Episode 273: Finding Hope While Healing from a Painful Past (w/ Destini McAlister)

The Forgotten Podcast

The Forgotten Initiative

Christian, Family, Adoption, Kids & Family, Fostercare

4.9 • 532 Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Content / Trigger Warning: This episode does contain mentions and descriptions of abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. If any of this may be triggering for you, we recommend you either listen carefully, listen with someone else, or you may even consider skipping this episode.

Unfortunately, so many children who enter foster care have experienced some terrible things in their lives. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that in 2022, children entered foster care for the following reasons:

62% due to neglect
33% due to drug abuse
13% due to physical abuse
6% due to alcohol abuse
4% due to sexual abuse

These are just a few of the circumstances that cause removal, and they total to over 100% because these challenges are not mutually exclusive.

My guest for this conversation knows this all too well. Destini McAlister experienced neglect and abandonment while she was still an infant. She would then go on to experience sexual abuse and rejection throughout her foster care journey.

Although Destini’s journey was filled with hardship, her story is one of hope.

In this episode, you’ll hear how God was guiding Destini’s steps throughout her journey, the importance of processing the past, how hope can be found even in the darkest of stories, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/destini-mcalister-273/

Transcript

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0:00.0	It feels easier to do that because it's just so painful and we naturally avoid pain. But also maybe at that time in my life, I was not mature enough or emotionally able to really process that so much
0:23.6	either. So I think that at times it's okay to close the door as long as you realize that maybe
0:30.2	you know, one day, you're going to need to walk through it and process everything.
0:35.5	Hey, it's Jamie Cabe. Welcome to the Forgotten Podcast, where we are highlighting the stories of the people of foster
0:43.3	care.
0:44.3	We want to bring you hope and encouragement in your journey and help you support the foster care
0:49.3	community where you live.
0:51.3	This podcast is a resource of the Forgotten Initiative.
0:54.9	Learn more about our work across America and how you can get involved by visiting
0:59.6	the forgotteninitiative.org.
1:02.0	And please consider joining with us on mission with a gift of any amount.
1:07.7	You can do this by texting the word forgotten to 4-4-3-2-1. Okay, it's time. Let's do this.
1:26.4	Destiny McAllister is a former foster youth and adoptee, but above all, she is a Christian, a wife of 21 years and a mother of four, including one adopted from foster care as an older youth. Destiny is passionate about sharing her story to bring awareness to foster care and adoption and help
1:45.0	others find healing. Abandoned as an infant and later placed into foster care at the age of 12
1:51.3	after years of abuse, Destiny's journey was filled with hardship. But her story is one of hope.
1:59.6	At 17, she asked her foster family to adopt her,
2:03.0	proving that even older youth still need love, security, and belonging. Destiny's life is
2:09.5	a testament to the power of family, faith, and resilience. Destiny, thank you so much for being on
2:15.9	today. Thank you for having me.
2:17.8	We know your story with Social Services started actually when you were only seven months old,
2:23.2	but you did not enter foster care until 12.
2:26.7	We'd love to hear just a little bit of early childhood experiences and kind of what led you
	...

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