This week, Jason Johnson from Christian Alliance for Orphans returns to the show. Jason is a writer and speaker who encourages families and equips church and organizational leaders on their foster care and adoption journeys. In this episode, Jason names and shares many of the struggles and challenges that foster and adoptive parents go through. He encourages us to find safe spaces and communities where we can process our emotions and have open and honest conversations.

Continue reading →

This week we’ve got Kim de Blecourt from Nourished Hearts back on the show to talk with us about their ministry in Ukraine, the effects of the war on vulnerable children and the importance of coming alongside indigenous churches. Nourished Hearts is a ministry that encourages, inspires, and creates community around those who are involved with adoption, foster care, or orphan care internationally.

Continue reading →

In episode 219, Lindsay Hadley is on to discuss the upcoming release of the documentary “Uncharitable”. After many years in the nonprofit sector, Lindsay has become one of the most sought-after consultants and producers. This conversation challenges us to envision an unconstrained nonprofit sector. What if the charities could attract the best leaders, talents, and ideas? What if smaller operations with less impact stopped and those resources went to the best organization solving the problem? We get into these questions and more in this episode of Think Orphan.

Continue reading →

In episode 217, we have a special on the ground episode to share how one organization’s journey and commitment to reunifying families has inspired others. Trust for Africa’s work in Lesotho has gone beyond their own organization and now supports other organizations to transition to family-based care. Naomi Schalm, Mafusi Semethe, Mbele Horoto, and Bokang Lipholo all join us in this conversation to celebrate the movement underway in Africa’s “Kingdom of the Sky.”

Continue reading →

In episode 214, we’ve got filmmaker and justice advocate Jeff Rogers on the show. Jeff talks with us about his work over the years that has highlighted and advocated for children outside of parental care and communities that have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Jeff shares with us about the new feature documentary Beyond the Island which tells the story of HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea and highlights the work of advocates and the triumph of overcomers. Through the conversation, we learn more about the role that filmmaking plays in enacting community change and advocating for vulnerable children.

Continue reading →

In episode 208, we’re in conversation with author and preeminent attachment expert Deborah Gray. Deborah shares from her decades of experience serving children and families through therapy and sets baseline understandings on trauma and attachment. In addition to the stack of books that Deborah has written, she also shares about the Attachment-Trauma Focused Therapy post-graduate course that is now available for the first time ever in an online format. All that, plus we’ve got our favorite Brit, movie director and podcast editor, Samuel Rich, filling in for Phil this week. 

Continue reading →

In episode 207, we’re talking with Nick Runyon, Ashlee Heiligman and Julie Ann Walton about their new media series called Reimagine Orphan Care. Nick from The Archibald Project shares with us about storytelling and the power of media to help orphans and vulnerable children and Ashlee and Julie share some of the misconceptions they’ve encountered when talking with others about orphan care. All that plus some wrap up conversation on CAFO Summit in Atlanta.

Continue reading →

In episode 206, we’re talking with Peter Mutabazi about his childhood growing up through various challenges in Uganda and how learning from those experiences propelled him towards foster care and adoption. Peter shares with us about his new book, Now I Am Known, which really encapsulates a lot of what we talk about on Think Orphan. Not to mention, we’ve got Phil back in the fold after a couple of months off from the pod and we’re gearing up for CAFO Summit in Atlanta this week!

Continue reading →

For our final summer compilation episode, we’ll be looking at foster care in the United States – an area that many of our audience members has some familiarity with. We’ve all heard the triumphs and the challenges of engaging in foster care and this week, we’ll be hearing from three guests that are leading the way towards better practice in foster care. Each of our guests have a lot of personal experience welcoming children into their homes and will be walking us through the child’s experience, the family’s experience and how we can better engage the church and community more broadly to lend a hand in helping children in foster care systems. Check out their books to learn more from each of these guests.

Continue reading →

Caring for orphans and vulnerable children doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Throughout the world, there are certain contexts that are particularly challenging to help children and families, none more so than when there is war and conflict. For our third summer compilation, we’ll be looking across three different countries in the world where conflict has made orphan care work more difficult and also all the more necessary. As we hear from Ruslan, Kara and Ashlee, let’s commit to praying for peace and the protection for children.

Continue reading →