Episode 12

Episode 12 - Ready or Not: How to Prepare for Your First Foster Placement

Published on: 5th August, 2025

In this episode of Dream Small, Jason and Whitney pull back the curtain on what it's really like to prepare for a new foster care placement. Whether you're a brand-new foster parent or just curious about the process, this episode offers a real, relatable, and faith-rooted look into the emotional, mental, and physical preparations that come before that knock on the door.

You’ll hear:

  • What emotional rollercoaster to expect when saying "yes" to a new placement
  • Why it’s okay to feel overwhelmed — and how to stay grounded
  • Questions to ask during “the call” (and why it’s okay to say no)
  • Trauma-informed ways to welcome a child into your home
  • Tips for preparing your space, your bio kids, and your support network
  • Stories from the Smalls’ personal journey — including Grammy’s “placement magic” and car seat chaos

📖 Verse shared: Isaiah 41:10

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you…”

Resource mentioned: Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors by Robyn Gobbel

Whether you're actively fostering, just exploring it, or supporting someone who is — this episode is packed with practical wisdom, grace, and a few laughs too.

Connect with us:

📧 Email: dreamsmallpodcast@gmail.com

📷 Instagram: @dreamsmallpodcast

📘 Facebook: Dream Small Podcast

🐦 X/Twitter: @DreamSmallShow

🎵 Music credit:

"Paradise Found" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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About the Podcast

Dream Small Podcast
The Dream Small Podcast is a foster care and adoption podcast hosted by Jason and Whitney Small, foster and adoptive parents who have welcomed more than 14 children into their home and adopted three. Through honest conversations and real life stories, the podcast encourages foster parents, adoptive families, and those considering foster care.

Each episode explores the realities of foster care, adoption, and parenting children from hard places, offering practical encouragement and hope for families navigating the foster care journey. Jason and Whitney share lessons from their own experience, faith, and conversations around trauma informed parenting, family life, and supporting vulnerable children.

Whether you are a current foster parent, an adoptive parent, considering becoming a foster parent, or someone who supports foster families, the Dream Small Podcast exists to encourage and equip you along the way.

Jason and Whitney believe that changing a child’s life rarely happens through big moments. More often, it happens through small, faithful acts of love lived out every day.

If you're thinking about becoming a foster parent or walking the foster care journey, this podcast will help you navigate the challenges, celebrate the wins, and stay encouraged along the way.
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