Description

Matt Stafford grew up in foster care and was eventually permanently placed with a family—but never adopted. While living in a home with biological and adopted children who shared the family name, Matt was left wondering why he didn’t belong in the same way.

Despite a stable placement, Matt was required to continue visitations with biological parents who claimed to love him but also caused him harm. Those experiences shaped his understanding of what family really means: trust, safety, and faith—not biology or paperwork.

In this powerful episode of Roots and Branches: Adoption Stories, Matt shares:

• What it felt like to be permanently placed but not adopted
• How forced visitations affected his sense of safety and identity
• Whether the decision not to adopt was about control, not his best interest
• How the foster care system failed him—and how it can do better
• Why he now dedicates his life to helping kids who struggle socially and often get labeled as “trouble”

This conversation challenges assumptions about permanency, adoption, and what children in care truly need to heal and thrive.

#FosterCare #Permanency #NotAdopted #ChildWelfare #FosterYouthVoices #SystemReform #RootsAndBranchesPodcast