Foster Parent Well

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 wha

Foster Parent Well is a kids podcast hosted by Nicole T Barlow, with 77 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Nicole T Barlow hosts Foster Parent Well, a kids show with 77 episodes published.

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  Episode #77

  How Foster And Adoptive Parents Can Advocate in the School with Jennifer Jolly

  Aug 19, 20261h 18mS4

  We talk through what it really takes to advocate for foster and adoptive kids at school without turning every meeting into a battle. We share a trauma-informed lens for reading behavior, partnering with teachers, and building plans that support nervous systems instead of rewarding or punishing survival responses. • why back-to-school transitions hit trauma-impacted kids harder • Jennifer’s adoption story and how TBRI reshaped her parenting and school work • the Four Rs of trauma-informed care and what “trauma-told” looks like • why systems protect systems and how teacher constraints affect support • fight flight freeze fawn fib as stress signals, not character flaws • why home and school can see different behaviors from the same child • co-regulation ideas to share with school staff and what to ask for • scaffolding safe alternatives for unsafe behaviors without being permissive • how progress often shows up as proximity frequency duration before intensity • compassion fatigue in both parents and educators and how gratitude helps Before we go, make sure you check the show notes for all the links that Jennifer mentioned today. And hey, if you missed last week's episode on transition, go back and give it a listen. TBRI: https://child.tcu.edu/tbri/ TBRI Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tbri-podcast/id1566206875 Empowered to Connect: https://empoweredtoconnect.org/ Empowered to Connect Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empowered-to-connect-podcast/id1522355545 Robyn Gobbel: https://robyngobbel.com/ The Baffling Behavior Show: https://robyngobbel.com/podcast/ Dr Lori Desautels: https://revelationsineducation.com/ Connect with me on Instagram: @nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558410502165 Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/

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  Episode #76

  Smoother Transitions For Foster and Adoptive Kids with Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs

  Aug 12, 202651 minS4

  The fastest way to turn a peaceful day into chaos is a simple transition: shoes on, screens off, cleanup time, bedtime. For foster parents and adoptive families, those small pivots can hit like a tidal wave, and it’s easy to wonder why a child who seems “fine” suddenly spirals. We’re opening season four with a practical, hope-filled conversation on transitions and why trauma makes change feel so hard. Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs joins us with deep experience in education and trauma strategies, plus her own perspective as an adoptive mom. Together, we unpack what’s happening in the brain during transitions, including executive function demands and the role of the prefrontal cortex when kids have lived through stress, chaos, and loss of control. We also talk honestly about holidays, moves, school routines, and the long arc of growing up when a child’s developmental age doesn’t match the number on their birthday. You’ll walk away with concrete, trauma-informed parenting tools you can use right away: pre-talk that doesn’t overwhelm, side-by-side “walk and talk” conversations, visual supports like calendars and checklists, countdowns and timers that build trust, predictable routines, color coding, and night-before prep to make mornings calmer. We also explore how to slowly scaffold independence without stripping away the supports that help kids succeed, and how faith can live alongside science when we’re setting expectations for obedience and regulation. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a foster or adoptive parent who needs steadier days, and leave a review so more families can find this support. Ways to connect with Brandy: Email: mccombsb@nsuok.edu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stl234/ Connect with me on Instagram: @nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558410502165 Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/

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  Episode #75

  An Honest Guide To Foster Parenting with Dr. John DeGarmo and Jen Lilley

  May 13, 202644 minS3

  Foster care is one of those topics people say they care about until the details feel too heavy. That’s exactly why I wanted this conversation with Dr. John DeGarmo and Jen Lilley to be unfiltered, practical, and full of hope, because foster parenting is hard, kids in care are real, and vague inspiration is not enough when a placement call comes at 10:30 at night. John brings decades of foster care advocacy and training, and Jen brings the raw, lived experience of fostering and adoption while raising kids and using her public platform to shine a light on child welfare. We talk about their book, Call to Foster: An Honest Guide to Getting Started, and who it’s for: the person quietly wondering “Could I do this?”, the foster parent on the edge of burnout, and the social worker who needs a resource that tells the truth without scaring good people away. We name the myths that hurt families, especially the “you must be a superhero” narrative, and why it can pile on shame when you’re already stretched thin. We also dig into why awareness equals advocacy, how trauma impacts kids for years, and why this work deserves urgency in every community. Faith is woven through the conversation in a way that stays honest about suffering and big emotions. We share what foster care has taught us about control, surrender, resilience, and finding support that actually helps. If you’re considering fostering, already in the trenches, or looking for a concrete way to support foster families, you’ll walk away with language, perspective, and next steps you can use today. Subscribe for more real foster care conversations, share this with a friend, and leave a review telling us what stood out to you. Called to Foster: https://a.co/d/00WC1p2e Visit The Foster Care Institute: https://www.drjohndegarmofostercare.com/index.html Dr. John’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078889265859 Jen Lilley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jen_lilley?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Jen Lilley’s Website: https://www.jenlilley.com/ Halo Project: https://haloprojectokc.com/ Connect with me on Instagram: @nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558410502165 Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/

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  Episode #74

  Honest Foster Care Advocacy

  May 6, 202634 minS3

  The hardest seasons are the ones we want to hide, and they are often the ones other foster parents most need to hear about. We are coming to you from the messy middle, where trauma meets puberty, where kitchens are loud, and where you can love the people under your roof with your whole life and still feel like you have nothing left to give. If you have ever thought, “I cannot encourage anyone right now because I am barely surviving,” this conversation is for you. May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, and we wrestle with a real question: how do we recruit, advocate, and invite others in without selling a highlight reel? Polished foster care advocacy can isolate families who are struggling and can give future foster parents unrealistic expectations. We talk about a faith-filled “both and” framework: foster care is hard and holy, grief and gift, exhausting and sacred. We also name the reality underneath adoption and reunification, and why telling the truth can actually build trust and reduce shame. You will leave with practical, trauma-informed ways to advocate without oversharing: tell one true thing, reframe the ask so people can support through respite care, meal trains, rides, tutoring, mentoring, court advocacy, and donations, and invite questions instead of applause. We also get honest about sustainability, because rest is advocacy, and a burned-out foster parent is not a recruiter. If you are considering fostering, we share the clearest counsel we know: expect cost, expect Jesus, and do not do it alone. Subscribe to the Foster Parent Well Podcast, share this with one person who needs it, and if it helped, leave a review so more foster, kinship, and adoptive families can find steady support. Connect with me on Instagram: @nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558410502165 Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/

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  Episode #73

  Five Common Parenting Messages That Do Not Fit Foster And Adoptive Homes

  Mar 18, 202626 minS3

  Five parenting “truths” get repeated so often they start to sound like gospel: let them be bored, they should sit through church, eat what I make, obey right away, and don’t worry because kids are resilient. But when you are fostering, adopting, or parenting children impacted by trauma, those messages can pile on pressure and leave you wondering why your home feels harder than everyone else’s. I share why that disconnect is not proof you are doing it wrong. It is often proof the advice was not made for your child’s nervous system, history, or needs. We talk about why boredom can feel like a lack of safety, how structure and predictability can reduce chaos, and what scaffolding unstructured play can look like in real life. We also dig into faith spaces, including the unspoken expectation that kids should “perform” in big church. I explain why church should be a place of connection, how movement breaks and gradual exposure can be wise, and how spiritual formation happens far beyond the sanctuary. You will also hear a personal story that reframes what growth and sanctification can look like over time. Then we move into two everyday battlegrounds for many foster and adoptive parents: food and obedience. We explore why food is often about trust, control, and sensory needs, plus practical ways to offer safe foods without turning dinner into a war. Finally, we challenge the idea that resilience is automatic and replace it with a trauma informed view: resilience is built through consistent care, safe relationships, and support. If you are craving permission to parent differently and still feel confident you are doing good work, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more foster and adoptive parents can find this space. Connect with me on Instagram: @nicoletbarlow https://www.instagram.com/nicoletbarlow/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558410502165 Website: https://nicoletbarlow.com/

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