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Licensed to Love

Licensed to Love

Written by: Families Thrive Inc
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 What does it really take to open your home—and your heart—to a child in foster care? Licensed to Love is the podcast for future foster and adoptive parents who want to understand the foster care system, build trauma-informed parenting skills, and create safe, loving homes for children who need them most. New episodes every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month on the JazzCast Pros Network. Hosted by Lauri and Veronica—directors at Families Thrive Inc., a leading foster care and adoption agency in Rochester, New York—each episode blends real stories from foster youth, birth families, and licensed caregivers with expert guidance drawn from decades of experience helping children find permanent, loving homes. Topics Include: ✅ How to become a licensed foster parent in New York ✅ What to expect during your home study and training ✅ Supporting teens and keeping sibling groups together ✅ The truth about family reunification and the Families First Act ✅ Navigating trauma, grief, and resilience ✅ Preparing youth for adulthood and aging out of the system Whether you’re just starting to explore foster parenting, deep in the licensing process, or preparing for adoption, Licensed to Love gives you the tools, encouragement, and clarity to say yes—with heart and confidence. Because love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a commitment. And every child deserves a place to belong. About Families Thrive Inc. Based in Rochester, NY, Families Thrive recruits foster and adoptive families for children in the foster care system ages 0 to 21. We place referred children in a loving home temporarily with a goal to return to a family member. When children cannot return or are waiting for a family, we provide pre-to-post adoption services and work closely with families through the entire process. Families Thrive offers services and training to our families and skill-building to the children. We host a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter on staff to find resources for children waiting for a family. With two sites in Rochester and the Finger Lakes, our mission is always to provide children with a kin family connection or find a permanent loving place to belong. Donate at: https://givebutter.com/FamiliesThriveDonation Connect with us on Social Media Instagram Facebook Families Thrive, Inc,| LinkedIn Music from #Uppbeat⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/evoli/vancouver ⁠ License code: OP7TONLRWONEVAYDJazzCast Pros 2025 Parenting Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Committed to Kids with Special Needs | Insights from Toni Helwig

    Committed to Kids with Special Needs | Insights from Toni Helwig
    Feb 13 2026
    Ep. 9 Unconditional love as a foster parent means showing up again and again… even after the child leaves your home. It looks like answering late-night calls, sending groceries across state lines, and reminding a child—no matter where life takes them—that they still have a family. In this episode of Licensed to Love, you’ll hear the story of a foster-adoptive mom whose commitment didn’t end when the kids turned 18. For her, forever truly means forever. Toni Marrocco-Helwig shares what it really means to provide a safe home and unconditional love to children in foster care—especially those with special needs who often wait the longest for families. For 15 years, Toni and her husband Mike have welcomed more than 50 children into their home, offering stability, patience, and lifelong support. Foster parents can play a powerful role in supporting birth families. Building trust takes time. Showing up consistently is more powerful than words. Loving children with special needs or trauma backgrounds requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to meet them where they are. Key Takeaways🔗 Learn more about fostering and support services at 🌐 FamiliesThriveinc.org 📞 Contact Families Thrive: 585-232-5110 Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction 0:38 – Meet Toni: Foster Mom to More Than 50 Children 1:28 – What Foster Care Really Looks Like at Home 2:49 – Fostering Children With Special Needs 5:24 – Supporting Birth Families 11:00 – Loving Kids Even After They Leave Home 14:56 – Why Commitment Means Never Giving Up 19:19 – How Trauma Shapes Behavior 21:14 – Parenting Doesn’t End at 18 24:48 – The Teenage Years 26:42 – Living Moment to Moment as a Foster Parent 29:05 – Don't Take it Personal 31:50 – Parenting Strategies That Build Trust 32:58 – Why Consistency Matters 38:11 – The Daycare Story: A Child’s Fear of Being Left Behind 40:15 – Why Unconditional Love Is Half the Battle 41:53 – Celebrating Small Wins and Progress 43:17 – What Happens When Kids Are Given Up On 44:17 – Expectations vs. Reality in Foster Care 45:34 – What Foster Parents Need to Understand 48:06 – Earning Trust One Day at a Time 48:35 – Fighting for Your Child 50:04 – Why Kids Come Back Years Later Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 mins
  • Fostering 30 Kids: Trelawney McCoy Explains Why + How She Does It

    Fostering 30 Kids: Trelawney McCoy Explains Why + How She Does It
    Jan 23 2026
    Ep. 8 Veronica Black sits down with Trelawney McCoy, a foster and adoptive parent whose life is a living example of what it means to stand in the gap for children who need stability most. Trelawney has fostered more than 30 children and adopted 11, all while working full-time, mentoring young women, and leading a youth football program with the Rochester Rams. Her story isn’t about doing it all—it’s about doing what matters most. This conversation goes beyond inspiration and into the real work of foster care: The truth behind common foster care misconceptions Why honoring biological family connections can support healing How structure, teamwork, and community shape a child’s sense of safety “Kids know when they are loved and when they are chosen.” — Trelawney Whether you’re curious about fostering, already in the system, or simply want to understand how love becomes action, this episode is a reminder that futures are shaped by the adults willing to stand in the gap. 🔗 Learn more about fostering and support services at 🌐https://familiesthriveinc.org/ 📞 Contact Families Thrive: 585-232-5110 Chapters: 00:00 From Foster Care to Forever Family 03:31 Single Mom Raising 30+ Foster Children 08:08 — Kids Know When They’re Chosen 13:59 Advocating for Special Needs Children 16:23 Faith and Resilience in Foster Care 20:38 Supporting Biological Family Connections 27:04 Healing Trauma Through Community Support 30:37 Self-Care for Foster Parents 31:48 Building a Village for Future Generations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Keeping Brothers Together: The Black Family Adoption Story

    Keeping Brothers Together: The Black Family Adoption Story
    Jan 10 2026
    Ep. 7 “Usually when I made a mistake, I would just get moved to another house. But here, you actually showed that you cared about me.” - Joubert Black, 19 I was in foster care. I moved through seven different placements. Every time I messed up, I learned to expect the same outcome: pack up, move on, start over. On this episode of License to Love, I sit down with my mom, Veronica Black, to share what it was really like growing up in the New York State foster care system—and what changed when I finally landed in a home where mistakes didn’t mean abandonment. ✨ In this episode, you’ll hear: What it’s really like to move through multiple foster homes Why building trust with older youth takes patience—not perfection The harm of judging children by their “file” instead of their humanity Why older youth in foster care deserve families just as much as anyone else How love, consistency, and empathy can change a life’s trajectory This episode is a must-listen for foster parents, adoptive families, advocates, and anyone who believes children deserve more than a system—they deserve a home. 🔗 Learn more about fostering and support services at 🌐 ⁠FamiliesThrive.org ⁠ 📞 Contact Families Thrive: 585-232-5110 Chapters: 0:01 A Child’s View of Foster Care 1:36 Why Stability Matters More Than Placement 4:07 From Foster Care to Adoption: Joubert’s Story 13:15 Why Older Kids Deserve Adoption Too 16:24 Parenting Through Trauma in Foster Care 21:39 Searching for Belonging in the System 26:11 Rebuilding Family Ties Through Supervised Visits 29:11 Adoption, Birth Families, and Identity 32:33 Building Forever Families, One Child at a Time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
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