Every Child Belongs

Kim Botto
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Kids & Family
  • Updated Weekly

Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids and student ministries.

  1. Sep 3

    Why Disability Ministry Isn't Really About Disability

    When churches think about disability, many immediately ask, "Do we have enough volunteers?" Jason Le Shana believes that's the wrong first question. As a pastor, researcher at Baylor University, parent of a neurodivergent son, and someone living with a disability himself, Jason brings a unique perspective to what true belonging looks like inside the local church. Drawing from Baylor's groundbreaking national research, he explains why most pastors actually want to welcome people with disabilities but often feel overwhelmed and unequipped rather than unwilling. In this conversation, Kim and Jason explore why disability isn't a problem to solve but an ordinary part of the human experience, how churches can move beyond programs to cultures of belonging, and why listening to people's stories is the first step toward meaningful inclusion. Whether you're a pastor, ministry leader, volunteer, parent, or church member, this episode offers practical wisdom for building communities where every person is seen, valued, and invited to belong.   Learn more about Jason here: https://disability.research.baylor.edu/person/jason-le-shana   "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

  2. Aug 20

    How Disability Changed My Understanding of God : Amy Julia Becker

    When Amy Julia Becker's daughter Penny was born with Down syndrome, everything she imagined about the future suddenly changed. Fear, grief, uncertainty, and love all arrived at once. In this conversation, Amy Julia shares how that unexpected diagnosis reshaped not only her understanding of disability, but also her understanding of God, belonging, friendship, and what it truly means to live a meaningful life. Together, Kim and Amy Julia discuss how churches can become places where people with disabilities are genuinely known, why friendship matters more than inclusion alone, and how every child brings unique gifts to the world. They also explore helping children discover their hopes and dreams, preparing for adulthood, and why curiosity is one of the greatest gifts we can offer. Whether you're a parent, pastor, educator, ministry leader, or simply want to better understand disability and belonging, this conversation offers practical wisdom, deep encouragement, and a fresh vision for seeing every person through the eyes of love. Find Amy Julia Becker here: https://amyjuliabecker.com/ "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

  3. Aug 6

    The Church's Disability Blind Spot : Abby Howard

    What if one of the largest unreached people groups in your community is hiding in plain sight? In this episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim Botto sits down with disability advocate, ministry leader, and educator Abby Howard. After a rare spinal cord stroke at age 19 left her paralyzed from the chest down, Abby's life changed overnight. What began as a devastating medical crisis eventually became a calling to help churches make the Gospel accessible to people with disabilities and their families. Today, Abby serves as a disability ministry coordinator, special education graduate, and founder of The Accessible Gospel, where she equips churches with practical tools to welcome and disciple people with disabilities. Through personal stories, ministry experience, and a deep passion for the Great Commission, Abby challenges churches to rethink what belonging truly means. Together, Kim and Abby discuss invisible disabilities, common misconceptions about disability ministry, why so many families have left churches, and how simple accommodations can create life-changing opportunities for children and adults to experience the love of Christ. Abby also shares her own journey of learning to be honest about her disability and allowing others to help carry her burdens. Whether you're a parent, pastor, volunteer, educator, or church leader, this conversation will encourage you to see disability ministry not as a specialized program, but as an essential part of making disciples and building a church where every person belongs. "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

  4. Jul 23

    What No One Tells Moms of Disabled Children : Kara Ryska

    What happens when motherhood looks nothing like you imagined?   In this deeply honest episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim Botto sits down with author, coach, and podcast host Kara Ryska to talk about the emotional reality of parenting children with disabilities and medical complexity. Kara shares her family's journey after her son Levi was diagnosed with brain cancer at just two years old, and how that diagnosis reshaped everything she believed about motherhood, faith, grief, community, and herself.   Kara is the founder of Pathway to Peace Coaching Community and host of the Special Needs Mom Podcast, where she helps mothers of disabled and medically complex children move from survival into healing, peace, and possibility.   Together, Kim and Kara explore the hidden grief many caregivers carry, the isolation that often follows a diagnosis, the shame around "impermissible thoughts," and the practical ways community can support families who are struggling. Kara also shares her powerful framework describing the emotional stages many special needs moms experience, from stunned survival to restoration and hope.   This conversation is raw, hopeful, validating, and deeply encouraging for parents, caregivers, church leaders, and anyone wanting to better understand the lives of families navigating disability and chronic caregiving.   "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

  5. Jul 9

    What People Assume About Our Family Isn't True : Kayla North

    What does belonging actually look like for families raising neurodivergent children, children with trauma histories, and kids with significant disabilities? In this episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim Botto sits down with foster and adoptive mom, educator, and trauma-informed parenting advocate Kayla North for a deeply honest conversation about parenting, empathy, church belonging, and helping every child discover their place in the world. Kayla and her husband Ryan have fostered around 30 children over the years and are raising six children, several of whom are neurodivergent or have significant developmental differences. Through their ministry at One Big Happy Home, Kayla helps parents, churches, educators, and caregivers better understand trauma, attachment, and practical ways to support children who experience the world differently. Together, Kim and Kayla talk about the assumptions people make about families with disabilities, the hidden realities of parenting children with invisible struggles, how to build empathy in both kids and adults, and why churches must move beyond simply saying "everyone is welcome." This conversation is full of practical wisdom, emotional honesty, and hope for parents who sometimes feel unseen or isolated. "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

  6. Jun 25

    Disability Ministry Isn't What Most Churches Think : Ryan Faulk

    What if the problem isn't that churches don't care… but that they don't know where to start? In this episode of Every Child Belongs, Kim Botto sits down with ministry leader Ryan Faulk to talk about what it really means to help neurodivergent and disabled kids belong in church communities. Ryan serves as Director of Children and Disability Ministry at Cornerstone Church in California and has spent years helping churches move beyond good intentions into meaningful discipleship. Ryan shares how he "accidentally" created a low-sensory youth ministry environment that drew neurodivergent students in, and how that experience completely changed the way he viewed church, inclusion, and discipleship. Together, Kim and Ryan discuss student ministry transitions, sensory environments, disability ministry silos, church fears around feeling "unequipped," and why every church must move from passive welcome to active belonging. This conversation is deeply practical for pastors, ministry leaders, volunteers, and parents alike. Ryan offers simple but powerful frameworks that help churches think differently about disability ministry, including one unforgettable analogy about goldfish transitions and another about gardening that may completely reshape how you think about supporting kids and families. "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

  7. Jun 11

    When "Bad Behavior" Is Trauma & How to Respond Differently : Lori Crosby

    What if the "misbehavior" you're seeing… isn't misbehavior at all? Lori Crosby, licensed marriage and family therapist and co-founder of the Reach Hurting Kids Institute, joins Kim to unpack how trauma impacts children and how we can better support them at home and in church. Drawing from her own story of loss and healing, Lori shares why behavior is always communication, and how small shifts in how we respond can make a lifelong difference for a child.  This conversation is both deeply personal and incredibly practical, covering everything from play therapy to summer routines to creating safe, welcoming environments for kids who've experienced hard things. Lori Crosby is a licensed marriage and family therapist, registered play therapist, and co-founder of the Reach Hurting Kids Institute. She co-authored Trauma-Informed Children's Ministry and helps equip churches to better support kids and families navigating trauma. Resources & Links Reach Hurting Kids Institute https://reachhurtingkids.com/ Trauma-Informed Children's Ministry (book) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1666715743 "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

  8. May 28

    When You Love Your Child But Don't Like Them : Lisa Qualls

    What happens when you love your child… but being around them feels overwhelming? In this deeply honest conversation, Kim Botto sits down with adoptive mom, author, and TBRI practitioner Lisa Qualls to talk about something many parents feel—but few say out loud: blocked care. Lisa shares her personal story of adoption, trauma, and parenting through extremely hard seasons. From feeling confident as a mom… to experiencing dread, exhaustion, and emotional shutdown—this episode gives language to what so many parents silently carry. If you've ever felt like you're just surviving… or wondered why connection feels so hard… this conversation will help you understand what's really happening—and how healing begins. "Boundless Hope for Every Child: Help for the Hurting, Compassion for the Misunderstood, Belonging for the Lonely" by Kim Botto https://amzn.to/3Utuw6V (affiliate links) Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids in student ministries.

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5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Every Child Belongs explores how we can create spaces where every child feels heard and valued, whether neurodivergent, differently abled, or they've experienced trauma. We'll hear from educators, parents, professionals, and more. Kim Botto is an adoptive mom, grandma, an advocate for kids and teens with disabilities, as well as a long-time leader of kids and student ministries.

Information

  • Creator
    Kim Botto
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Every Child Belongs

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