Foster Parent Well
Nicole T Barlow
Foster Parent Well is the go-to podcast for foster and adoptive parents who are navigating the complexities of parenting children with trauma while trying to stay sane in the process. Hosted by Nicole T Barlow, a foster and adoptive mom of six, parent trainer, and wellness coach, this podcast is where faith, resilience, and practical strategies come together.
If you're feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or just plain exhausted from the daily realities of foster care and adoption—you're not alone. Here, we have real conversations about the hard stuff: attachment struggles, secondary trauma, parenting beyond behaviors, and the deep emotional weight of loving kids from hard places. But we also talk about you—your health, your nervous system, your faith, and the small, sustainable ways you can care for yourself so you can keep showing up for your kids.
Expect practical tips, faith-based encouragement, expert insights, and zero sugarcoating—just real, honest talk about what it takes to foster well, adopt well, and most importantly, stay well in the process.
Because parenting kids with trauma is a marathon, not a sprint—and you were never meant to run it alone.
🎧 Subscribe now and let’s do this together!
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Top 10 Foster Parent Well Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Foster Parent Well episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Foster Parent Well for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Foster Parent Well episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
04/16/24 • 39 min
Discover the transformative power of nurturing both mind and body as Stefanie Armstrong, a respected mental health therapist and health coach, joins us to unravel the complex tapestry of parenting within the foster care and adoption. Together, we explore the profound ways in which wellness practices can anchor parents amidst the turbulent waters of raising children with traumatic histories. Stefanie reveals how prioritizing self-care isn't a luxury, but a necessity for those seeking to create a stable and loving environment for these vulnerable young souls. Our discussion underscores the essential role of nutrition and self-awareness, providing a beacon of hope and strategy for those navigating this noble journey.
Feel the strength of solidarity as we shed light on the critical role a supportive community plays in the lives of foster and adoptive parents. Gone are the days of facing adversity in isolation; we share the importance of forging connections that uplift and empower through the toughest of times. Parenting a child affected by trauma is not a path you should walk alone, and we're here to tell you how finding your tribe can transform both your experience and the healing process of your child. From integrating parents into therapy sessions to cherishing the shared experiences that only a community can provide, we lay out the blueprint for a network of support that's robust and ready to rally when you need it most.
Cap off your listening experience with a conversation on the art of patience and healthy habit formation. Stefanie and I break down the journey to wellness into bite-sized, achievable milestones, focusing on the beauty of self-compassion and the acknowledgment of every small victory. By shaping a balanced lifestyle tailored to your unique needs, we emphasize the importance of celebrating progress without comparison, nurturing your nervous system, and cultivating sustainable practices that foster long-term well-being. This episode is your invitation to embrace patience and joy in your great work, fortified by the understanding that true health is a personal and incremental triumph.
Stefanie Armstrong, LIMHP:
Instagram: @stefijo.strong_wholeness
Facebook: Stefi Jo Armstrong
Website: www.thecordco.com
Coaching Group with Nicole:
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=nicolebarlow
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
03/19/24 • 21 min
Hey there, Foster Parent Well family! It's Nicole T Barlow here, and in this heart-to-heart episode, we're diving into a topic that's close to my heart and, I believe, crucial for our community: the need for more Christian foster and adoptive homes. It's just you and me today, and I'm eager to share some thoughts, stories, and maybe a little bit of inspiration along the way.
We all know the journey of foster care and adoption is filled with its ups and downs. It’s a path of incredible love, sometimes heartbreak, but always profound impact. Today, I want to talk about why we need more amazing families to step into the world of fostering and adoption, and equally important, how we can stand alongside and support the incredible families already doing this vital work.
I'll share some of my own experiences and the lessons learned along the way. We'll also delve into how our faith can inspire and sustain us through the challenges and blessings of fostering and adoption. From the little moments of joy to the tough days that test our strength, every part of this journey can be a reflection of God's love and purpose for us and the children we welcome into our homes.
But this episode isn't just for those who've already opened their doors. It's also for anyone who's ever thought, "Maybe I could do that too," or wondered how they can support foster and adoptive families in their community. There's a role for everyone to play, and sometimes, it starts with simply understanding the journey.
So, grab your favorite cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's chat. It's about opening our doors, yes, but even more so, it's about opening our hearts to the possibilities and the children who need us. Together, we can make a world of difference, one child, one family at a time. Let's dive in and explore how we can all foster parent well.
Get my newsletter! https://nicoletbarlow.myflodesk.com/fosterparentwellnewsletter
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
When We Aren't Enough- Navigating Out of Home Care with Anna Bernacki
Foster Parent Well
02/26/25 • 65 min
We explore the complexities of foster care and adoption and the emotional toll trauma takes on families, emphasizing the importance of candid conversations about these challenges. Anna Bernacki shares her personal journey through adoption and how faith has guided her family.
• The importance of discussing difficult topics within foster care
• Differences between crisis hospitalization and residential treatment
• Navigating shame and guilt in parenting from hard places
• The role of faith in coping with challenges
• How to support other family members when one child is absent
• Encouragement for parents feeling overwhelmed or isolated
If you know somebody that is facing similar challenges, would you send them this episode?
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
Fostering Connections: Using Food to Bridge Gaps and Empower Children with Chef Kibby
Foster Parent Well
01/08/25 • 35 min
Chef Kibby shares how he uses food and hunger as a language of connection, drawing from 25 years of culinary expertise and 16 years as a foster and adoptive dad. Discover his unique perspective on how the simple act of cooking can bridge gaps and build lasting relationships. With personal anecdotes and biblical insights, we explore how food has been historically used as a relational tool and how you can implement these practices in your own home.
The conversation uncovers the hidden emotional needs that surface at the dinner table, where food becomes more than just nourishment. We address the emotional and physiological hunger that children from challenging backgrounds experience and how parents can recognize and fulfill these needs. By focusing on inclusion rather than perfection, we can transform everyday kitchen interactions into powerful bonding moments that go beyond just eating.
Empowering children by giving them a voice in everyday decisions, like choosing pizza toppings, can significantly enhance their sense of agency and emotional well-being. We discuss practical ways parents can create environments where children feel heard and valued. As we close, we invite you to explore additional resources, including our Hunger for Connection podcast, and offer a heartfelt prayer for guidance and peace in fostering meaningful connections through the universal language of food.
Find Chef Kibby:
Main website - https://chefkibby.com
Hunger for Connection Podcast - Spotify Apple iHeart Amazon Music YouTube
Listen to my song Fostering Joy on Spotify
Mentioned in the show:
TBRI: https://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/#sthash.9fvSeXaK.dpbs
Get my FREE 2025 Priorities Guide: https://stan.store/nicoletbarlow/p/get-the-priority-reset-guide-now
January 27th Wellness Coaching Group: https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=nicolebarlow
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
Breaking the Cycle: Parenting with Trauma Awareness with April Ficklin
Foster Parent Well
04/09/25 • 58 min
What happens when the romanticized dream of adoption crashes into the complex realities of parenting children from trauma? April Ficklin knows this collision intimately. From a teenage mission trip where she first felt called to adoption, to the Good Friday when her family doubled overnight with the addition of two siblings from foster care, April's journey has been one of profound transformation.
The chaos was immediate. Despite years of successful parenting with her biological children, April found herself utterly unprepared for the behaviors that emerged from her adopted children's fear responses. "I'm not the parent I used to be. I'm not the parent I thought I would be. I'm definitely not the mom I want to be," she remembers thinking during those early days.
This raw conversation peels back the layers of what trauma-aware parenting truly demands. April shares how she discovered that traditional parenting methods focused on compliance and behavior correction were failing both her children and herself. The breakthrough came when she shifted her entire approach from changing behaviors to building trust - recognizing that she needed to prove her trustworthiness before expecting her children to trust her.
Now working as an adoption professional and raising four teenagers, April offers a message of hope grounded in reality. Healing happens, but it's measured in moments like when her once fiercely independent child said, "Mama made me a peanut butter sandwich. That's what mamas do." Those small victories reveal the power of connection-based parenting that values relationship over compliance.
Whether you're considering adoption, in the trenches of foster parenting, or simply want to understand trauma-responsive approaches better, this conversation offers both practical wisdom and heartfelt encouragement. The journey may not be what you expected, but the healing – for both you and your children – is worth every step.
Please connect with April by following her growing Instagram account where she shares encouragement for stressed out moms, tips for trust-based parenting, and stories to help create hope in the overwhelm. https://www.instagram.com/april_ficklin/
The Connected Child: https://www.amazon.com/Connected-Child-healing-adoptive-family/dp/0071475001
TBRI: https://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/#sthash.3OROkCJX.dpbs
Nicole's 5 Day Belly Blast Challenge: http://www.fasterwaycoach.com/5-day-belly-blast-2025?aid=nicolebarlow
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
03/26/24 • 33 min
Embark on an extraordinary exploration of faith, resilience, and the transformative power of fostering and adoption with our special guest Mandie Summers. As a full-time missionary with the Jesus Film Project and a seasoned foster and adoptive parent, Mandie illuminates her journey and the pivotal role spirituality plays in navigating the complexities of caring for children with traumatic histories. Guided by her experience and the support of a private Christian foster agency, this episode unravels the threads of divine strength that bind together a family walking this path.
With each child welcomed into her home, Mandie has discovered the profound impact of incorporating spiritual practices into the daily grind. She shares the lifelines that have sustained her family—from enveloping their home in worship music to fusing scripture with physical activity. Our conversation does not shy away from the real struggles and doubts that can surface amidst systemic injustices, yet we also celebrate the profound moments of trust in God's timing and providence, drawing inspiration from biblical narratives that resonate with our experiences as foster and adoptive parents.
This episode is more than a sharing of stories; it's an outstretched hand to those in the foster and adoptive community seeking solidarity and understanding. I open up about my own fostering and adoption experiences, affirming their unparalleled richness and the indelible impact on our lives. We leave you with a message of courage and an invitation to join a supportive community that cherishes the sanctity of this divine calling. Together, we offer a prayer for the strength that only faith can foster, sealing our shared commitment to nurture and guide the lives entrusted to us.
For more information on Mandie and Jason's missionary journey and how to support them: https://give.cru.org/0578940
Foster Parent Well Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1VeRn4AaDHThddXx/
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
The #1 Rule of Foster Care- It's Not About You
Foster Parent Well
05/14/24 • 19 min
It's not about you- and that's a good thing.
As we observe National Foster Care Month, I delve deep into the heart of foster parenting and adoption, confronting the misconception that this path is a means to fill our voids, and instead, frame it as an opportunity to pour out our love for children in need, a true embodiment of selfless service.
Throughout our conversation, the contours of foster care and adoption take shape as a transformative experience that molds us into the likeness of Jesus, through the trials we face and the sacrifices we make.
I invite you to reflect on what fuels your commitment to this ministry and to connect with me, sharing your tales of triumph and tribulation. Together, let's seek solace and strength in a prayer for resilience, as we honor our sacred duty to our children and affirm our resolve to give, not just to receive, in this profound act of servitude.
5 Day Smoothie Detox Challenge:
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/rounds/5day-smoothie-detox?aid=nicolebarlow
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
Beyond Behavior Management: The Parent's Journey to Felt Safety
Foster Parent Well
03/19/25 • 35 min
The tension between fostering deep relationships and managing difficult behaviors sits at the heart of every foster and adoptive parent's journey. In this deeply personal exploration, we uncover why our focus often shifts from connection to control—and the surprising neurological reasons behind it.
When behaviors are under control and there's order in our homes, we feel safe. But what happens when our peace becomes dependent on our children's compliance? We end up parenting from exhaustion rather than connection, creating a cycle that works against the very healing we're trying to facilitate.
Your nervous system responds to stress just like your child's does. When you don't feel safe, you move into fight-flight-freeze-fawn mode, making it neurologically impossible to parent with patience and wisdom. Even when you know better, your survival brain takes over—leading to burnout, anxiety, and disconnection.
Building felt safety from within changes everything. Through spiritual practices, predictable routines, environmental comfort, supportive relationships, appropriate boundaries, and essential wellness habits, you can create internal regulation that doesn't depend on external circumstances. Each practice—from morning prayer to consistent hydration, from soft lighting to meaningful conversations with understanding friends—sends powerful signals to your brain that you are safe.
This isn't about luxury or self-indulgence. It's about creating the neurological foundation you need to show up as the regulated, connected parent your children need. When you build felt safety from the inside out, you can finally address behavior while strengthening connection rather than damaging it.
If you're ready to break free from survival mode parenting, join our six-week wellness challenge starting March 24th, where we'll take small, doable steps toward creating lasting felt safety—for you and your whole family.
Join my 6 Week Wellness Challenge: https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=nicolebarlow
Subscribe to my newsletter! https://nicoletbarlow.myflodesk.com/fosterparentwellnewsletter
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
Calm in the Eye of the Storm: Strategies for Foster and Adoptive Parents
Foster Parent Well
05/21/24 • 23 min
Navigating the stormy waters of foster and adoptive parenting with grace and strength is no small feat. Join me, Nicole T Barlow, as I share experience as a mother of six, the transformative power of maintaining calm and regulation in the face of our children's trauma-induced turmoil. I will give you seven key strategies to a way to keep a sense of calm that is essential for guiding our children towards emotional balance and healing.
The landscape of parenting is dotted with unpredictable challenges, and it's essential to have an arsenal of tools to stay anchored. In this episode, I reveal the unsuspected efficacy of sensory techniques and small indulgences, like cold water splashes and dark chocolate almonds, to redirect our stressed minds and soothe our anxious hearts. Through personal stories and relatable insights, I'll show you how to embrace the detective role in understanding your child's needs and not take their emotional eruptions personally. With a special emphasis on the support of therapy and the embrace of community, we'll recognize the indispensable role of faith in weathering the storms within our homes, and the profound beauty in modeling repair and forgiveness for the little ones we hold dear.
Mentioned in this episode:
America’s Kids Belong-
https://americaskidsbelong.org/
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot-
https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot?utm_source=google-ads&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v-pbSyIWw5f4eP5-5pPwqCfXTtN42wS0DzN3IOJsV05txrTlhDuvK4aAsq6EALw_wcB
Nicole’s 6 Week Coaching program-
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=nicolebarlow
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
Navigating Ambiguous Loss: Grief as a Foster Parent
Foster Parent Well
10/09/24 • 21 min
What happens when welcoming a new child into your home brings both immeasurable joy and profound heartbreak? Journey with me, Nicole T Barlow, as I recount my personal experience with the unpredictable waves of fostering and adoption. I open up about the bittersweet reality of forming new bonds and routines, only to face the heart-wrenching process of reunification. This episode uncovers the unique struggle of ambiguous loss—a type of grief that offers no closure or societal recognition, leaving many foster parents feeling isolated and misunderstood. Together, we explore how leaning into faith and the grace of God can be a beacon of hope during such trying transitions, reminding us of the strength found in community support.
Throughout the conversation, I highlight the often-overlooked emotional complexities that foster parents endure, drawing parallels with biblical figures like Job who faced immense loss and suffering. By sharing candid stories and reflections, this episode aims to foster empathy and understanding not just for the children who endure these separations, but also for the parents who care for them. It's a call to embrace the messy and unresolved nature of these losses, without reservation, to transform our grief into compassion and deeper faith. My heartfelt prayer is for each listener to find solace and strength within our community, preparing us all for the important work ahead.
I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text!
Connect with me on Instagram: @Fosterparentwell
@nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/
Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/
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FAQ
How many episodes does Foster Parent Well have?
Foster Parent Well currently has 42 episodes available.
What topics does Foster Parent Well cover?
The podcast is about Christianity, Adoption, Parenting, Kids & Family, Foster Care, Religion & Spirituality, Podcasts and Trauma.
What is the most popular episode on Foster Parent Well?
The episode title 'Equipping Foster and Adoptive Parents: The Power of Ongoing Training' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Foster Parent Well?
The average episode length on Foster Parent Well is 27 minutes.
How often are episodes of Foster Parent Well released?
Episodes of Foster Parent Well are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Foster Parent Well?
The first episode of Foster Parent Well was released on Feb 20, 2024.
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