our home, behaviors that none of our usual parenting tools seemed to touch. It was no fault of his own, but I cringed every time I heard his footsteps come down the hall each morning. In hindsight, I now know I was struggling with something called blocked care. Blocked care is a self-protective mechanism in the nervous system activated by excessive stress. This suppresses the higher brain functions needed for caregiving, causing your nervous system to develop a defensive stance toward your child. You are still providing good care to your child, but your heart seems to have left the relationship. If you think you might be in blocked care with your child, take a FREE assessment at https://lnkd.in/gy8G5_Nw. As an adoptee, I believe that every child deserves to be raised in a home free from blocked care. You’re a good parent doing good work ?" #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #ThisIsAdoption #Adoption #BeTheVillage #EveryoneCanDoSomething #NAAM #AdoptionAwarenessMonth #AdoptionAwareness #AdopteeVoices #AdoptiveParents #AdoptiveFamilies

It's the 3rd week of #NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth and we are so honored to hear from Melissa Corkum, an adoptee and adoptive parent! As an adoptee and adoptive mom, Melissa provides insight and resources to adoptees, parents, and professionals through her speaking, coaching, and writing. She is a TED Speaker, Safe and Sound Protocol Practitioner, Cultivate Connection Facilitator, and co-founder of Adoption Wise. Additionally, she co-authored Reclaim Compassion. Melissa and Patrick live in Maryland and have six kids and two grandchildren. As we shared earlier this month, we want to focus on the word "Together." We believe we are #bettertogether and that the Adoption Triad can greatly benefit from lifting up and listening to all voices involved. How can we do that? As Melissa states-- it starts with each of us doing our own inner work. #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #ThisIsAdoption #Adoption #BeTheVillage #EveryoneCanDoSomething #NAAM #AdoptionAwarenessMonth #AdoptionAwareness #AdopteeVoices #AdoptiveParents #AdoptiveFamilies

As the season of giving approaches, we’re reminded that generosity has the power to change lives. For some of our donors, their desire to give to the mission of supporting vulnerable families and the children they care for comes from their personal experience with foster care. That's where Conda's generosity comes from. Growing up, Conda’s home was a revolving door of love and care. When Conda was just 10, her parents—who had four kids, including one with special needs—opened their home as a foster family. Over the years, they fostered more than 80 children, and while the challenges were many, the rewards were immense. Hear from Conda herself: "The challenges would usually begin as soon as the child arrived. Most of the time they had a single bag of belongings. Babies ready for a bottle. Screaming toddlers who couldn’t find comfort. Children so afraid they wouldn’t speak, and others who asked questions incessantly just to have someone talk to them. Teens whose grief was masked as anger as they reported false accusations about our family. And yet, my parents continued to care for these children. Though the challenges were plentiful, the rewards were great. There was always an air of excitement after that phone call requesting placement; waiting and wondering who would be a part of our family next. What would their story be? How long would they stay? Smiles would appear and replace fearful eyes when basic needs were met. Laughter came with a sense of belonging when joining in family work and play. Hugs, healing, and happy tears flowed freely when families were reunited. Meaningful friendships and memories formed. Most significantly, our family grew through the adoption process!" Today, Conda supports Foster the Family to provide practical and holistic care to families welcoming vulnerable children. Having experienced firsthand the challenges of fostering, Conda understands how hard these families work, and she believes in helping them so they can continue supporting vulnerable kids. Together, with people like Conda, we can do immeasurably more to support foster families and create brighter futures for children in need. #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #GivingTuesday

As we wrap up this week of #NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth, we wanted to share our appreciation with Isaac Etter for his willingness to share his story and wisdom with us! ?? We are ending the week with this last bit of advice that Isaac has for adoptive parents. May we give space for our children to feel and process their pain so that they can find their identity! May we give space for our children to heal so they can soar! Share Isaac's words with other adoptive parents, and join us in thanking Isaac in the comments! #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #ThisIsAdoption #Adoption #NAAM #AdoptiveFamily #AdopteeVoice #AdoptionAwarenessMonth #BeTheVillage #EveryoneCanDoSomething

Isaac Etter shared his truth and lived experience today, and we were thankful to hear it! When adoptive parents acknowledge the pain, loss, and (often) uncomfortable complexities that can accompany adoption and the life experience of adoptee's, healing can happen! It's never too early to start having these conversations with your children-- it's never too early to start healing a hurt that may live inside your home. #FosterTheFamily #FosterTheFamilyUS #ThisIsAdoption #Adoption #NAAM #NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth #BeTheVillage #EveryoneCanDoSomething #AdopteeVoices