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Dream Small Podcast

Dream Small Podcast

By: Jason and Whitney Small
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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.Jason and Whitney Small Biographies & Memoirs Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Parenting & Families Relationships Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • Don’t Let Foster Care Harden Your Heart

    Don’t Let Foster Care Harden Your Heart
    Mar 24 2026
    If your church, conference, or organization would like Jason and Whitney to speak about foster care, adoption, or living a meaningful life through small acts of faithfulness, you can contact them at dreamsmallpodcast@gmail.com.In this episode of the Dream Small Podcast, Jason and Whitney talk about how easy it is for foster care to harden your heart and why followers of Jesus must fight to stay soft, compassionate, and tenderhearted anyway.They begin by asking a simple but honest question: Have you ever felt yourself getting harder, not because you wanted to, but because it felt safer? From there, they unpack how foster care can do exactly that. The broken systems, hard goodbyes, repeated disappointments, caseworkers and judges making frustrating decisions, compassion fatigue, and the trauma children bring into your home can all make it feel easier to shut down emotionally than to stay open and loving. Whitney shares that even foster care relicensing paperwork can become a reminder of how exhausting the system can be. She talks about filling out the same paperwork again, getting fingerprinted over and over, and answering questions about reunification in ways that don’t always seem centered on the best interest of the child. That frustration becomes part of the larger conversation: foster care often feels more system-centered or bio-parent-centered than child-centered, and that reality can harden foster parents if they are not careful. Jason and Whitney also reflect on how hardening can show up in real life. It can look like losing compassion and becoming transactional, seeing a child as a bed to fill instead of a human being with trauma, a story, and a need for love. Whitney shares an example of receiving a placement call for a sibling set and recognizing that while they wanted to help, it would not be fair to the child to say yes beyond what they could realistically handle with her upcoming surgery. Their point is that tenderness is not the same as saying yes to everything. Tenderness can still have boundaries. A major part of the episode centers on what soft strength really looks like. Jason talks about tenderness not as weakness, but as strength under control. He points to Jesus as the model: strong, powerful, and fully capable, yet gentle, compassionate, and willing to love even when betrayed. They reflect on Jesus washing Judas’s feet and forgiving those who crucified Him as examples of softness that is deeply powerful, not fragile. Their message is clear: softness is not weakness, it is Christlikeness. They also name the specific things that can harden foster parents:repeated disappointment in the system feeling unsupported and unseen compassion fatigue trauma in the home unsafe or rushed reunifications the temptation to emotionally detach because loving children who may leave is painful Whitney shares that compassion fatigue can cause you to stop seeing behavior through the lens of trauma and start simply seeing a child as frustrating, difficult, or “a pain in the butt.” Jason adds that hardening can show up as not wanting to come home, losing joy, being short with your spouse and kids, or refusing moments that normally would spark joy — like when a child asks you to play. One of the most moving parts of the episode is when they revisit stories from their own foster care journey with Leah. Whitney talks about how, early on, Leah was a medically fragile baby who was miserable, vomiting constantly, and incredibly hard to care for. In her exhaustion, Whitney reached out to close friends and vulnerably asked them to pray that she would genuinely love this baby because she felt tired and disconnected. Just a couple hours later, Leah smiled at her for the first time, and Whitney describes that moment as healing. They also share a painful hospital story involving Leah’s biological mother. Whitney describes greeting her warmly while holding Leah, only to be charged at and nearly hit while being accused of harming the baby by using a feeding tube. After security got involved, Whitney hid in the chapel and cried, asking Jason, “How am I supposed to love her?” That story becomes one of the clearest examples in the episode of how foster care can tempt someone to harden, and how God can still soften a heart. Later, Whitney explains how that same relationship changed over time. As she continued sending updates and building trust, she was eventually able to tell Leah’s biological mom that if Leah did not return home, they would adopt her and love her like their own, and that Leah would not get lost in the system. That conversation became a picture of what it looks like to stay tenderhearted even when there has been hurt, fear, and conflict. The episode closes with practical ways to remain tenderhearted:stay connected to Jesus feel your feelings instead of burying them grieve losses honestly set boundaries without becoming hard choose empathy stay in authentic community let God heal the wounds...
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    50 mins
  • Episode 40 - Lessons from the Every Child Symposium: Wilderness Seasons, Big Yeses, and Why Foster Parents Matter

    Episode 40 - Lessons from the Every Child Symposium: Wilderness Seasons, Big Yeses, and Why Foster Parents Matter
    Mar 17 2026
    If your church, conference, or organization would like Jason and Whitney to speak about foster care, adoption, or living a meaningful life through small acts of faithfulness, you can contact them at dreamsmallpodcast@gmail.com.In this solo episode of the Dream Small Podcast, Jason shares reflections from attending the Every Child Symposium in Central Indiana, a conference designed to encourage foster parents, adoptive families, and churches to care for vulnerable children.Jason originally attended the event to complete some required foster parent training hours, but he walked away with far more than that. The day included keynote speakers and several breakout sessions that offered honest insight into the realities of foster care.In this episode, Jason walks through some of the most powerful moments from the conference, including stories from adults who grew up in foster care and lessons that continue to shape how he and Whitney approach fostering.Breakout Session: Adults Who Grew Up in Foster CareOne of the most impactful breakout sessions Jason attended was a panel discussion with three adults who had experienced foster care and adoption.Two of the panelists had been adopted, while one man had aged out of the foster care system after spending more than ten years moving between homes.At one point in his teenage years, he told a judge he was tired of the instability and simply wanted to age out of the system rather than continue moving from home to home.Hearing that story was a sobering reminder of how difficult the foster care system can be for children who never find permanency.At the same time, seeing him now as a grown adult with a family of his own showed that a child’s story does not end with the foster care system.Lessons from the Keynote SessionsJason also reflects on several powerful moments from the keynote speakers.1. The Wilderness is a Place of FormationPastor Josh Cortez opened the conference with a message about the wilderness seasons we experience in life.In Scripture, the wilderness is often where God prepares people for what comes next. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before beginning His ministry.Foster care can feel like a wilderness.It can mean isolation, uncertainty, hospital stays with children who are not biologically yours, and seasons where you don’t know what the future holds.But those seasons are not wasted. They are often where God forms and strengthens us.2. Accept Assignments That Outsize YouOne quote that stuck with Jason was:“Accept assignments that outsize you.”Foster care often feels exactly like that.From the first “yes” to becoming a foster parent to saying yes to placements that stretch your comfort zone, the journey frequently requires stepping into situations that feel bigger than your capacity.Jason shares several moments in his own family’s foster care journey that felt like assignments bigger than they were ready for, including:• Saying yes to their first foster placement• Expanding the age ranges of children they would accept• Continuing to foster during Whitney’s cancer treatments• Buying a giant van to accommodate their growing familyEach one required trusting God with something that felt overwhelming.3. Don’t Underestimate What God Can Do Through a Submitted LifeAnother quote from the conference that stuck with Jason was:“Don’t underestimate what God can do with a submitted vessel.”When we say yes to God in obedience, we often have no idea how He may use those moments to impact the lives of others.For foster parents, that obedience may look like opening your home, loving a child through a difficult season, or simply showing up when things feel hard.Those small acts of faithfulness can have generational impact.The “First Chair” in a Child’s Faith StoryOne illustration from the conference walked through the biblical genealogy from Rahab to King David, using a series of chairs to represent generations of faith.For many children in foster care, a foster parent may be the first person who introduces them to a relationship with God.That means foster parents may be the first chair in a child’s spiritual legacy, something that could shape generations that follow.Encouragement for Foster ParentsOne of the most encouraging parts of the symposium was simply being surrounded by other families walking the same journey.Foster care can often feel isolating, but events like the Every Child Symposium are a reminder that there are many others faithfully stepping into this work.And while foster care is rarely easy, the small, faithful acts of love shown to children today may shape stories for generations.If this episode encouraged you, share it with another foster parent or someone considering foster care.You can follow the Dream Small Podcast and join the conversation as we continue exploring what it looks like to live a meaningful life through small, intentional acts of love.Email: dreamsmallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @...
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    30 mins
  • Episode 39 - Foster Care Goodbyes: The Hardest Part of Loving Foster Kids

    Episode 39 - Foster Care Goodbyes: The Hardest Part of Loving Foster Kids
    Mar 10 2026
    Foster care is built around one painful reality that many people don't talk about: goodbye is the goal.In this episode of the Dream Small Podcast, Jason and Whitney open up about the different kinds of goodbyes foster parents experience. Some are joyful. Some are heartbreaking. Some come without warning.From reunification with biological parents to unexpected court decisions, to realizing a child needs a different forever home, foster care is full of emotional transitions that few people truly understand.In this honest and vulnerable conversation, we share:• The different types of goodbyes foster parents face • Why loving foster children always carries risk • How we processed one of the hardest decisions we've ever made • What happens when a child leaves without warning • Ways foster parents can process grief in healthy waysIf you're a foster parent, considering fostering, or simply want to better understand the reality of foster care, this episode will give you a deeper look into the emotional side of the journey.Because sometimes loving a child well means letting them go.The 5 Types of Foster Care Goodbyes1. Reunification With Biological ParentsThis is the best-case scenario in foster care.When parents do the hard work and are able to safely bring their child home, it's something worth celebrating.But even when it's a good outcome, it still hurts to say goodbye to a child you've loved.2. When the System Sends a Child Home Too SoonSometimes the system makes decisions that foster parents struggle to understand.When children return home before parents are truly ready, foster parents are often left with grief, fear, and unanswered questions.In those moments, faith becomes a major anchor.3. Moving to a Pre-Adoptive HomeNot every foster family is meant to be a child's forever family.Sometimes the most loving decision is recognizing when a child needs a different home that can provide permanence.This was the difficult situation our family recently walked through.4. When a Placement Isn't the Right FitFoster parents often feel pressure to say yes to everything.But sometimes the healthiest decision for both the family and the child is to recognize when a placement simply isn't a good fit.This doesn't mean you failed. It means you recognized your limits.5. The Goodbye You Never Saw ComingOne of the hardest moments in foster care is when a child leaves without warning.Court decisions can change quickly, and sometimes foster families don't even get a chance to say goodbye.These are the moments that often hurt the most.Processing Foster Care GriefEven after a child leaves, the goodbye doesn't end immediately.The empty bed.The missing car seat.The quieter house.Grieving those changes is normal and healthy.One way Whitney processes this grief is by keeping a journal with:Each foster child's nameThe time they spent in our homeBible verse for themA personal prayerWe also keep photos of every child who has lived with us as a reminder of the lives we've been honored to be part of.Encouragement for Foster ParentsIf you're a foster parent who has experienced these kinds of goodbyes, remember:Your love mattered.Even if you weren't their forever family, you were the family they needed in that season.And sometimes the greatest act of love in foster care is being willing to open your heart, knowing it might break.Connect With UsIf this episode encouraged you, share it with another foster parent or someone considering foster care.You can follow the Dream Small Podcast and join the conversation as we continue exploring what it looks like to live a meaningful life through small, intentional acts of love.Email: dreamsmallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @dreamsmallpodcastFacebook: Dream Small PodcastTwitter/X: @DreamSmallShowIf this episode encouraged you, please share it with another foster or adoptive family.You can also support the podcast financially here: https://dream-small-podcast.captivate.fm/supportMusic 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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    39 mins
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