A member of our Continuous Quality Improvement team at Seraaj Family Homes, Inc. spoke with us about all things disruptions: what are disruptions in foster care, what causes disruptions in a foster home, what are some of the effects of disrupti

Corporal Punishment in Foster Care & Raising Children

Oct 21st, 2021 19m 50s

Brenda McCoy, a licensed social worker for Seraaj Family Homes, Inc.'s Maryland region, speaks to us about the types of corporal punishment, why it's detrimental, and how she helps incoming foster parents understand the difference between punis

Mindful Stress Reduction for Human Service Professionals

Oct 21st, 2021 27m 30s

Brenda McCoy is a licensed social worker for Seraaj Family Homes, Inc. and a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor. In this episode, she talks about techniques we all can use to decrease and observe our stress levels da

Why Mentorship Is Critical For Child Development

Jun 29th, 2021 18m 1s

Our Jr. Content Creator Shay Stinson talked with Alexis Bell, the founder & CEO of Camp Remain LLC and Black Kings & Queens, Inc. in Mobile, Ala., about his mentorship program for young men. They discuss the importance of having a mentor while

There's No Age Limit to Fostering

May 31st, 2021 15m 18s

Meet Brenda Cope. She's a foster parent with Seraaj Family Homes, Inc. in Union Springs, Ala. with her husband Fred Cope. She'll be 70 years old in July 2021 and plans to continue fostering for as long as she can. She and Fred are currently fos

An Adopted Mother Decides to Also Foster & Adopt

May 30th, 2021 18m 20s

Mittie Smith is a foster parent with her husband Fred Smith in Union Springs, Alabama. They're in the process of adopting their infant foster son. Mittie was also adopted and says she has a similar story as her foster son. Listen to learn more

A Foster Care Alumna Speaks About Foster Care Reform

May 28th, 2021 31m 28s

Stephanie Byrd is a "foster care alum." She tells the story of how she was left at her birth hospital, adopted, then rescued by the state from an unhealthy adoption placement, and subsequently "aged forward" from the foster care system. Based o

Let's Talk About "Let's Talk" Youth Group

Feb 8th, 2021 33m 50s

Let's Talk is a virtual youth group geared towards youth in foster care to speak about a myriad of topics in a safe space. The group was founded by and is hosted by college friends Marini Woodland and Tim Davis. Davis is a certified life coach

The Future of Doulas in American Foster Care

Dec 15th, 2020 45m 16s

Iman Seraaj is the founder of Full Circle Doula Services, a service providing expecting mothers will various forms of support and pre-natal and post-natal health care. Seraaj is an artist and full-spectrum doula offering services such as birth

Seeing the Beauty of Adoption

Dec 9th, 2020 19m 47s

This episode, we interviewed Debra Heining, one of our foster and adoptive parents from Oxford, Alabama, and her adopted daughter Alanna about their story. Alanna is a beauty pageant queen who uses her platform to champion foster care and adopt

Former Foster Child Joins the Agency She Came Through

Dec 7th, 2020 17m 58s

Princess Anderson is a former foster child who was placed in Seraaj Family Homes, Inc. Now, she's joining the company as a family support worker to give back to youth in foster care. She shares her story of how she came to be in foster care and

Naturally Nurturing a Blended Family

Nov 17th, 2020 12m 34s

For this week's episode of Fostering Conversations, since it's still National Adoption Month, we interviewed our foster parent Natalie Hatcher from Mobile, Alabama. She adopted three children and says she has room for more.

A Foster Mom & Adopted Daughter's Soul Bond

Nov 10th, 2020 15m 30s

November is National Adoption Month! This episode, we're covering a somber adoption story about two of our former foster parents Angelika Carter and Nannie Crozier from Gadsden, Alabama. We interviewed Crozier about her fostering experience and

Patience & Love Make a Home for Foster Kids

Nov 5th, 2020 20m 48s

Lorene Harper has been a foster and adoptive parent with Seraaj Family Homes, Inc. since 1998. She and her two adopted children talk about their family's journey together. Harper speaks about the key to fostering is showing kids patience and lo

A Mellow Foster & Adoptive Parent Says Patience Is the Key to Parenting

Nov 1st, 2020 14m 30s

Rose Chaney is a foster parent with Seraaj Family Homes, Inc. in Oxford, Alabama. She's fostered with the agency for several years now, but in July 2020 she finalized the adoption for her son "Z." Here's their story.

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