Heart Centered: Fostering Teens & Navigating Complexity with Gina Nicole Ballard
Gina Ballard approaches everything in life with an open heart, a willingness to stand in truth, deep compassion and a lot of humor and her family journey embodies all of those traits.
Gina is a passionate advocate for fostering. She and her husband focus on providing a safe, welcoming home for teenagers in the foster care system and have most recently adopted a teenage son. Prior to becoming a foster parent, she and her first husband experienced setbacks to their family building due to a PCOS diagnosis. Gina ultimately meets the love of her life and navigates complicated and imperfect family dynamics with her step children. Eventually, Gina finds mentoring and fostering and builds a support community for other foster parents.
In this episode of Stork’d, Gina candidly shares her expert insights on these aspects of family-building, holding nothing back. With authenticity and openness, she delves into various complex topics and situations. When Gina defines her family, she beautifully refers to them as the "Godspot" and "Opulent Threads." Gina’s life and stories will inspire you, especially for those considering foster parenting. Don't miss out on this empowering episode.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[2:21] Gina introduces herself, shares all of her roles in life and compares the dark days that she and Julia went through to when Saturn comes back to the point of your birth
[4:46] Gina walks through the changes that occurred after her divorce and how a disastrous text message led to a positive outcome
[15:52] Gina discusses foster parenting and how it differs from the parenting or step-parenting roles and how becoming a step-parent evolved to mentoring and then to becoming a foster parent
[25:45] How do you prepare your home for a foster child, providing respite for foster families and the foster-parenting community
[36:12] Gina explains why she wanted to become a foster parent and how they decided to adopt their son
[46:46] Gina discusses the myths of fostering and adopting
[52:19] Gina expresses what family means to her
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Step-parenting may be one of the most challenging ways to build and define a family. The best approach when step-parenting is to express yourself on what is right and wrong. Don’t become a doormat because you may explode after holding your emotions. In some cases, you may not be able to mend the relationship.
There is an enormous need for foster parents for teens. Babies and younger children are easier to place, and teens are left to age out if not taken into a foster family.
Foster parents need to be sensitive to the child's environment in their new home. Specifically, their bedrooms should reflect who they are and their interests.
RESOURCE LINKS:
BIOGRAPHY:
Gina Nicole Ballard is an Intuitive Copywriter, Subtle Energy Medicine, and Feng Shui Practitioner by day and a Foster Mom by night. She is passionate about connecting with empaths, heart-centered entrepreneurs, and those struggling to embody who they came to be. She works with people to move out of their past and into their future and is devoted to empowering youth to come home to their gifts and live in full alignment.
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