The More Than Enough Podcast: Recent Episodes
More Than Enough
The More Than Enough Podcast connects you to the people, ideas, and tools in foster care that will help your community work together to fill the biggest gaps in caring for children and families.
Discover insights from a new US foster care and adoption survey conducted by Pinkston and the Christian Alliance for Orphans that can help us better understand what the public really thinks about foster care and what truly motivates people to get involved. Download the full report in the show notes. https://cafo.org/podcasts/more-than-enough-podcast/mtep-episode18/
In this episode, Jason talks with Ryan Skoog and Peter Greer, two of the authors of the book Lead with Prayer. We then hear from five foster care leaders, Heidi White, Shelly Radic, Rhonda Littleton, Janelle Shelton, and Andrew Holmes about how they prioritize prayer in their lives, work, and leadership, as they serve children and families all across the country.
In this episode, we imagine together what it looks like when the Church supports families even before child welfare needs to remove children from homes, as Jason talks with Clint Brauer, Jeff Chaisson, and Ariel Moore.
In our work we often have opportunities to share our personal stories — maybe from stage, maybe over coffee, or even in a grocery store aisle. However, we can’t talk for hours, and we don’t want to present a sanitized or unauthentic picture of our lives. We wonder, how can we balance the tensions between limited time and authenticity, vulnerability, and privacy? Today we are talking about telling our stories. We talk with Beth Guckenberger, an author, leader, and public speaker, about sharing stories that build connection and credibility, and still honor children’s privacy. We also talk with Tim Grissom, one of Jason’s former editors, and Mari Ramsey, a worship leader and former foster youth, about why he has chosen to travel the country, write a book, and tell his story.
Life is full of decisions. From what monopoly piece to choose to what you will be when you ‘grow up’. And when you choose a career, do you choose a future full of challenges, frustrations, and a low salary? If you choose a job in child welfare, yes. Social workers are people who have selected a career that isn't chosen by most. By even becoming a social worker they are choosing to walk into hard situations every day, knowing they will be perceived harshly and underappreciated. What should our response be to the social workers who have made this difficult choice? Today we talk with Rhonda Littleton, Nicole Taylor, and Joe Rogers to explore not only why we should support and encourage social workers, but what are great first steps to take when incorporating support for these vital helpers into our organizations and ministries.
Sometimes making changes in our organizations and in our families can feel a lot like wrangling goats. We worry before the changes even go into effect that they will bring anxiety and chaos - but it doesn't have to be that way. Leading people through changes doesn't have to feel like a guaranteed, chaotic, goat-rodeo. Join us today for a conversation with Katie Casselberry, the Director of Communications for More Than Enough, about making changes - big and small - and helping the people around us embrace them. Then, to help us all gain a little perspective on what it looks like for a state department to make changes, we talk with Gina Meier-Hummel. Gina formerly served as the Director of Children and Family Services in Kansas, and has been working on behalf of children and families for over 32 years. She has a lot to share about her experiences and shares ideas to encourage us as we come alongside child welfare workers in our own communities.
Whether you’re a foster parent attempting to build trust with the children in your home, a social worker building trust with a family, or a leader building trust among your staff, the importance of building trust in your relationships cannot be overstated.
I think we can all agree that foster care is full of hard things and hard days. We may feel like our work is full of enemies: biological families who are hurt and angry, a system that feels slow and broken, and kids we love who are struggling with hurt and trauma that feels overwhelming. How do we adjust our mindset about who we see as the enemy? And how do we love those that sometimes treat us like we're the enemy? Today we sit down with Jamie Finn, from Foster the Family, to talk about foster care, her book, and a lot of the hard moments we're all familiar with. Today we are having a conversation about how, when we face these hard things and hard relationships in foster care, scripture is always there to meet us right where we're at.This episode is a must listen for not just foster parents but foster care leaders and advocates too.
Listening well is the vital first step in developing good relationships with donors, churches, and partners. Today we talk with Michael Mitchell, CAFO’s Director of Development and Discipleship, about listening to the beautiful birds in our own backyards and the people doing incredible work in our communities. We talk about practical ways we can all practice and grow these skills and use them to help build strong connections to those around us.
Todd Tilghman may be most well known as the winner of the 18th Season of NBC's "The Voice", but at the 2022 CAFO Summit he sits down with Jason Weber and shares about his family of 10, his faith, and what music has meant to him along his journey.
What happens when we see the problems of foster care not just as potholes that someone else should take care of, but as opportunities to create something beautiful, in the exact place that needs it most? What if instead of pointing out potholes in foster care, we filled them?
Join us today and hear stories today about Christmas parties, pancakes, prayers, mentors, and meals that became so much more. We will hear from leaders and advocates who knew that first meeting the tangible needs of children and families was important, but also imagined that meeting a tangible need didn't have to be the end of the story. A bike, a bunk bed, a prayer can lead to families being cared for, and children being loved and cared for in families.
John Buultjens shares the powerful story of his journey from enduring childhood in an abusive home, to spending time in juvenile detention and foster care, to meeting and experiencing the love of his foster and adoptive parents, and to later finding purpose and joy in his passion for BMX riding. He also discusses the newly-released film, The Ride, and shares a preview of this inspirational movie based on the events of John’s own life.
In foster care we get the chance to partner with new people. Sometimes those people feel so different from us that we wonder how we can possibly work together, much less become friends.Today’s episode takes us from talking about an unlikely friendship between a terrier and a miniature horse to talking with Jedd Medefind, Dr. Sharen Ford, and Helen Parks about the incredible things that can happen when the Church comes alongside the state to support children and families.
How do we define success when working with people who are experiencing hard things? Sometimes we have in our mind this idyllic image of what success looks like and how fast we ought to be able to get there. It might be tied to quarterly progress reports, numbers, growth charts. While there is nothing wrong with that, today we are going to consider what it looks like to trust the Lord and focus on the primary job that He gave us in scripture - to love people well. Our incredible guests today are Salt Wall and Chelsea Geyer. They each draw on their work with vulnerable families and their personal lives to share their perspective on defining success and loving the people around them.
On this bonus episode we are joined by Peter Greer and Chris Horst as they share about their book, Rooting for Rivals, and discuss the importance of collaboration and unity. Peter and Chris recount various stories from non-profit organizations across the country as well as their own leadership experiences that demonstrate the multiplying power of working alongside, rather than against, one another. They also offer several practical steps toward better collaboration among nonprofit leaders, churches, and individuals who are all committed to providing more than enough for kids and families in their local communities.
Have you ever tried to make a difference for children in foster care? Maybe you started by joining a small group at church, maybe you donated clothes to a foster care closet, maybe you took a meal over to those folks at church who had just become foster parents. It started with a simple yes. All you did was come in for a closer look -- and now looking back -- you realize that your simple yes is leading you to something much bigger. In the state of Oklahoma, the number of children in foster care has dramatically decreased over the past few years. This change has stemmed from many individuals, like Misty Seale and Chris Campbell with the 111 Project, who understand the power of a simple ‘yes’. Chris and Misty have been witness to the large transformations occurring for children, homes, and lives across their state that all started with individuals and their small ‘yes’.
When the church is rallying around families, loving on social workers, and caring for children, it is what it was always meant to be: the light of the world. When the church is here, everything changes.On this episode we are joined by Jason Johnson, National Director of CAFO Church Ministry Initiative, as he shares about what it means for a church to engage with foster care. Lauri Currier and Ann Book talk about their work with The CALL in Arkansas, where one county reached more than enough for children and families in foster care, and we wrap up with Jessica Stern, COO of Connect our Kids. Jessica shares a few stories from her own childhood, and what it meant for the local church to ‘show up’ and support her family.
The More Than Enough Podcast connects you to the people, ideas, and tools in foster care that will help your community work together to fill the biggest gaps in caring for children and families.
When two College Station, TX residents realized the number of children who were sleeping at their local child welfare office due to a lack of available foster care placements, they knew that they needed to do something about it. In this episode, Jenni Olowo and Lauren Falcone share their incredible 3 month journey from seeing the problem, to activating their community and opening The Haven, a temporary home for children and caseworkers to stay while awaiting a foster care placement. Their inspirational story demonstrates how communities can take ownership of the foster care problem in their area and come together to provide a solution.
Get the show notes: https://morethanenough.cafo.org/podcasts/more-than-enough-podcast/
In this episode, Adrien Lewis and Lisa McNearney share some of the powerful stories behind the development of CarePortal, a technology connecting platform that brings the needs of hurting children and families in a community to the attention of the Church. The impact that CarePortal has created in Missouri and throughout the U.S. demonstrates how providing more than enough for children and families in foster care can be possible when there is a way for a community to cultivate proximity to the needs of others and an opportunity to support.
Dr. Sharen Ford, a former child welfare administrator, and Helen Parks, a former foster youth turned advocate, share their unique insights on how the church can successfully partner with government to show hospitality to children in foster care. They offer practical tools and helpful reflections based on what has worked well in their own state of Colorado, which we hope can equip listeners across the nation to collaborate effectively with churches, government agencies, and organizations alike in an effort to provide more than enough for children and families in foster care in their own communities.
John Buultjens shares the powerful story of his journey from enduring childhood in an abusive home, to spending time in juvenile detention and foster care, to meeting and experiencing the love of his foster and adoptive parents, and to later finding purpose and joy in his passion for BMX riding. He also discusses the newly-released film, The Ride, and shares a preview of this inspirational movie based on the events of John’s own life.
We are joined by Peter Greer and Chris Horst as they share about their book, Rooting for Rivals, and discuss the importance of collaboration and unity. Peter and Chris recount various stories from non-profit organizations across the country as well as their own leadership experiences that demonstrate the multiplying power of working alongside, rather than against, one another. They also offer several practical steps toward better collaboration among non-profit leaders, churches, and individuals who are all committed to providing more than enough for kids and families in their local communities.
For decades, the Palmer Home for Children had been known in Mississippi for its role as a traditional, residential home, but in recent years, the leadership of Palmer Home began to discuss the best way to provide for children and started to re-think their organization’s original model. As Drake Bassett and his team started to expand their approach to include a focus on family strengthening and foster care, it made a way for families like Amy’s to become invested and involved in the lives of the children that Palmer Home cares for. Palmer Home’s story demonstrates the importance of making big changes, despite what has always been done, to act in the best interest of the child.
When Crystal’s daughter was placed in Holly’s home through the foster care system, Holly was determined to form a relationship with her birth mother. Having the ultimate goal of family reunification in mind, Holly wanted to do everything that she could to help Crystal succeed and to love her unconditionally through the entire process. With this encouragement and support, Crystal was able to overcome addiction and bring her daughter back into her home. Crystal and Holly’s story is a beautiful example of the power of supporting and ministering to birth parents.
In the state of Oklahoma, the number of children in foster care has dramatically decreased over the past few years. This change has stemmed from many individuals, like Misty Seale and Chris Campbell, who understand the power of a simple ‘yes’. Misty had grown up in the church but spent many years unaware of the needs surrounding foster care in her community. As God revealed the needs within foster care to her, she responded with a ‘yes’ and is now serving as a foster care advocate and leader. In his role as a pastor, Chris encourages Christ-followers to open up their hearts and their homes to children in foster care. Together, Chris and Misty have been witness to the large transformations occurring for children, homes, and lives across their state that all started with individuals and their small ‘yes’.
Lauri Currier and Ann Meythaler discuss how they have been working to provide more than enough for children in the Arkansas foster care system. Lauri, Executive Director of The CALL, and Ann, a former preschool teacher who stepped into foster care almost 10 years ago, share their perspectives about how anyone, regardless of their career path, can contribute to the transformation of foster care in their own community.
The More Than Enough Podcast connects you to the people, ideas, and tools in foster care that will help your community work together to fill the biggest gaps in caring for children and families.