Episode 541 - When Adoption Changes You: A Conversation with Dr. Mark Andrews
The Adoption & Foster Care JourneyShow Notes
"I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" -Jeremiah 32:27
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you as you care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
In this episode host Sandra Flach sits down with Dr. Mark Andrews, adoptive father and founder of Adoptive Family Resources, to talk about his family's adoption journey and how it shaped his life's work of supporting foster and adoptive families.
Mark shares how learning about trauma, attachment, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) transformed both his parenting and his professional ministry. Together, they discuss the importance of understanding the brain behind the behavior, finding the right support, and remembering that we don't have to walk this journey alone.
If you're raising children impacted by trauma or prenatal substance exposure—or you simply need a reminder that God sees your family and is with you every step of the way—this conversation will encourage and equip you.
As Mark reminds us, "The Lord loves your child even more than you do."
Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it on your social media.
Links mentioned in this episode: Adoptive Family Resources See Available Trainings The Adoption & Foster Care Journey AFCJ on YouTube justicefororphansny.org justicefororphansny.org/hope-community Email: [email protected] sandraflach.com Soul Care Saturday—52 Devotions for Foster and Adoptive Moms Orphans No More—A Journey Back to the Father book on Amazon
More from The Adoption & Foster Care Journey
“Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever..” -Psalm 23:6
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” -1 Thessalonians 5:11
“This is what the Lord Almighty said, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.” -Zechariah 7:9 This episode continues our FASD Awareness Month series with special guest, foster and adoptive mom, Rebecca Ciesielski. After years of searching for answers, Rebecca’s child received an FASD diagnosis at age eight. Along the way, she discovered the FASCETS Neurobehavioral Approach and began viewing challenging behaviors through a brain-based lens—recognizing differences in processing, regulation, memory, and inconsistent performance and responding with appropriate accommodations and support. That shift was so impactful that Rebecca eventually became a certified FASCETS facilitator and now serves as president of the Texas FASD Network, helping educate, encourage, and advocate for families and professionals in Texas. If you’re parenting or supporting someone with FASD, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that when we understand the brain differently, we can respond differently. Listen in as Rebecca shares her FASD story on episode 552 of The Adoption & Foster Care Journey podcast. Links mentioned in this episode: FASDUnited.org Texas FASD Network Free Breath Prayer Download See Available Trainings AFCJ on YouTube justicefororphansny.org justicefororphansny.org/hope-community Email: [email protected] sandraflach.com Soul Care Saturday—52 Devotions for Foster and Adoptive Moms Orphans No More—A Journey Back to the Father book on Amazon
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'” -Isaiah 52:7
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” -Psalm 139:13-14