From Foster to Forever
by Rachel Fulginiti
Latest episode
Bring Your Own Flashlight: A Former Foster Youth’s Journey to Healing
Bring Your Own Flashlight: A Former Foster Youth’s Journey to Healing
About this podcast
There are many ways to build your family. Fostering-to-adopt is not the easiest, but it's a beautiful and profoundly impactful thing to do. Join Rachel Fulginiti, creative multi-hyphenate and two-time foster to adopt mom, as she shares her own story and the stories of others who have successfully navigated the foster care system and created their forever families through adoption.
We explore the complex journey, touching on subjects like welcoming newborns or older children into your home, resiliency through loss and heartbreak, transracial adoption, special needs, co-parenting through a divorce, and more. We also amplify the voices of adult adoptees, who can teach us so much through their lived experience.
If you've ever considered fostering and/or adoption, experienced it first-hand, or are simply curious to learn more, this show is for you.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 51 episodes
- Bring Your Own Flashlight: A Former Foster Youth’s Journey to Healing · 50 min · Season 3 Episode 25After entering foster care at just two months old, QpidLuv the World Bender spent his entire childhood in the system—moving through approximately 20 foster homes before…
- Finding Her Son After 47 Years: Birth Mother Janet Munro Shares Her Story · 51 min · Season 3 Episode 24Every adoption story has multiple perspectives—but we don't often hear directly from birth mothers. In this deeply moving episode of From Foster to Forever, Rachel Fulginiti…
- Creating Connection: A Foster-to-Adopt Family's Legacy Through Stories | Mark & Jenna Marino · 1 h 0 min · Season 3 Episode 23What happens when a foster-to-adopt family channels their journey into creativity, imagination, and storytelling? In this heartwarming episode of From Foster to Forever, Rachel…
- Why I Became a Foster Parent—and Why I'd Do It Again | Susan Devine · 27 min · Season 3 Episode 22What happens when a school employee opens her home to two brothers in foster care just days before Christmas? In this heartfelt episode of From Foster to Forever, host Rachel…
- From Foster Youth to Father of Five: Rob Scheer on Foster Care, Adoption, and Permanency · 42 min · Season 3 Episode 21What does it take to break the cycle of trauma and create a forever family? In this powerful episode of From Foster to Forever, host Rachel Fulginiti sits down with foster care…
- Raising a Black Teen in a Mostly White Community | Transracial Adoption: Kat Parvin · 46 min · Season 3 Episode 20What happens when a white foster-to-adopt family adopts a Black teenager in a small rural community with very little diversity? In this deeply honest and thought-provoking…
- An LGBTQ Dad’s Journey Through Trauma, Adoption & Unconditional Love with Ron Platt · 60 min · Season 3 Episode 19We're diving deep into the heartwarming yet challenging journey of foster care and adoption with Ron Platt, a trailblazer in LGBTQ+ parenting. Ron's story kicks off with his own…
- Called To Foster: An Honest Guide with Jen Lilley and Dr. John DeGarmo · 40 min · Season 3 Episode 18Host Rachel Fulginiti is joined by returning guests Jen Lilley—a successful Hollywood actress who followed a deep calling to foster and ultimately fostered to adopt two…
- Birth Order: How It Affects Fostering and Adopting with Dr. Robert Hurst · 39 min · Season 3 Episode 17Today, we’re unpacking the fascinating world of birth order and its impact on family dynamics, especially when it comes to fostering and adoption. We've got Dr. Robert Hurst, a…
- Why Foster Kids Struggle with Food, ADHD & Addiction (Root Causes with Kamy Moussavi) · 47 min · Season 3 Episode 16Why do so many children—especially those in foster care or adoption—struggle with food, weight, and self-regulation? In this episode of From Foster to Forever, Rachel sits down…
- Money, Foster Care & the Real Cost of Growing Your Family (with Dylan Snowden) · 50 min · Season 3 Episode 15Thinking about foster care or adoption—but unsure how to prepare financially? Dealing with challenging finances already? In this episode of From Foster to Forever, I sit down…
- Single Mom by Choice While Fostering - Life update with Maryanne Grant · 54 min · Season 3 Episode 14She was fostering two toddlers and still waiting to adopt — so she decided to have a baby on her own... When Maryanne Grant first came on the show, she was in the middle of a…
- Play Therapy, Trauma & Healing: What Foster & Adoptive Parents Need to Know · 31 min · Season 3 Episode 13In this powerful and deeply insightful episode of From Foster to Forever, I sit down with child therapist and author Stacy Schaffer to explore what foster and adoptive parents…
- 21 Kids Later: The Truth About Foster Care, Loss, and Adoption · 52 min · Season 3 Episode 12Foster care can bring a whirlwind of emotions, and today we're diving deep into the complexities that come with it. We’re chatting with Emily McDaniel, a seasoned foster care…
- Dyslexia Isn’t a Reading Problem: What Every Parent Should Know with Russell Van Brocklen · 48 min · Season 3 Episode 11Dyslexia isn’t just a reading problem—it’s a whole brain vibe! In our chat today, we dive into some eye-opening insights with Russell Van Broecklin, a dyslexia researcher who's…
- Healing, Hope, and Holistic Care: Supporting Adopted Children with Dr. Aaron Hartman · 59 min · Season 3 Episode 10In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Rachel sits down with functional medicine physician and adoptive father Dr. Aaron Hartman to explore how early trauma, environmental…
- EMDR and Play Therapy with Trauma Expert Jenny Hornby · 45 min · Season 3 Episode 9Recognizing our superpower as parents is the name of the game today, and it’s not about having all the answers. Our presence alone can be a game-changer for our kids, especially…
- Adoption Adventures: Finding Our Family through Fostering · 32 min · Season 3 Episode 8Today, we hear the heartfelt journey of David and Jill, who took the leap from being childless to adopting two beautiful siblings through the Foster to Adopt process. They share…
- Foster Care Reality: Trauma, Love & Burnout with Emily Ellet · 1 h 1 min · Season 3 Episode 7This episode is a deep dive into the world of foster care - specifically, fostering a teen as a single woman. Our guest, Emily Ellett, shares her personal journey as a foster…
- Embracing the Unexpected in Foster Care with Nikki Zakocs · 47 min · Season 3 Episode 6Flexibility and openness are the name of the game when it comes to fostering and adopting, and our guest, Nikki, really drives that point home today. She’s got a heartwarming…
