In episode 218, we hear from lawyer and professor, Elizabeth Kirk. Elizabeth is the Director of the Center for Law and the Human Person, as well as a research associate at The Catholic University of America. Her work spans a variety of law in child welfare, parental rights, and adoption policy. In addition to her career, her lived experiences as an adoptee and an adoptive parent, give her a unique perspective and voice to speak into the conversation happening around adoption today. She talks with Brandon about the role that infant adoption could play following last year’s Dobbs decision at the Supreme Court, misconceptions around adoption, as well as insight on the decision making process for women that have an unplanned pregnancy.

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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.”

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In episode 216, we hear from US care reform leader, Sarah Winograd from Together for Families. Sarah speaks passionately about the complexities in child welfare and foster care as a system, how poverty contributes to family separation, and the problematic ways we’ve seen and judged birth families. She asks the hard questions- if most children aren’t coming into foster care because of abuse, what resources and systems are we investing in to keep those families together? What are we doing to intervene and stabilize families in order to prevent separation and keep children in families? Can the church do better?

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In episode 215, we have the privilege of sitting down with Jenn Hook to glean from her experiences in the foster care system and hear about her newly released book, Thriving Families. Jenn is the Founder and Executive Director of Replanted. She’s also the author of Replanted: Faith Based Support for Adoptive and Foster Families.

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In episode 176, you will hear from Dr. Greg Burch, Chair of the Global Studies Department at Multnomah University and expert on issues surrounding children at risk. He’s talking with us today about issues facing street connected children, the problems with statistics when it comes to at risk children and the role education plays to equip practitioners towards caring for orphans and vulnerable children with excellence.

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In Episode 174, Dr. Rick, Phil and Brandon have a conversation about transitions, working in the OVC sector and preview some of the guests that you’ll be hearing from in Season 9.   

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In Episode 173, you will hear from Jenn Hook, Founder and Executive Director of Replanted, and author of the book also called Replanted, talking with Phil about: Continue reading →

In this recast, Episode 172, you will hear from Amanda Cox, who has worked with Lumos, Faith to Action Initiative, and Hope and Homes for Children to help orphaned and vulnerable children around the world flourish, talking with Phil about: Continue reading →

In this recast, you will hear from Bruce Kendrick at Watermark Christian Church talking with Phil about: Continue reading →

In this recast  Episode 170, you will hear from Marisa Stam, Executive Director for Selamta Family Project, talking with Dr. Karen about: Continue reading →