LPH59: Rachel Gonyea Learned Caregiving as a Sister

What happens when a sibling grows up in a home filled with foster children, routines, and nonstop caregiving, and then realizes those experiences shaped who they were meant to become?

In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Rachel Gonyea shares what it was like growing up with a brother with autism while her family welcomed nearly 200 foster children into their home over the years. This conversation explores autism, foster care, caregiving, developmental disabilities, inclusion, sibling experiences, and the real-life challenges families navigate every day. Rachel opens up about routines, bullying, emotional overload, and the invisible work that happens inside families trying to meet many different needs at once.

But this story is also full of hope. Rachel reflects on how caregiving shaped her compassion, patience, and sense of purpose. She shares why lived experience matters, why children need support that truly works, and how her family’s journey inspired her to help foster children and people with disabilities in the future.

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