You know that feeling – when you say or do something and then think, “Oh my, that was vulnerable…Maybe I should take it all back!!”
It’s the feeling you have when you’ve gotten out on the skinny branches and your knees begin to knock together. Vulnerability is where connection and growth happen, but it’s scary!
Christina Dent has given many podcast interviews on behalf of End It For Good, but the episode she just did on the foster care-focused Forgotten Podcast ended with a vulnerability hangover.
If you know End It For Good’s origin story, you know that Christina was a foster parent for several years and was changed by Joanne, the mother of her foster son. If you missed the End It For Good podcast episode with Joanne as the guest, sharing her story, it’s beautiful.
After The Forgotten Podcast aired, our inbox overflowed with feedback like this from listeners who range from curious to all-in on our message:
“I was just listening to your interview on The Forgotten Podcast and definitely sobbing hearing you talk about Joanne’s love for her son. Thank you for sharing that. It was a good reminder for me as we head back into visits for our foster baby.”
“Definitely needing this information and encouragement as we hope for reunification for our kiddos whose parents are struggling with addiction.”
“As a foster parent, I so appreciated all that was shared. The statistics, the beautiful stories, the encouragement.”
“As both a foster parent and foster care agency worker, this topic resonates deeply.”
“I am a foster/adoptive mama of a baby born with drug addiction and I love what you are doing. Such a powerful message.”
“I found this episode of the forgotten podcast so relatable to the current placement we have and relating and trying to support his parents!”
While the work of End It For Good is much broader than improving outcomes for children and families touched by child welfare because of drugs, it’s still an important part of our work.
May is National Foster Care Month. In honor of that, do you know a foster parent, social worker, or someone who works with children touched by the child welfare system?
Joanne’s story will bless them, and The Forgotten Podcast is part of The Forgotten Initiative, an incredible nonprofit with so many resources for people touched by that system.
If we want better outcomes for vulnerable children, we absolutely must focus on better outcomes for their parents. Since the majority of children in foster care are there because of a drug-related removal, we have to engage on the issue of drugs and addiction.
The heartbeat of our mission is people, not drugs. If you care about people, you’re in the right place as we get curious, have respectful dialogue, and find a better path forward together.