In this episode, Tyrone Flowers sits down with us and shares his story of growing up. Tyrone’s early life was full of hardship as he entered foster care at the age of seven and was moved between four different foster care placements in his early years. In high school, Tyrone repeatedly heard the message that he would fail in life and end up dead or in jail. He discusses with us the impact those words had on his life and how he wants to alter those messages for youth today. Another tragedy struck Tyrone later in life. Listen how he shares how he lived through that tragedy and learned about forgiveness. From Tyrone’s story, we can gain tremendous insight into foster care and living life with hope.
Then, we are joined by seven different guests. Inspired by Tyrone’s belief that we can all be a piece in the puzzle of a foster child’s life, we will listen to seven different individuals who each play a different role in the foster care journey. As they share, consider which role you may identify with and which piece of the puzzle you may be!
Download the free companion PDF to this series—“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”–and share these types of insights with others in your community!
Key Quote
“Sometimes we got to keep in mind that we are just in the significant pieces to the puzzle of life. Sometimes you may be significant and that beginning of that child’s life to where they really need you, but whatever you have to offer, give that to them.”
Former Foster Youth
Resources and Guests
Gain insight about caring for children and families by downloading a free PDF with principles featuring thoughts from guests of the Foster Movement Podcast. Explore the resource for yourself—and share it with others in your community, too.
Flowers is the founder and president of Higher M-Pact. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in psychology, and went on to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate. While attending law school, he received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award. Formerly known as SERVANT programs, Higher M-Pact was founded in 1993, incorporated in 1998 and formally launched full-time in 2003. Flowers lives in Kansas City MO.
You want people in your community to make a difference in the lives of kids and families in foster care, but they aren’t exactly sure where they can make the most impact. This handy guide will help you connect them to how their gifts, personality, and experiences can make the biggest difference in foster care.
Special thank you to our guests, Johnston Moore, Melissa Blum, Rhonda Littleton from A Home for Me, Michelle Douglas from The CALL, Elizabeth Occhipinti from Miriam’s Heart, Kevin Enders from 4KIDS, and Shelly Radic from Project 1.27.
Jason Weber and his wife, Trisha, have been speaking up on behalf of the marginalized for over 25 years. Jason has written and helped to produce several books and other tools, including Farmer Herman and the Flooding Barn, a 2018 ECPA Christian Book Award finalist and Until There’s More Than Enough. Jason has been a regular columnist for Fostering Families Today magazine and is the host of the More Than Enough Podcast, which highlights the work of national foster care advocates. Jason serves with the Christian Alliance for Orphans and helps lead More Than Enough, a collaborative movement facilitated by the CAFO community. Jason and his family live in Plano, Texas.