Running Toward tells the stories of ordinary people who couldn’t look away once they saw the hidden crisis in foster care and family. Each episode features honest, unfiltered stories from ordinary people who couldn’t look away once they saw the hidden crisis impacting children and families in their own communities. People living normal lives who took imperfect, often reluctant steps toward brokenness — and were changed by it. This is not a podcast about quick fixes or heroic solutions. It’s about the long, costly, deeply human work of preventing family fracture and supporting families.
Running Toward
Claim This Podcastby South TX Alliance for Orphans
5.0(12 reviews)
24 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
Podcast Overview
Running Toward tells the stories of ordinary people who couldn’t look away once they saw the hidden crisis in foster care and family. Each episode features honest, unfiltered stories from ordinary people who couldn’t look away once they saw the hidden crisis impacting children and families in their own communities. People living normal lives who took imperfect, often reluctant steps toward brokenness — and were changed by it. This is not a podcast about quick fixes or heroic solutions. It’s about the long, costly, deeply human work of preventing family fracture and supporting families.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
1/6/2026
Reach the team behind Running Toward
Verified contact details for this show aren't on file yet — sign up to get notified when they land.
Recent Episodes
June 24, 2026
The Unexpected Cost | Mike and Bradford
<p>Welcome to the Running Toward Podcast! June is our dad takeover — a whole month of stories from foster fathers to honor Father's Day and to let their honesty do what it does for another man sitting on the edge of this decision. Today host Mike Kraft sits down with Bradford — a software professional, husband to Rachel, dad of two bio kids, and a foster dad who knew since high school that this was part of his story. Bradford and Rachel did everything right: they chose the right house, read every book, went through certification, provided respite before they ever had a placement — and still found themselves in a snowstorm with the heater out and a two-year-old arriving at their door. Seven placements. Nine children. All nine reunified. And now three of them might be coming back — possibly next week. Bradford opens up about the marathon analogy that changed how he talks about support, the teenager who cried reading their home rules, the depression nobody told him was coming, and what he learned about God from speaking value into kids who desperately needed to hear it. Hope you enjoy!<br></p>
June 17, 2026
The Yes was Easy Until…| Mike and Chad
<p>Welcome to the Running Toward Podcast! This June we're doing a dad takeover — a whole month of conversations with foster and adoptive fathers to honor Father's Day and to let their stories do what only a man's story can do for another man sitting on the fence. Today host Mike Kraft sits down with Dr. Chad Jackson — physical therapist, professor at the University of the Incarnate Word, former mayor, husband of 25 years to Beth Ann, and a foster and adoptive dad of five. Chad is one of the most grounded, clear-eyed men you'll hear on this show — and yet foster care has handed him the one kind of challenge that high-capacity guys rarely expect: the invitation to let go entirely and trust God with children who aren't yours to control. He shares what that's actually looked like in the Jackson home — the placements that broke their hearts, the child who became forever theirs, the night he sat outside his kid's door praying out loud while they raged, and what 13+ years in this space has done to his understanding of the gospel. Hope you enjoy!</p>
June 10, 2026
The Questions He Could't Answer | Mike and Jed
<p>Welcome to the Running Toward Podcast! We're continuing our Dad Takeover series for June and today I'm sitting down with my friend Jed Hefner — a man who grew up fatherless, left home at 16, and spent most of his adult life building the stability and control he never had as a kid. Foster care was not on his radar. But God had other plans. Today Jed shares how a church info meeting he almost skipped, a gut-check question from Jocelyn, and a weekend retreat broke through every wall he'd built — and how nine months into fostering, he's still holding two competing hopes in the same hand. Hope you enjoy!</p><p>Thanks for watching!</p><p><br></p><p>Follow South Texas Alliance for Orphans:</p><p>📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southtxalliance4orphans/</p><p>📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthTexasAllianceForOrphans</p><p><br></p><p>🌐 Learn more about fostering & adoption: https://www.southtxalliance4orphans.org</p><p><br></p><p>If today's story moved you — share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you've ever thought about fostering, even just once, let that thought be the start of something. 🤍</p><p><br></p><p>Running Toward Podcast is brought to you by the South Texas Alliance for Orphans — real stories from real families walking the road ahead of you.</p><p><br></p><p>Be sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode on Facebook and TikTok. We'll see you next week. 🤍</p>
24 total episodes available
Similar Podcasts
Discover related shows you might enjoy
Deep-dive analytics for Running Toward
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Running Toward?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Information about guest appearances is not available.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.