Melissa Unfiltered

Asking My Former Foster Care Caseworker The HARD Questions

What REALLY happens behind the scenes in foster care? In this eye-opening episode of Melissa Unfiltered, I sit down with someone who saw the system from the inside - our family’s former foster care caseworker. Together, we unpack the realities most people never hear about: *  overwhelmed caseworkers  *  reunification pressure  *  court system failures  *  foster parent silencing  *  financial incentives tied to visitation  *  traumatized children falling through the cracks  *  why good foster parents and caseworkers burn out  This is an honest discussion about the grey areas, emotional toll, and systemic problems impacting children, biological families, foster parents, and caseworkers every single day. If you’ve ever questioned how children can remain in unsafe situations…why foster parents feel powerless…or why the system seems broken from every angle, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew. ⚠️ This episode contains discussions involving child welfare, trauma, addiction, and foster care system failures. 🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast [https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast]

I Realized My ‘Mom Friends’ Weren’t Real…

What if the “mom friends” you thought you had…weren’t real? In this episode of Melissa Unfiltered, I sit down with Francesca (Marathon of Motherhood) to talk about the moment everything shifted - the realization that fitting into “Mom culture” was costing her peace, her identity, and her truth. From toxic Mom groups and constant comparison to public confrontation and walking away from it all, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what so many women feel but rarely say out loud. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t quite fit in…  If you’ve questioned the pressure to keep up…  If you’ve wondered why motherhood can feel so isolating even when you’re surrounded by people… You are not alone. This episode will challenge the idea that you need to belong and show you what happens when you stop playing the game altogether. 🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast [https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast]

I Refused to Send My Kids Back to School…Here’s Why

I never thought I’d be the Mom who homeschools…and honestly, I judged the ones who did. But everything changed. This is the real story of how we went from public school to private school to homeschooling…and why I made the decision about my kid's schooling I never thought I would. In this episode of Melissa Unfiltered, I’m sharing what actually led us here...from COVID chaos to questioning everything we thought we knew about school, parenting, and what’s really best for our kids. If you’ve ever felt like something isn’t right… like you’re being told one thing but seeing another, this episode is going to hit. Because once you see it, you just can’t unsee it. 👉 In this episode, we talk about: ✅ Why I pulled my kids out of traditional school ✅ What COVID revealed about the education system ✅ The truth about homeschooling (it’s not what you think) ✅ The fears every parent has about “messing up” their kids ✅ What public schools aren’t telling parents ✅ Why more families are walking away from the public school system ✅ The freedom (and challenges) of homeschooling 3 kids 🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. If this resonates with you, share this with another Mom who’s been questioning things lately. And if you’ve ever thought about homeschooling (or are living it right now), I want to hear your story in the comments. 🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast [https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast]

IVF FAILED…Then We Adopted 3 Kids in JUST 2 YEARS

I never planned this life. At 18, I moved out, quit college after one class, and took a job at a mall kiosk…not exactly the beginning you picture when you think about marriage, kids, and building a family. But that’s where I met my husband. What started as a “wait…is this a date?” moment turned into a 20-year relationship filled with love, chaos, breaking up, court battles, infertility, IVF…and ultimately, adoption. This episode is the real story of how our family came to be - from our early days of falling in love, to navigating a complicated co-parenting situation, to being in court for years…to the moment everything changed. Because what I thought was our plan…wasn’t our plan at all. 👉 In this episode, I talk about: ✅ Meeting my husband at 18 (and why it raised eyebrows) ✅ What it’s really like to be in a long-term relationship with someone who already has a child ✅ The strain of years in family court ✅ Getting diagnosed with endometriosis and the truth about IVF ✅ Why IVF didn’t sit right with me ✅ The moment we knew adoption was the path ✅ The emotional rollercoaster of waiting to become parents ✅ The call that changed everything If you’ve ever wondered how families are really built, or felt like life didn’t go according to your plan, this episode is for you. I stayed quiet about a lot of this for a long time. Not anymore. If this resonates with you, share this with another mom who needs to hear it. And if you’ve walked a similar road with IVF, adoption or blended families, I’d love to hear your story in the comments. 🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast [https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast]

I Called 911 on My Stepdad…At 10 Years Old

I thought I had the perfect family. From the outside, everything looked normal…even good. But behind closed doors, it was a completely different story. In this episode of Melissa Unfiltered, I’m taking you back to my childhood. It's something I’ve never fully shared before. From growing up with a strong, hardworking single Mom…to the moment everything changed when she remarried…to the moment I picked up the phone and called 911 as a kid. This isn’t easy to talk about. But it’s important. Because what happens in homes like this is often hidden, normalized, and ignored…until someone finally speaks up. If you’ve ever questioned what’s really going on behind closed doors… If you’ve ever felt like something wasn’t right but didn’t have the words for it… Or if you just know deep down that what we’re told is “normal” sometimes isn’t… This episode is for you. I stayed quiet for a long time. Not anymore. 👉 In this episode, we talk about: ✅ Growing up in what looked like a “perfect” family ✅ The reality of domestic abuse behind closed doors ✅ The moment I called 911 as a child ✅ How abuse becomes normalized ✅ The cycle of manipulation and control ✅ What it took for me to finally leave If this episode hit you in any way, share it with another mom who needs to hear it. And if you’ve lived through something similar, you are not alone, I’d love to hear your story in the comments. 🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast [https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast]