Single Foster Motherhood: Journeying Alone But Never Lonely

Behind the Curtain: Honest Conversations about Foster Care and Adoption

Stephanie Miller shares her journey as a single foster and adoptive mom to three young children, revealing both the exhausting challenges and profound joys of parenting alone.
• Adopted a five-year-old last December and a 16-month-old around Halloween, while currently fostering another five-year-old
• Drew inspiration from her cousin who fostered and adopted three siblings as a single mother
• Openly discusses the fears she faced - financial concerns, physical exhaustion, and emotional capacity
• Explains the hardest part is never getting a break, even after bedtime when household tasks remain
• Finds joy in getting "all the snuggles" and witnessing every first milestone
• Maintains perspective with a sign reading "Today is a good day to have a good day"
• Built a crucial support network of friends, especially other foster parents who understand the unique challenges
• Uses music as self-care - church choir, intentional listening, specific artists like Lauren Daigle and Ingrid Michaelson
• Finds purpose in seeing positive transformations in the children she fosters, even those who stayed briefly
• Emphasizes that fostering isn't about being special or a "saint" - it's about making a lasting difference in children's lives

פרקים

1. Introduction to Stephanie Miller (00:00:00)

2. Becoming a Single Foster Mom (00:01:52)

3. The Exhaustion and Joy Balance (00:06:22)

4. Finding Support and Community (00:14:40)

5. Music and Self-Care Practices (00:20:58)

6. Making a Difference Worth the Sacrifice (00:26:28)

7. Not Saints, Just Committed Caregivers (00:31:58)