Fostering Change

Latest Episodes:

Episode 65: The Scheer Family Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

To wrap up National Adoption Awareness Month, Rob and Dana talk to Amaya and Makai Scheer about their family and what it's like to be adopted. Listen as Amaya shares some of her earliest memories of being with Rob and Reece and Makai talks about how it feels to be part of a big family.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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Episode 64: The Forgotten Adoption Option with Marcy Bursac Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

As part of our National Adoption Awareness Month series, this week’s podcast features author and foster care adoption advocate Marcy Bursac.

Marcy adopted her two children from foster care and just released a book, The Forgotten Adoption Option, which serves as a guide to adopting from foster care. Marcy talks about why she decided to adopt from foster care, how she met her children, and how they are thriving despite all of the trauma they experienced with their birth parents.

The Forgotten Adoption Option focuses on both making the decision to adopt from foster care and how to navigate the system and get through the process. She explains how adopting from foster care is much more affordable and can take less time than waiting to adopt an infant both internationally and domestically.

Pre-order The Forgotten Adoption Option:

Amazon - Ships January 1, 2021

Barnes & Noble - Ships January 1, 2021

Google Play - Audiobook

Chirp - Audiobook

Kobo - Audiobook

Scribd - Audiobook

Follow Marcy on her Facebook page.

Shop our Comfort Cases "Gifts That Give Back" store to get your BE A GOOD HUMAN merchandise.

For every gift purchased, an item will be given to a child in foster care. www.comfortcases.org/shop.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 63: Redefining Normal with Alexis and Justin Black - Part 2 Nov 09, 2020

Show notes

This week we welcome Alexis and Justin Black back to the Fostering Change podcast.

Alexis and Justin are newlyweds who both grew up in foster care. In their first novel, Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat the Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness, and Love, Alexis and Justin reveal how they overcame traumatic childhoods and developed a healthy relationship.

Listen as they share some details about writing the book and how they hope it will help others. Alexis also talks about being adopted at the age of 26 and why it was so important that her foster parents become her legal parents years after she “aged out” of the foster care system.

To learn more about Comfort Cases and our mission, visit www.comfortcases.org.

Get your BE A GOOD HUMAN merch in our Gifts That Give Back shop - www.comfortcases.org/shop - for every gift purchased, an item will be given to a child in foster care.

Thank you for listening and please be sure to leave us a review!

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 62: Transracial Adoption with April Dinwoodie Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

November is National Adoption Awareness Month and we are looking forward to featuring guests with various adoption experiences.

Today Rob and Dana welcome April Dinwoodie, a writer, coach, consultant, and host of the Born In June, Raised In April podcast. As a woman of color who was adopted into a white family, April offers her insight into the complexities of transracial adoption.

Learn more about April at www.aprildinwoodie.com.

Shop our Comfort Cases Gifts That Give Back Shop to get your BE A GOOD HUMAN merch! Every purchase gives an item to a child in foster care. www.comfortcases.org/shop

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 61: From Foster Care to the NFL with Gaelin Elmore Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

This week Rob and Dana talk to foster care advocate and former pro-football player Gaelin Elmore. First removed from his parents’ home at 10 months old, Gaelin spent several years in and out of foster care. When he was 16, his high school football coach became his legal guardian. He earned a scholarship to play football in college and in 2017 he signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. After playing one season, he decided to retire when he realized that a career in the NFL just wasn’t right for him.

Listen as Gaelin talks about his childhood, his emotional journey during his time with the NFL, what he’s doing now to help children in foster care, and his hopes for the future.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 60: Life from Scratch with Sasha Martin Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s Fostering Change podcast, Rob and Dana talk to author and foster care survivor Sasha Martin.

Sasha spent the first ten years of her life going back and forth between living with her mom and living in various foster homes. When she was 10 years old, she went to live with a family friend who became her permanent guardian. A few years later, they moved to Paris and then Luxemburg.

Years later and after becoming a mother herself, Sasha discovered a love for cooking and set a goal to make a meal from every country in the world. She documented her recipes and stories and National Geographic published her book, Life from Scratch, in 2015.

Listen as Sasha talks about her experiences in foster care, suffering tragic losses in her life, and how she found peace and belonging through a love of cooking.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 59: Dr. John DeGarmo of the Foster Care Institute Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s Fostering Change podcast, Rob and Dana talk to Foster Care Institute founder John DeGarmo. As a foster and adoptive father, author, and industry consultant, John offers his insight on a number of child welfare issues.

He created the Foster Care Institute after experiencing frustration with the system and lack of support as a foster parent. His training programs are used by child welfare agencies all over the country to educate both staff and foster parents.

John and his wife have been foster parents to 60 children over the last 20 years. In his 2019 TedXTalk, he tells the story of one of those children whom the system failed.

John also talks about the importance of foster parent support groups and how he deals with the heartbreak and stress of caring for children who have experienced trauma.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 58: Quay Bowen, Foster Care Survivor Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

This week Rob and Dana talk to foster care survivor, writer, and advocate Quay Bowen. Quay is sharing her story on her website in the hopes of writing a book. She talks about her life growing up, her relationship with her birth family, and how poorly she was treated by the Atlanta foster care system.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 57: Foster Boy with Jay Paul Deratany Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob and Dana talk to Foster Boy creator and attorney Jay Paul Deratany. Set to be released this weekend, Foster Boy tells the story of a teenage boy who was failed by the foster care system. Combining his passion for acting, writing, and advocating for children in foster care, Jay Paul wrote this film in the hopes of inspiring people to take action to change the system.

Through his work as a personal injury attorney, Jay Paul has seen the devastating impact of the foster care system on children it is supposed to care for. He talks about how the for-profit foster care agencies make money on the backs of children and shares some stories about children he has represented.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 56: Connect Our Kids with Jennifer Jacobs and Jessica Stern Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

On this week's Fostering Change podcast, Rob and Dana talk to Connect Our Kids founders Jennifer Jacobs and Jessica Stern. Connect Our Kids is a website that helps child welfare agencies find and track family connection and data for children in the foster care system. Jennifer and Jessica have used their backgrounds in government, homeland security, and communications to create a unique program that significantly enhances the ability for social workers to find family members and the best possible placements for kids in care. Listen as they tell their stories and share how Connect Our Kids works.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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