Episode 14: Courtney’s Foster & Adoption Story | The Edu20/20 Podcast
Courtney Dumas
April 7, 2026
In this After Hours episode, Shannon puts Courtney in the hot seat to talk about her foster care and adoption journey — going from zero kids to two in 48 hours — and what every educator should understand about foster and adopted students.
In this After Hours episode of The Edu20/20 Podcast, Shannon flips the script and puts Courtney in the hot seat.
We talk about her journey into foster care and adoption–how she went from zero kids to two in 48 hours (and eventually three) while also running a company and teaching full-time.
We get into:
- What actually led to the decision to foster
- What those first 48 hours were really like
- The reality of trauma, transitions, and daily life
- The moment they said yes to a newborn
- What educators need to understand about foster/adopted students
This one’s a little more personal, but also one every educator probably needs to hear.
Chapters:
0:00 Why we’re putting Courtney in the hot seat
1:24 How the foster/adoption journey started
5:13 The call and becoming parents in 48 hours
7:39 The reality check (what no one tells you)
10:38 The call for a baby that changed everything
11:47 Bringing home a newborn with zero prep
15:29 What educators need to understand about foster kids
16:18 The timeline story that changed everything
19:08 Why this perspective matters
