The Heart of One: A Single Foster Parent’s Story of Love, Resilience, and Community

In this episode of In Real Life Foster Care Unfiltered, Theresa shares her personal journey into foster care, inspired by her father’s experience. As a single mom, she discusses the challenges and rewards of fostering, the importance of preparation and support, and how she involves her teenage son in the process. Theresa also highlights the emotional complexities of reunification and the value of community and advocacy, offering encouragement and practical advice for current and prospective foster families. “In the beginning, it was hard, really hard, and I almost gave up. But I'm glad I took the risk. I jumped in with both feet, and this was the right thing for me. You're never going to be 100% ready, so stop with that; if this is your calling, do it, and be okay with the unexpected. I learned that it was okay to ask for help and to lean on others as a network.” – Theresa  What You Will Learn: Personal journey of becoming a licensed foster parent Connection to foster care through family history Initial experiences and challenges of first placements Importance of preparation and adaptability in fostering Misconceptions about love being sufficient in foster care Role of support, education, and advocacy in fostering Involvement of existing family members in the fostering process Transition from traditional to therapeutic foster parenting Emotional complexities of the reunification process Value of support networks and community in foster care  Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 00:00:28 – Meet Teresa 00:05:02 – Early Influences 00:06:45 – First Placement 00:10:12 – Training & Preparation 00:11:59 – Facing the Unknowns 00:13:51 – Family & Support Systems 00:16:56 – CHS Message 00:17:16 – Preparing Biological Children 00:20:01 – Transition to Therapeutic Care 00:22:44 – Coping Through Creativity 00:24:02 – Reunification & Shared Parenting 00:28:02 – Emotional Growth 00:29:10 – Hopes for Her Foster Child 00:32:04 – Teamwork & Resources 00:33:16 – Asking for Help 00:36:13 – Advice for Prospective Foster Parents 00:37:09 – Wrap-Up Episode Resources: Catch up on previous episodes of In Real Life: Foster Care Unfiltered here: https://chsnc.org/about/podcast/ For more information about Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, visit: chsnc.org To be a guest on the podcast, email: [email protected] To learn more about foster care, visit: https://chsnc.org/adoption-and-foster-care/get-started/ Let’s be friends! Follow us on social media:  Facebook: @chsnorthcarolina  Instagram: @chs_nc LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/chs-nc YouTube: @chsnc