Lauren FlynnJan 294 minEven in the darkness...there is still hope.Conversations around aging out of foster care often have the feel of an anonymous tragedy. Statistics are quoted, everyone agrees that...
Lauren FlynnJan 34 minBirthday blog post: On unfolding lessons Put on your own oxygen mask first. Self care Sunday! You can't pour from an empty cup. We hear these things so often, it seems like the...
Lauren FlynnSep 20, 20214 minTo the first mothers I never got to knowWe are lucky to be in contact with many biological relatives for our three sweet boys, but for two of our sons, there is little to no...
Lauren FlynnAug 2, 20217 minOn anxious attachmentI've spent my whole motherhood existence supporting beloved children through attachment challenges. It's what I'm used to and I feel like...
Lauren FlynnJul 19, 20216 minTravel + trauma + disabilities = still a damn good time. I don't know what type of parent you are (although if you love your kids and continually do your best for them then I pronounce you a...
Lauren FlynnJun 7, 20212 minOn National Reunification MonthHang in there, the beginning is a little dry/informational but it's SHIT YOU NEED TO KNOW! Lots of foster parents and adoptive parents...
Lauren FlynnMay 3, 20217 minA (very blunt, very unfiltered) list of what you need to know as a new foster parent:If you are new to foster parenting or you're considering that path, this is for you. I hope you read it, but more than that, I hope that...
Lauren FlynnApr 19, 20213 minNow you know (On autism diagnosis)So now you know. After weeks or months or probably years of knowing in the secret place in a parent's heart that KNOWS, now you know...
Lauren FlynnApr 12, 20216 minUnexpected: Post-Adoption Autism DiagnosisThe Mama in this blog interview is a friend of mine. We connected over the fact that we are both raising Asian American adoptees who are...
Lauren FlynnApr 5, 20216 minOn adopting autistic kids (I see you)I see you, your tiny body perched on top of the kitchen table, some small object (a lanyard, a toy spatula, a dangly piece of string)...
Lauren FlynnMar 29, 20214 minThe Orton Family: On celebrating adoptees with CPThe following story was told to me by Becky Orton, a mom via many routes, who is raising two incredible sons with cerebral palsy. Image...
Lauren FlynnMar 22, 20216 minOn fostering while single It's spring break of 2016, and I'm finally about to get some time to myself after working and solo foster-momming every minute of every...
Lauren FlynnMar 16, 20213 minWomen with Cerebral Palsy: Learning from those who live itFor Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, I got to reconnect with two former high school students of mine, now young women: Tamara is a college...
Lauren FlynnMar 8, 20212 minDon't you wish he could talk?But don't you wish he could talk so that he could communicate his thoughts and feelings and like...what's on his mind? What a question....
Lauren FlynnFeb 15, 20215 minTeens: Un-adoptable and hard to place?My son glances over at me, triggered and nervous, as we pull our masks over our faces and walk towards the entrance of the doctor's...
Lauren FlynnFeb 8, 20214 minMy Morning RoutineThis is a snapshot of a summer morning, during the summer of 2020, when my youngest babe was a new arrival to our family :) A real messy,...
Lauren FlynnFeb 1, 20218 minSurviving a Childhood in Foster Care: Melanie's Story, Part 2If you didn't read Part 1 of Melanie's story yet, click here. Melanie is a former foster child (and current badass) who generously shared...
Lauren FlynnJan 25, 20216 minPhoto-listing and viral videos: Semi-effective (but I wish we didn't need them)Last year, a video filmed by a Children's services department in Oklahoma went viral. In the video, a blond, blue eyed nine year old boy...
Lauren FlynnJan 19, 20215 minTimelineI'm lucky enough to have befriended some awesome people recently who are getting licensed as foster parents. I remember those days. The...
Lauren FlynnJan 11, 20215 minThe land of living ghosts (a plea for openness in adoption)There's a lot of debate among those who have adopted, especially out of foster care, about the level of openness one should offer after...