TW: There are brief mentions in this episode of abuse, self-harm, and suicide, which we wanted you to be aware of before listening. There are some episodes of the podcast that simply pack so much wisdom into a short conversation. This is one of those episodes. Children enter foster care for many different reasons. And despite some of the hard work we do to overcome and heal from the past, our stories can still be messy. My guest knows this all too well! Kristen Thomas entered into kinship care after suffering abuse, but experienced deep-rooted challenges when she felt misunderstood, unsupported, and became homeless after aging out of care. As an adult, Kristen has taken the time to move towards healing those parts of her past. Today, she is going to grad school for Counseling and is an adoptive parent to her daughter, with only a 10-year age difference between them. Kristen is very well-spoken and I greatly appreciated her coming onto the show. I know you will be encouraged by her story! Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/kristen-thomas-174/ Get 10% off BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/tfi