BONUS REPLAY: Flipping the Script on Foster Adoption

🎉 BONUS REPLAY: Flipping the Script on Foster Adoption

As we gear up for the launch of Season 20 this September (!!!), I’m revisiting some of my favorite episodes from past seasons. These stories continue to resonate, inspire, and remind us why queer family visibility matters—every single day.

Originally aired in Season 13, this heartfelt and eye-opening episode features Ed Center, a husband, father, and educator who shares his family's journey through foster adoption with humor, grace, and deep honesty.

Ed and his husband—both Filipino men—broke stereotypes by adopting two white children, and their story takes a powerful turn during the pandemic, when their eldest child faced a serious mental health challenge. This moment pushed Ed to reevaluate his parenting approach, leading him toward more inclusive, conscious caregiving practices.

Out of that journey came a mission: Ed founded Village Well Parenting, an initiative dedicated to equipping other parents—especially those in queer, adoptive, and multicultural families—with tools to raise strong, supported, emotionally resilient kids.

In this episode, we explore:

• The unique layers of transracial queer adoption
• Navigating mental health crises as a parent
• What it means to unlearn and relearn parenting practices
• Creating inclusive spaces for adopted children of color
• Building intentional, mindful, queer-led families

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Ed Center was a kid with big feelings and challenging behaviors. He drove his parents and teachers bonkers. Now he helps grown-ups understand and support these kids. Ed founded The Village Well, an organization that helps parents and educators find more calm, joy, and connection. Ed is Triple P™ certified parenting coach and educator who specializes in working with families of color. His goal is to help people to tap into cultural wisdom while interrupting intergenerational pain. Ed is a queer brown dad who has worked in education for 30 years. He and his husband built their family through foster adoption. The child of a Filipino American mom and White American dad, Ed grew up in Hawai’i, and feels at home there, in the Philippines, in San Francisco, and wherever he smells good barbecue.

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🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!