The world says fostering and adoption are too hard — but faith and community tell a different story. In this episode, Jeff and Emmy Ort share their journey of fostering and adopting, including raising a child with special needs. You’ll discover practical ways to navigate hard days, build resilience, and find joy in the midst of challenges.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• How fostering impacts biological children
• Practical strategies for surviving hard days
• Why asking for help is strength, not weakness
• The role of faith and community in long-term success
• How grace changes the way we see trauma

📖 Key Insight:

“Taking a break isn’t failure — it’s an investment for the long term.”

📌 Explore More Resources:

Visit https://www.childbridgemontana.org/resource-library for tools, articles, and videos to support your parenting journey.

Learn more about Connected Voices at voices4mtkids.com

#FosterCareJourney #AdoptionStories #TraumaInformedParenting #ChildBridge #KinshipCare #ChristianParenting

Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? Burnout is real — but healing doesn’t have to be complicated. In this video, certified health coach Chantel Oakley explains how movement, mindset, and grace can help foster, adoptive, and kinship parents thrive. You’ll discover practical ways to care for your body, mind, and soul while caring for others.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• How to recognize signs of burnout
• Why movement regulates stress and boosts energy
• Simple steps to start — even with a busy schedule
• Tips for modeling healthy habits for kids
• How to overcome guilt around self-care

📖 Key Insight:

“Just do something. Small steps lead to big change.”

📌 Explore More Resources:

Visit https://www.chanteloakley.com/ for coaching and programs.

Check out the https://www.childbridgemontana.org/resource-library for tools and support.

#FosterParentTraining #BurnoutRecovery #SelfCareForParents #ChildBridge #AdoptiveParenting #ChristianParenting

In this practical and encouraging episode, therapist and author Daniela Coats shares strategies for navigating the holiday season as a foster or adoptive family. Drawing from her experience as a bio kid in a foster family, social worker, and mom, Daniela offers actionable tips to reduce stress, honor traditions, and create emotional safety for every child in your home.

💡 What You’ll Hear:

1. How to honor a child’s past traditions while building new ones

2. Supporting kids through grief and big emotions during the holidays

3. Setting realistic expectations and boundaries with extended family

4. Practical ideas for family activities that foster connection

5. Why parent self-care is essential for the whole family

📖 Key Insight:

“Communication and emotional safety are anchors in seasons of change.”

📌 Explore More Resources:

Visit withsiblings.org for tools, trainings, and Daniela’s book.

👉 Subscribe for More:

Follow our podcast for real-life stories, expert insights, and encouragement for families navigating foster care, adoption, and trauma-informed parenting.

#FosterCare #Adoption #HolidayTips #TraumaInformedParenting #ParentingPodcast

What happens to siblings when adoption transforms a family overnight?

Dr. Jana Hunsley knows this firsthand. As a teenager, her family adopted seven children in four years — a shift that changed everything. Now a clinician and researcher, Jana brings deep empathy and practical insight to the complex sibling dynamics in adoptive families.

💡 What You’ll Hear:

1. Why siblings often feel invisible and how to change that

2. How trauma impacts every member of the family

3. Tools for healthy communication and emotional safety

4. The power of one-on-one time and family rituals

5. How to support peacemakers, perfectionists, and overwhelmed kids

📖 Key Insight:

“Siblings are the unsung heroes of adoption and they need support too.”

📌 Explore More Resources:

Visit childbridgemontana.org for tools, stories, and support for foster, adoptive and kinship families.

Learn more from Dr. Jana Hunsley at drjanahunsley.com

👉 Subscribe for More:

Follow our podcast for real-life stories, expert wisdom, and encouragement for anyone raising, supporting, or loving kids from hard places.

#AdoptionStory #SiblingDynamics #TraumaInformedParenting #ChildBridge #DrJanaHunsley #ParentingPodcast #ChristianParenting

What does it look like to follow God’s call into adoption — even when the path is unexpected?

For Eric and Shelly Basye, adoption wasn’t just a decision — it was a response to proximity, conviction, and a deep desire to live out their faith in action. Their journey is filled with moments of surrender, resilience, and the kind of hope that only comes from trusting God in the messy middle.

In this heartfelt episode, Eric and Shelly share their journey through adoption and parenting — rooted in faith, justice, and a deep commitment to living out the gospel. From raising a refugee teen to adopting children both domestically and internationally, their story is one of courage, surrender, and hope.

💡 What You’ll Hear:

1. How proximity to need shaped their calling

2. The emotional and spiritual realities of adoption

3. Parenting through trauma and building resilience

4. Why saying “yes” to hard things can lead to deep transformation

📖 Key Insight:

“Our celebration is birthed out of trauma — and God makes beautiful things out of messes.”

📌 Explore More Resources:

Visit childbridgemontana.org for tools, stories, and support for foster, adoptive and kinship families.

👉 Subscribe for More:

Follow our podcast for real-life stories, expert insights, and encouragement for families navigating trauma-informed parenting.

#AdoptionStory #FaithAndFamily #TraumaInformedParenting #ChildBridge #ParentingPodcast #ChristianParenting

Parenting kids who’ve experienced trauma can feel exhausting and uncertain — but you don’t have to stay stuck there. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, Parent Coaching can help equip you with the tools, strategies and confidence you need to bring more peace to your home.

In this episode, nationally recognized parent coach Tina Feigal shares real-world techniques like those you’ll learn in Child Bridge’s Parent Coaching Program. From reflective listening to “I See You” letters to heartfelt appreciation, these tools help parents shift from feeling stuck and exhausted to feeling equipped, connected and hopeful.

💡 Learn more and sign up for Child Bridge’s Parent Coaching Program: https://www.childbridgemontana.org/coaching

📖 Present Moment Parenting by Tina Feigal: https://howdoparentthischild.com/book-present-moment-parenting

📝 Free parenting resources from Tina Feigal: https://howdoparentthischild.com/resources

🌐 Learn more about Tina Feigal’s work: https://howdoparentthischild.com

In this bonus episode, occupational therapist Saydee Miller helps us understand the deeper story behind food struggles in kids from hard places. She explains how trauma shapes a child’s relationship with food and offers practical ways to build safety and trust during meals. From interoception to simple tools for daily routines, Saydee gives foster and adoptive families the insight and encouragement they need to support healing — one bite at a time.

🔗 Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Kelly Mahler’s Interoception Curriculum: https://www.kelly-mahler.com/product/the-interoception-curriculum-a-step-bystep-guide-to-developing-mindful-self-regulation/

• Katja Rowell, MD (“The Feeding Doctor”): https://www.thefeedingdoctor.com/

• Eating Disorder Center of Montana: https://edcmontana.org/

For many kids from hard places, bedtime isn’t restful — it’s triggering. In this episode, occupational therapist Saydee Miller joins us to explore why sleep can be so difficult for children with trauma histories and how caregivers can respond with compassion, patience and practical tools.

From sleep journals and bedtime routines to sensory regulation strategies and “cookie dough rolls,” Saydee shares trauma-informed insights to help you shift the focus from sleep to safety and connection.

Whether you're a foster parent, adoptive caregiver or simply raising a child who struggles to settle at night, this episode will equip you with hope and help for bedtime battles.

📚 Resources:

Learn more about Dwell Pediatric Sleep: https://www.instagram.com/dwellpediatricsleep

Explore Interoception Tools from Kelly Mahler: https://www.kelly-mahler.com