In this episode, Katy and Josh explore the intersection of policy, parenting, and the well-being of children. They begin with a major legal win in Oregon, where the 9th Circuit struck down a rule requiring adoptive parents to affirm gender ideology, highlighting the need to put children’s needs before political agendas. Next, they examine why most Americans admire adoption but rarely choose it, and how fear, misinformation, and cultural trends contribute to the ongoing adoption gap. They also dig into encouraging new data showing that divorce rates are falling, while questioning whether fewer divorces actually mean stronger families. Finally, Jenn joins Katy to respond to thoughtful listener questions about adoption and same-sex couples, parenting differences between spouses, and whether two teens should marry before college. From courtrooms to living rooms, this episode asks a timely and important question: What does it truly mean to prioritize children in a culture that often centers adults instead?

This week, Katy and Josh unpack two disturbing surrogacy stories making headlines. One involves a registered sex offender who crowdfunded his way into custody of an infant, and the other centers on a California couple under FBI investigation after commissioning 21 children via surrogacy. Together, they examine how surrogacy laws sidestep critical protections that would apply in adoption, and how treating children as products can lead to devastating consequences, even when everything appears legal on paper.

In the second half, Jenn joins the conversation for a candid Q&A, offering insight and perspective as the team responds to heartfelt listener questions about whether or not it's worth it to have children, someone stuck in a loveless marriage, and whether kids are meant to heal us.

What happens when unpopular research proves true? We unpack new analysis on Mark Regnerus’s studies on LGBT parenting (hint: he was vindicated!), explore whether pastors should endorse candidates, and challenge the myth of a “well-timed” divorce. Real listener questions bring it home with honesty and hope.

Katy and Jenn dig into what boys are missing in today’s culture. Not just guidance, but men. From the shrinking presence of dads to the lack of male mentors in schools, boys are being raised in overwhelmingly female spaces, and it’s leaving a mark. Next, they unpack the latest headlines. Chip and Joanna Gaines make a surprising turn in their new show, and Baylor University reverses course on LGBT grant funding. Are Christian institutions buckling under cultural pressure? Finally, they respond to heartfelt listener questions about adoption, surrogacy, and the ache of absent fathers.

Katy and Josh unpack the "Big Beautiful Bill" defunding Planned Parenthood, the new technology called "IVG" and what it means for children's rights, and then Jenn joins Katy with some questions about divorce and whether men or women carry more of the "mental load" in a relationship.

This week’s episode dives deep into the culture and challenges facing today’s families. We start with Malachi 2:15 and explore what it means to raise godly offspring in a time when pride in America is declining and truth is under attack.

In our news commentary, we unpack two major Supreme Court victories for children and parents, one upholding age verification for pornography websites, and another reinforcing parental rights over LGBT curriculum in schools. What do these rulings mean for Christian families?

We also tackle listener questions, from navigating a child’s exposure to pornography, to how to lovingly engage friends struggling with Christianity, to whether socialism aligns with Scripture.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone concerned with how to protect, disciple, and prepare children to stand firm in both faith and culture. Learn more from Them Before Us at thembeforeus.substack.com!

Katy and her team address the latest controversy comparing embryo adoption to surrogacy and talk about a new campaign to "End Obergefell." Learn more from Them Before Us at www.thembeforeus.substack.com and at www.endobergefell.com.

Because Katy is out of town, TBU staff members Josh and Jenn took over the program this week. They discuss the big news out of Iran, the uptick in American political violence, and the controversy surrounding a pregnant mother who was kept on life support for her unborn child. They celebrate the SCOTUS ruling to defend children's well-being and bodily safety from trans ideology and the allegations against Newsboys' Michael Tait. Finally, they address some big questions about surrogacy and how to share about children's rights without making everyone mad at you.

In this thought-provoking episode, Katy and Jenn explore the growing bipartisan recognition that fatherhood matters and how the absence of dads affects generations of boys. They discuss the cultural shift highlighted by sociologists and unpack what makes fathers unique and irreplaceable in a child’s development.

Next, they reflect on the ten-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges with Andrew Walker's latest article for The Gospel Coalition and consider how the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage has impacted children’s rights.

Next they take a closer look at a new development in biotechnology. A new tech company has released an online dashboard that ranks embryos based on the likelihood of nearly 900 genetic traits and conditions, including mental health risks, BMI, and IQ. This gives parents the option to discard embryos that do not meet their preferred profile. Katy and Jenn raise urgent ethical questions about the growing trend of treating children as customizable products.

This week on the show, Katy is digging into the roots of the “birth dearth” in America. Is it economics, worldview, or both? We look at new data showing how stable, well-paying jobs may be the best natalist policy out there — better than bonuses or benefits alone.

In our news commentary, we turn to Sesame Street’s decision to spotlight Pride Month. As major brands step back, why is children's content leaning in? How should parents respond when messages about identity and sexuality land in their kids’ media?

Plus, we tackle the troubling rise of elderly couples commissioning babies through surrogacy. A UK couple in their 70s just won parental rights — but what does that mean for the child’s future?

And finally, Katy and Jenn wonder how should Christians respond in truth and love when media voices we usually support stumble?

This episode covers Louisiana’s IVF law changes, the harmful impact of pornography on marriage, and a free speech case involving a student’s T-shirt. We also tackle listener questions about parenting, surrogacy, and same-sex parenting. Please note, due to mature content, listener discretion is advised if children are present.

Today's episode covers a tragic fertility clinic bombing driven by anti-life ideology, a pro-family spending bill in Congress, and a major study on the long-term harm of divorce. We also answer listener questions on adoption, blended family values, and healing after heartbreak.

In this episode, we dive deep into the generational shift that's turning the hustle culture on its head. Gen Z is trading skyscrapers for small towns and status for simplicity. But is slowing down the key to a better life, or just a retreat from responsibility? We unpack the values behind this movement and what it could mean for faith, family, and the future.

Then, we tackle the cultural confusion around cohabitation. Is shacking up a safe test run for marriage or a dead-end detour? We separate the science from the slogans and challenge the narratives shaping young hearts.

And in our listener Q&A: Can regular check-ins save your marriage? Should you stay in a sparkless relationship? And can a marriage survive a child from an affair?

Check out more from Katy at thembeforeus.com and support our ANDnotOR campaign the next two months!

This week on Them Before Us Radio, we dive deep into stories that every Christian should be paying attention to. Why is the Trump administration defending Biden’s abortion pill policy? Why did a Maine judge call a conservative church a “cult” and bar a mother from taking her daughter to church? And what’s really behind Colorado’s latest transgender bill? We tackle these headlines from a biblical worldview, with honest commentary rooted in Scripture and a heart for truth. In our final segment, we answer your powerful listener questions—from navigating divorce with moral clarity to raising kids with wisdom in a digital world.

In this episode, Katy and Patience unpack a major new study on the abortion pill that reveals alarming truths the industry and FDA have long downplayed. Nearly 1 in 9 women who take the abortion pill experience serious complications, destroying the narrative that it's "safer than Tylenol." We examine how policy changes and mail-order access have enabled widespread abuse, sidestepped state laws, and put countless women at risk.

Then, listen to a clip from our IVF | FYI series where Ari Schulman, editor of The New Atlantis, shares about the rapidly evolving frontier of reproductive technology, from IVF to in vitro gametogenesis. What happens when we can create embryos from skin cells? What moral boundaries are we crossing, and how should Christians respond?

Finally, Jenn and Katy tackle your thought-provoking listener questions—from robot housekeepers to the ethical wreckage of broken families and surrogacy gone wrong.

This week on the show, Katy and Josh connect the dots between law, culture, and lived experience—always with children’s rights at the center. From President Trump’s executive order on IVF to state-level shifts on gender identity and family law, they unpack how policy decisions are shaping the lives of the next generation. Then Katy and Jenn turn to your questions. What do we say to someone navigating the grief of being donor-conceived? How should the church respond when life doesn’t follow the “perfect plan”? And is using embryo selection ever morally defensible?

Katy and Josh open the episode with a cultural curveball: SNL’s shockingly honest sketch about a gay couple and a baby sparks a broader conversation, Where did the baby come from, and why are we told not to ask? They unpack the subtle shift in public opinion on same-sex parenting, surrogacy, and the crumbling taboos that once silenced these conversations.

Next, Katy introduces a clip of our interview with Dr. Naomi Whittaker, a board-certified OB-GYN and fertility surgeon, to discuss what real, compassionate women’s healthcare looks like—and why restorative reproductive medicine matters more than ever in an era of artificial wombs and outsourced motherhood. Go check out our IVF | FYI series for the full conversation: https://youtu.be/WXbtIGijoaI?feature=shared

Finally, we take on your questions:
– Is surrogacy ever okay—especially when frozen embryos are involved?
– Should you take relationship advice from #divorcedandthriving reels?
– And what should Christians think about artificial wombs?

In this episode, we begin with Utah’s groundbreaking move to give adult adoptees access to their original birth records—without a judge’s permission. What does this mean for adoptees’ rights, and why does it matter?

Next, in a clip from the Them Before US podcast series on IVF, Emma Waters from The Heritage Foundation joins us to unpack the booming surrogacy industry. Often painted as a compassionate act, commercial surrogacy raises deep ethical questions. Who profits, who pays, and what happens to the children? Emma connects the dots between surrogacy, IVF, and the broader cultural conversation on family and commodification.

Finally, we tackle raw, honest listener questions—from when and how to talk to kids about difficult family origins, to the blessings (not just the battles) of raising kids through every age. We also share powerful lessons learned from others’ marriages and how they shape our own.

Katy and Josh unpack the latest Supreme Court case that could change the future of Planned Parenthood's federal funding. From billion-dollar donations to clinics starving for resources, they explore how the abortion giant prioritizes politics over patients. Then, you'll hear a thought-provoking conversation on IVF with renowned bioethicist Dr. David Prentice, discussing the hidden human cost behind 'designer babies' and gene editing. Finally, Katy and Jenn tackle your toughest listener questions, from the moment life begins to how the pro-life movement answers claims of hypocrisy. Tune in for truth, clarity, and conviction.

This episode explores the fallout from 23andMe’s bankruptcy and why it matters—not just for privacy, but for national security and donor-conceived individuals. Katy and Patience break down the risks of millions of genetic profiles being sold, especially those who relied on DNA tests to uncover hidden family histories. We also debut a clip from our new IVF | FYI series, featuring Kathryn Francisco, who recently discovered she was donor-conceived. Plus, listener questions tackle solo parenting after loss, ethical adoption, and why poly-relationships are dangerous for the kids in the home.