Fostering Change

It’s always special when we can welcome both a returning guest and a first-time guest who are making a real difference. Join our host, Rob Scheer, as he sits down with Kate Trambitskaya and Brian Rosenberg for an urgent and eye-opening discussion about how federal cutbacks are impacting youth in foster care, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable communities.Why This Episode Matters:Kate, who last joined us in May 2022, is a passionate advocate for children, women, and families. As CEO of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Childre,, she has expanded programs supporting expectant women facing adversity, children in institutional care overseas, and adoptees and their families here in the U.S.Brian is the founder and executive director of GWK Academy Family Building, a non-profit spin-off of the beloved Gays With Kids community. Originally focused on supporting gay and queer men in their journey to parenthood, Brian is excited to announce that starting in March 2025, GWK Academy will support ALL family-building paths for ALL LGBTQ+ individuals!🔥 Don’t just listen—take action! 🔥🎧 Tune in now and get informed.💬 Join the conversation—leave a comment or question!❤️ Like, share, and help us spread the word! The more people who hear Fostering Change, the faster we can create real, lasting impact.📩 Have thoughts or questions? Reach out at [email protected] or visit www.comfortcases.org—we’d love to hear from you!#FosteringChange #Podcast #LGBTQFamilies #FosterCare #Adoption #MakeAChangeTo find more about each organization:Spence-ChapinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/spencechapinInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/spencechapinsvc/Twitter/Xhttps://x.com/spencechapinsvcLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/71342/GWK Academy/Gays With KidsFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/GaysWithKidsInstagram@gays_with_kids; @gwkacademyTwitter/Xhttps://www.youtube.com/@GWKLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrrosenberg/🎥 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.

How do you feel when you receive a hand-written note? Not an email, not a form letter. But an actual note that someone took the time to sit down and write out with a good old-fashioned pen or pencil? Pretty special right?On today’s episode of Fostering Change we welcome Jeremy Su, co-founder of “Cards for Cubs”, an organization that demonstrates how a simple handmade card can profoundly impact a child’s life by offering hope and comfort during difficult times.Since being founded in 2020, Cards for Cubs have collected and distributed more than 200,000 cards and over 400 foster care related organizations.In 2024, Cards for Cubs collected 70,000 cards. The 2025 Card Drive ends March 31. To send in cards, please visit https://cardsforcubs.org/.We’re so happy to call Jeremy a friend, and know that you’ll love hearing why he’s doing this and what’s to come!TO CONTACT & DONATE, PLEASE VISIT:Website https://cardsforcubs.org/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/thecardsforcubsFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/CardsForCubs/🎥 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.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of difficult subject matter, including child abuse and the tragic death/murder of a young child. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If these topics may be triggering or upsetting, we encourage you to prioritize your well-being and consider this before listening to this episode.Welcome back for the second part of our special 2-episode series of Fostering Change, featuring the story of the horrific murder of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery.On our last episode, we spoke with Judge Carol Erskine, author of the book A Cruel Injustice, which documents how our judicial system failed young Harmony, who was taken out of foster care and placed with her birth father - who rather than nurturing her, murdered her.Today, we speak with Blair & Johnathan Bobbit-Miller, adoptive fathers of two sons before becoming the father of a 3rd son, Jamison, Harmony’s brother.These amazing and sensitive humans discuss with Rob how the system continues to fail those who need it most—the children. They explain what they are doing, along with help from other Good Humans like Judge Erskine and Rob Scheer, to fix what many consider to be unfixable.This powerful episode of Fostering Change will make you want to activate yours. At the sentencing of Adam Montgomery (Harmony’s father), Jamison read a victim-impact-statement. Part of the statement:"Tell everyone my name is Jamison. I'm 7 years old. My sister is Harmony. I love Harmony, I miss her," Bobbitt-Miller read. "I hope I get to see her again."He spoke of a broken Elmo toy Harmony had given him that was hers that he has kept ever since. He said he has a Minnie Mouse pillow and new Elmo he planned to give to her."I keep it in my closet for her," Bobbitt-Miller read. "I am really sad she is an angel. I miss her. She was my best friend. I hope she can see me playing basketball and being silly with my brothers and I wish I could bring Harmony to my school to meet my friends and teacher."To learn more about the Bobbit-Miller Family:Twitter: @BlairMillerTV @BobbitMiller Instagram: @johnathanb @blairmillertv “A Cruel Injustice” can be found anywhere you purchase books, including Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Injustic...If you have any comments or questions regarding this episode or the foster care system, please send them to [email protected].🎥 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.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of difficult subject matter, including child abuse and the tragic death/murder of a young child. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If these topics may be triggering or upsetting, we encourage you to prioritize your well-being and take this all into consideration prior to listening to this episode.On today’s special episode of Fostering Change we speak with Judge Carol Erskine. Judge Erskine is the author of the book, A Cruel Injustice. In thebook, and in today’s interview with Rob Scheer, Judge Erskine discusses the tragic death of 5-year-old Harmony, at the hands of her father.Harmony’s murder was the result of our failed foster care system. Where the system should have provided legal advocacy on behalf of Harmony, protecting her, instead it let her, her brother and all of us, down.Judge Erskine further discusses her career on the bench, and how she remains an advocate for youth in foster care.Please note that this is PART ONE of a two-episode series. On our next episode of Fostering Change, Blair Miller and Johnathan Bobbit-Miller, the adoptive fathers of Harmony’s brother, speak to Rob about their experiences with the system - their frustrations, and all they are doing to raise Jamison and work with him as he remembers his sister and fights for justice in her name.To purchase a copy of A Cruel Injustice, please visit a local bookstore, Amazon, or carolerskine.com.More About Carol:Carol Erskine has been a lifelong child advocate and a Massachusetts Juvenile Court judge for twenty-one years. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named her one of the state's top ten lawyers.Judge Erskine has written and published a children’s book and several op-ed columns on children’s issues. She and her husband are the proud parents of a blended family with their now grown adopted and stepchildren.Websitecarolerskine.comFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolErskine/Twitter/Xhttps://x.com/TheCarolErskineLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-erskine-1065a1207/🎥 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.

Happy New Year! On our first episode of the New Year, we are so happy to bring you an amazing human, Hunter Beaton. Hunter is the founder of Day1bags.org. Day1’s mission is right in line with Comfort Cases’ mission: to provide hope and dignity to youth in foster care by giving them new luggage or backpacks in place of the disgusting black trash bags that are still given out in so many states.Hunter started this initiative in 2016 at the age of 15 as part of his Eagle Scout project (yes, he’s a Real Eagle Scout!). He initially provided 100 duffel bags filled with essential supplies to a local nonprofit serving foster youth in San Antonio, Texas. The project quickly became a sustainable mission to support foster children across the United States.Hunter's work has led to significant milestones, including distributing over 220,000 bags to foster youth across 47 states, legislative advocacy for proper luggage bills, and initiatives that celebrate foster youth's achievements. Through Day 1 Bags, Hunter has inspired meaningful change and continues to empower children in foster care by promoting dignity, belonging, and recognition.To learn more about Hunter and Day1Bags - and how you can support them, please visit the following links:Website:https://day1bags.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/day1bagsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/day1bags/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/day-1-bags/🎥 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.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! This is our final episode of Fostering Change before we launch into 2025. And what a year it’s been. We’ve celebrated amazing guests on our show, learning so much about each other and our society.Thank you to all of you who have written in with comments and guests suggestions about what you’ve listened to this year. We truly appreciate YOU ALL!Our charity, Comfort Cases has touched so many people around the country this year, with Rob Scheer once again sharing our message of providing hope and dignity for youth in foster care. It’s not too late to make one last donation if this is possible for you. If this is something you would like to do, to help out our most important people, youth entering foster care, please click on this link or here: https://comfortcases.org/ to become a #Bagbuster to help us stop the evil practice of giving trash bags to our youth. Thank you!As for today’s Christmas Eve episode, we end the year with a Very Special Guest: Chef Art Smith. You may initially recognize him as Oprah’s personal Chef, a role he held for 10 years. He is also the founder of Common Threads, a non-profit organization teaching low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals since 2003. He believes that through hands-on cooking and introducing children to fresh foods we can help prevent childhood obesity, reverse the trend of poor eating habits, and learn about diversity and tolerance through the celebration of our cultural differences and our commonalities.Chef Art has appeared on numerous national television appearances including ABC’s Lady Gaga Thanksgiving Special, Top Chef, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Iron Chef America, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, Fox News, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, BBQ Pitmasters, The Talk, The Dr. Oz Show and of course, The Oprah Winfrey Show. Chef Art has appeared on the cover of Parade Magazine, and has been featured in Cooking Light magazine. He is a regular contributor to Standup magazine, whose proceeds benefit The Ben Foundation, which raises awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying.To learn more about Chef Art Smith, please visit:Website: https://www.chefartsmith.com/Instagram: @thechefartsmith Facebook: ChefArtSmithX/Twitter: @chefartsmith To learn more about Common Threads, please visit:Website: https://www.commonthreads.org/Instagram: @commonthreadsorg Facebook: CommonThreadsOrgX/Twitter: @commonthreadsUSThank you again for listening and watching Fostering Change. We hope you have a happy and safe holiday and look forward to bringing you more great discussions in 2025. Again, if you have any comments or guest suggestions, please feel free to reach out by emailing our producers at [email protected].🎥 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.

Welcome back to another thought-provoking episode of Fostering Change. Today, we speak with Jason Green, a friend and amazing filmmaker. Jason’s documentary, Finding Fellowship, is a story of hope about the unlikely merger of three segregated churches in the 1960s. Jason and Rob belong to this same church, which is how they first met, and both have the same passion for community coming together.We thought today would be a perfect time to share this interview in the spirit of the holiday season.Following the episode, we encourage you to watch Finding Fellowship. You can find it on PBS, or click the following link to stream it on PBS.org: https://www.pbs.org/show/finding-fellowship/ If you have any comments or questions, please get in touch with us at [email protected]. There is just one more episode before the New Year, which posts on Christmas Eve—with someone we know you will love to meet!To learn more about Jason and Finding Fellowship:Instagram: @jg1732Twitter/X: @jg1732LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasongerardgreen/🎥 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.

A reminder that through the end of November  (National Adoption Awareness Month), when you visit www.BarelyCanadian.com our friend Kelly and her team will donate a Comfort XL Duffle bag for every one of their amazingly plush items purchased. Today, we go back almost exactly 3 years to revisit a special episode about a remarkable woman, Pam Willis and family.  We know you’ll enjoy!Pam and her husband have been married 36 years, raised 5 biological children (the youngest is 20). 11 years ago they became foster parents and began caring for children in their home. Pam led down a road of foster care and as a surprise to their life plan, 5 years ago they adopted a set of seven siblings from the foster care system.  These kids now have a second chance at parenting, and they have a second chance at a family after their first parents passed away in a car accident.It’s an amazing story we wanted to reshare with you. Story Key Notes:🖐️Adopting 7 Sets of Children Siblings 🖐️History of the 7 Children🖐️Adjusting into a New Home🖐️5 Biological Children's Reaction to Adopt New Siblings🖐️Process to Adopt 7 Set of Children SiblingsLearn more at https://www.comfortcases.org/If you have any questions, comments or guest suggestions, please reach out to us at [email protected] THANKSGIVING !!!🎥 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.

It is National Adoption Awareness Month, and Comfort Cases is honoring the occasion with special promotions. Our “Coats for Comfort” Coat Drive, co-sponsored by CNN’s Laura Coates, is in full swing. There are donation boxes throughout the DC Metro area (including Maryland & Virginia), and for those of you outside the district, you can purchase coats and have them delivered directly to Comfort Cases by visiting https://comfortcases.org/lauracoates/We are thrilled to announce our renewed partnership with Barely Canadian, running through November 30th! Known for their insanely soft sweaters and premium apparel, they have redefined cozy. With every purchase from their beautiful garment collection, Barely Canadian will generously donate a Comfort XL (valued at $148) to a child entering foster care. Explore their collection here: https://barelycanadian.com/In today’s powerful episode of Fostering Change, we welcome Gretchen Sisson, author of RELINQUISHED: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood. As a researcher at UC San Francisco’s Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Gretchen has conducted hundreds of interviews with women who have relinquished infants for adoption, especially since Roe v. Wade. Her eye-opening research has been featured on NPR, New York Magazine, VOX, and more.In this riveting conversation with host Rob Scheer, they dive into the complex and often heartbreaking reasons behind adoption decisions, shedding light on the financial and societal pressures that force mothers to make impossible choices. This timely discussion touches on the profound challenges families face and why it should matter to us all. This is an important discussion for our community, and we were honored to have Gretchen on Fostering Change to continue it.For more information about RELINQUISHED or to follow Gretchen on social media, please visit:Website: https://www.gretchensisson.com/Twitter/X: @gesisson Threads: gretchen.sissonInstagram: @gretchen.sisson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchensisson/Substack: https://gretchen.substack.com/#nationaladoptionawarenessmonth #adoptionawareness #fostercare🎥 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.

“When good people get together, great things happen.” - Jamie TrumanOn today’s episode of Fostering Change, we welcome our good friend Jamie Truman. She and her husband Jerry co-founded Truman Charities, an organization that truly exemplifies what our host, Rob Scheer, has expressed over the years: it focuses on helping other local and national charities, hosts events multiple times a year, and covers all costs so that 100% of raised funds go directly to the charity.Over the past fifteen years, Truman Charities has raised a little over $2 million for several different charities (INCLUDING COMFORT CASES). Yes, Jamie and Jerry epitomize being “Good Humans.”Jamie is also the author of “Vanishing Fathers: The Ripple Effect on Tomorrow's Generation," which hit #1 on Amazon's Best New Releases. Of course, 100% of the proceeds from Vanishing Fathers go towards charities that help at-risk youth.These two themes, giving back to society and the important roles fathers play in that same society, are discussed in a lively interview. We know you will not only enjoy them but also be inspired.Jamie Truman hosts The Truman Charities Podcast, which you can find wherever you listen to podcasts.Find out more about Jamie and Truman Charities below:Order her book, “Vanishing Fathers”: https://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Fathers-Ripple-Tomorrows-Generation/dp/B0CW3Q1QY8.Visit the Website: trumancharities.comFacebook: trumancharitesInstagram: jamie_trumancharitiesLinkedIn: jamietrumanEmail: [email protected] you for listening! Of course, if you have any questions or comments about today’s episode or a suggestion for a guest for Fostering Change, please reach out to us at [email protected].🎥 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.

"If you have nobody, you have yourself." Lillian ColonWhen Lillian Colon shared that phrase above with Rob Scheer when he interviewed her recently, there was a pause in the conversation as those words hit home. Reflect on them for a moment.On today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob interviews Lillian Colon, who spent more than a decade in a strict New York City orphanage because her father “thought it would be best” to separate from the mother she adored. With restrictions all around her, she strove to be someone better than anyone ever believed she could. Lilly never knew the care and loving attention of a stable family, but she didn’t let obstacles and family tragedies stand in the way of her dreams.As a child, after the nuns who ran the orphanage took her to Radio City Music Hall to see the famed “Rockettes, “Lilly was driven to become a dancer. A graduate of New York’s prestigious High School of Performing Arts (if you’ve ever seen the movie Fame,” you’ll understand), Lillian became the first Latina Rockette. Lillian achieved so much more in her career, having performed with some of the great names in Hollywood and on Broadway, including the legendary Chita Rivera. Most recently, she was the oldest dancer in the Hollywood adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights!” We celebrate this achievement on the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month.Lillian shares all this in her memoir Lilly: The First Latina Rockette. This is a truly lovely conversation with a wonderful, good human. We know you will enjoy her growing-up stories and her performance success.To find out more about what Lillian is up to, please visit her website: https://www.lilliancolon.com/ You can purchase her book here: https://www.lilliancolon.com/product/lilly-book/Thank you for listening! Of course, if you have any questions or comments about today’s episode or a suggestion for a guest for Fostering Change, please reach out to us at [email protected].🎥 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.

It’s October! Comfort Cases held our annual fundraiser event this past weekend, a “Farm-to-Table Feast.” It was a memorable event, with inspirational speakers, including our keynote speaker, Cowboy Jax, our emcee, the fabulous Jen Lilley, and our founder and host of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer. There’s still time to donate or contribute your most valuable asset - your TIME - to Comfort Cases. Please visit www.comfortcases.org to find out more!We recorded our show today several weeks ago but intentionally posted it today, as we are featuring not one, not two, but THREE Good Humans: Rob’s special co-host Jill Ross, who is also the President of Comfort Cases’ Board of Directors, and Parker Lopez and Ashley Baker, who were both recent recipients of academic scholarships presented by Comfort Cases at previous fundraiser events.Parker and Ashley share how these scholarships have profoundly impacted them and how they could advance their academic pursuits.Beyond academics, they also are giving back to the community:Parker is involved with “First Star” Academies (https://eoss.asu.edu/access/first-star-academy) a long-term college-prep program for high school students in foster care, while Ashley works with “It’s On Us” (www.itsonus.org) a non-profit campaign in the United States aimed at raising awareness about sexual assault and promoting a culture of consent.Jill also shares more about Comfort Cases’ Pathway Program, which is designed to provide additional resources to our scholarship recipients. You can learn more about Pathways by visiting https://scheerfocus.com/pathways-program/We hope you feel inspired and hopeful after listening to these fantastic young people. It is people like them who will make all of our futures brighter.If you have any questions or comments about our interview with Jill, Parker, and Ashley or have a guest suggestion, please feel free to email us at [email protected].🎥 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.

Welcome back to Season 6 of Fostering Change! We hope you enjoyed our first episode of the season with Andrew Bridge. This is a reminder that if you order his book before its publication date, a portion of the sale will go to CASA chapters nationwide. Please visit AndrewBridgeAuthor.com and select the CASA chapter of your choice.In today’s episode, we have two exceptional guests - one is making her second appearance on our show. Donna Biase co-founded BEST FOOT FORWARD Foundation, a Florida-based organization whose mission is to empower foster care and at-risk youth to become self-sufficient adults and positive contributing members of society through academic achievement. Having survived the deadly and horrific earthquake that ravaged his home country of Haiti, Elie Merisier was in the foster care system in High School when Best Foot Forward reached out to him to provide assistance with his academic studies. We’ll let you listen to the show for more details, but you should know that despite attending five different high schools, Elie graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in accounting. Today, he is a licensed real estate agent.We hope you enjoy today’s episode of Fostering Change as much as we think you will. Of course, if you have any questions or comments about our interview with Elie and Donna or have a guest suggestion, please email us at [email protected] about Donna and Elie:To learn more about Elie, please follow him on social media:Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092082848694Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/elie_merisier/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/eliemerisier/To learn more about Best Foot Forward:Facebookfacebook.com/bestfootkidsInstagraminstagram.com/bestfootkidsTwitter/Xtwitter.com/bestfootkids🎥 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.

Welcome to Season 6 of Fostering Change! Following 220 amazing episodes, we are so excited for what’s to come this season.  We have special and moving guests, and throughout the season we are inviting some of Comfort Cases’ friends to co-host episodes with Rob Scheer.  That includes today’s episode, as we are so lucky to have Rita Soronen, CEO of the Dave Thomas Center for Adoption join Rob to interview our first guest of the season, Andrew Bridge, author of The Child Catcher: A Fight for Justice & Truth. If you have a suggestion for a guest, or questions or comments about today’s episode, please reach out to us at [email protected] today’s first episode of our new season:  Rob and Rita have a riveting conversation with Andrew Bridge - about his time in foster care, and the battles he has fought for youth in foster care. His new book, The Child Catcher, is the true story of the fight to rescue the children confined to a violent and secretive institution in the rural South.Proceeds from the book will go to CASA National, State, and local county chapters. Buyers should go to AndrewBridgeAuthor.com and select the CASA chapter of their choice, and 50% of pre-sale royalties will go there.More About Andrew: Andrew spent 11 years in Los Angeles County foster care. After aging out, unlike so many in foster care he made it to college: Wesleyan University, and then graduated from Harvard Law School and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship. He began his legal career representing children against the State of Alabama, where his work resulted in the closure of one of the country’s most notorious psychiatric institutions, the Eufaula Adolescent Center. Returning to Los Angeles, he became CEO of The Alliance for Children’s Rights, representing children in the foster care system where he grew up. Andrew is the co-founder of National Adoption Day and New Village Girls Academy for pregnant and parenting teens. As Chair of Los Angeles County’s Blue Ribbon Task Force, he called for an end to the disproportionate removal of Black babies from their mothers. His memoir Hope’s Boy was a New York Times bestseller and Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Most recently, he was a member of the executive management team for Illinois DCFS, and with Arizona as his home, he now serves on the Arizona Foster Care Review Board. His second book about that fight against Alabama, The Child Catcher, will be released in September. To find out more about Andrew, please follow him on social media:Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/andrew.bridge.9041/InstagramandrewbridgejdTwitter/X@AndrewBridgeJDThreadsAndrewBridgejd🎥 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.

You’ve made it!  It’s the end of August and our final “Best of Season 5” episode of the season, and we’ve saved a very special episode just for you.Just a note that Season 6 will debut next week, Tuesday, September 3.  We have some amazing guests lined up, and are doing something new this season: on several episodes, we are bringing in special guests to Co-Host interviews with Rob Scheer.  You’ll recognize some of the names as previous guests, and there will also be some new names for you - who we know you will love as much as we do.Now, for our final “Best of” we needed to do something special. When we booked Emily Cole on Fostering Change last December for our 200th episode, we knew that we would hear all about the amazing Savannah Bananas baseball team (maybe you’ve been lucky enough to see them in person this season, or at least on ESPN?) as well as their philanthropic effort Bananas Foster, dedicated to Bringing Families Together by focusing on celebrating those who are doing amazing things in the foster care world while educating and inspiring others to get involved. Because of all that Emily, her husband Jesse, and the team do for our foster youth, Comfort Cases will award them our special Barbara Harrison Award at our Farm-to-Feast Annual Fundraising event on September 28. This award is given annually to someone who truly is changing the lives of those in the foster care system.If you would like to celebrate Emily, Jess and many other “Good Humans”, we would love for you to join us on September 28. Tickets are available at https://comfortcases.org/feast/. If you have an item you would like to donate for our live auction, you can also find information on the site.  Our annual fundraiser is held on a beautiful farm in the Maryland countryside.  There will be entertainment by our friends, the Como Brothers, fabulous food and wine, and other surprises.Emily shares her story with Rob on today’s podcast. We hope you will find it inspiring and motivated to become involved in your community, be it foster care or some other form of charitable act.To learn more about Bananas Foster, please visit: https://bananasfoster.org/ and visit https://thesavannahbananas.com/ to learn more about the Savannah Bananas Baseball team!You can follow Emily and the Bananas on Social Media:Instagram: @EmCole3 @thesavbananas @bananasfosterincTikTok: @SavBananasFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSavBananasTo listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday for the start of Season 6 of Fostering Change!!!🎥 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.

Welcome back to the “Best of Fostering Change: Season 5.”  Today, we revisit what was our final episode of our season - our interview with our good friend, Sarah Fraser.  Sarah is not just a friend - she’s an extremely talented broadcaster as the host of one of the most popular podcasts out there, the eponymously titled, “The Sarah Fraser Show.” On her show, Sarah talks about reality TV, interviews unique guests and talks about her own fun life.  She has so much more going on, we highly recommend you follow her on social media (links below) to keep up-to-date!Many first became aware of Sarah’s talents when she was the co-host of Hot 95.5’s “The Kane Show” in Washington, DC  and then on DC’s 107.3’s “Sarah, Ty, and Mel”.  She was also an entertainment contributor for FOX 5 in DC for 13 years!  Sarah is also looking to become a foster parent.  She and Rob have a lively discussion about the hoops many need to go through to become a foster parent - and Rob also offers a possible solution to Sarah that she hadn’t considered before.  (You’ll have to listen to the end for this!)Our final “Best of” episode will post August 27 - we then kick-off Season 6 in September.If you have any guest suggestions, please let us know. Please each out to us at [email protected].  You can always catch up on previous episodes of all 5 seasons of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.Thank you again for being such supportive listeners!Follow Sarah here!Facebook@thesarahfrasershowInstagram@thesarahfrasershowTwitter/X@sarahfrasershowTikTok@thesarahfrasershow🎥 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.

Today we continue our “Best of Season 5” Series with an interview Rob conducted in May with friend of Comfort Cases, Benjy Grinberg.  Benjy is an award-winning record producer, who has worked with superstars including Mac Miller, Wiz Khalifa, KT Tunsall and more.  But he discovered he had another calling, and that was to become a CASA. Benjy and Rob discuss why he chose to take on this wonderful opportunity to help our youth in foster care and what he’s expecting to gain from the experience.  To learn more about becoming a CASA, please visit: https://nationalcasagal.org/To learn more about Benjy:Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/benjybenjyLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/benjy-grinberg-ba85653/Thank you again for listening, and please remember to send in any comments or questions to [email protected].  🎥 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.

We hope you’ve been enjoying our “Best of Season 5 episodes, and have been able to catch up on other episodes of Fostering Change you may have missed.Today, we revisit an episode that aired back in November: Rob Scheer interviews Peter Mutabazi: entrepreneur, international advocate for children, and the founder of Now I Am Known, a nonprofit that supplies resources that encourage and affirm children and families. A single adoptive father of three and foster dad to many (34 as of this date!), Mutabazi is a former street kid originally from Uganda who has worked for World Vision, Compassion International, and the Red Cross, and has appeared on media outlets such as the BBC and The TODAY Show.Rob and Peter discuss his book, Now I Am Known: How a Street Kid Turned Foster Dad Found Acceptance and True Worth, how Peter’s organization is helping countless youth in foster care, and what it takes to be a single parent / foster parent.To learn more about Peter and Now I Am Known, please visit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosterdadflipperInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosterdadflipper/Website: https://www.nowiamknownfoundation.org/As a reminder, you can listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, by visiting: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you again on July 30th!🎥 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.

Welcome back to our “Best of Season 5” series. Maybe you’ll be listening to this on the beach as you celebrate Independence Day, in your car on your way to work, or at home. Wherever you listen, we thank you for your support!Today we revisit our interview with Laura, whose mission is to educate and support people about the foster care system. Often, new foster parents are not prepared for everything they need to know before their first children come to them.Laura discuss how the “cracks of child welfare are deep”, from misplaced birth certificates to wrong names of the child, and without knowing the right types of questions to ask, you run the risk of not knowing these things and have to play catch up - which is not the situation a new foster parent - or their child - wants to be in!In this insightful conversation, you will hear:What sweeping changes need to be made in the foster care systemWhat should be considered when setting up your home for a foster childHow every state has different rules and regulations and how that affects parents and youthHow we should be moving from “mandated reporting” to “mandated supporting”You can learn more about Laura by visiting her here:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/foster.parentingWebsite: https://www.fosterparentpartner.com/Instagram: @foster.parentingTikTok: @fosterparenting YouTube: @foster.parentingStorefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/influencer-a74dff14Our next “Best of” episode will air July 16.  As always, you can find an archive of all 5 seasons of Fostering Change here: https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/.If you have any questions, please feel free to send us an email at [email protected].🎥 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.

Welcome to our first episode of Fostering Change’s “Best of Season 5”. Today, we revisit Rob’s interview with Mark Daley, author of SAFE: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family.  We knew right away that this interview would be in our “Best of” series, and we think you’ll agree.  So whether this is your first, second or third time listening to this interview, please enjoy!Today, on Fostering Change, Comfort Cases’ founder Rob Scheer has an enlightening conversation with Mark Daley, author of SAFE: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family.  The book offers a deeply personal window into what happens when the universal longing for family crashes up against the unique madness and bureaucracy of a child protection system that often fails to consider the needs of the most vulnerable parties of all—the children themselves.You will hear Rob share that he believes that SAFE is an important resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about, or is actively participating in our foster care system.  You will hear Rob and Mark discuss how having a community of support all around you is so important. In fact, finding community is “Step Number 1!” - be that community family, church, neighbors or others who can support you as you work to juggle this new lifestyle.Mark shares some important tips for new foster parents, including:Go in with your eyes open. Do your homework.Don’t rush to judgment on the families of the child/children you’ve brought into your home. You likely do not know the “whole story.” Be empathetic.Speak up and be “the voice” for your child/childrenTo purchase SAFE, please visit your local independent bookstore or purchase online on sites including:AmazonBarnes & NobleBookshop.orgYou can follow Mark on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markdaley00/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markdaley00Our next “Best of” episode will air July 2nd. Stay tuned!You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Welcome to the Final Episode of Season 5.  Thank you for joining us on this journey - whether you’re a new listener or if you’ve been with us all five seasons.Season 6 will debut in September, but following today’s episode, we will air some of our favorite episodes from the past season once again bi-weekly. So stay tuned!And for our final episode of the season, we wanted to go out on a HIGH NOTE, and couldn’t have looked any further than today’s guest, Rob Scheer’s good friend, Sarah Fraser.Many first became aware of Sarah’s talents when she was the co-host of Hot 95.5’s “The Kane Show” in Washington, DC  and then on DC’s 107.3’s “Sarah, Ty, and Mel”.  She was also an entertainment contributor for FOX 5 in DC for 13 years!  But DC couldn’t hold a talent like her, and she recently moved to the Bright Lights of Los Angeles, and is the host of “The Sarah Fraser Show,” one of the top-trending pop culture podcasts in the country. (More than 15 MILLION downloads!)  Sarah covers reality TV, interviews unique guests and talks about her own fun life.  She has so much more going on, we highly recommend you follow her on social media (links below) to keep up-to-date!Sarah is also looking to become a foster parent.  She and Rob have a lively discussion about the hoops many need to go through to become a foster parent - and Rob also offers a possible solution to Sarah that she hadn’t considered before.  (You’ll have to listen to the end for this!)What a terrific way to end the season.A reminder that our first “Best of” episode will air Tuesday, June 18. And then episodes will air on alternate Tuesdays until the start of Season 6.Thank you again for being such supportive listeners!Follow Sarah here!Facebook@thesarahfrasershowInstagram@thesarahfrasershowTwitter/X@sarahfrasershowTikTok@thesarahfrasershowOur next episode will be the start of our “Best of Season 5”. The first “Best of” will post on Tuesday, June 18.  We’ll then stay on our schedule of alternate weeks until Season 6 debuts in September. You can always catch up on previous episodes of all 5 seasons of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Welcome to the final episode of Fostering Change for National Foster Care Awareness Month.  We hope you have done something meaningful to help our youth, the fantastic people who work in social services, our teachers… and yourself.  This is the month they “give us,” but as Rob often shares, “when you invest in a child, you invest in YOUR future… because they are the leaders of tomorrow.”We end this month with a very special guest: Emi Nietfeld. Emi is the author of an amazing book that we highly recommend you purchase right now: Acceptance. In her memoir, Emi shares how she did something that only 3% of youth in foster care do: she went to college—and not just any college, but Harvard!As a homeless teenager writing college essays in her rusty Toyota Corolla, Emi Nietfeld was convinced that the Ivy League was the only escape from her dysfunctional childhood. But upward mobility required crafting the perfect resilience narrative. She had to prove that she was an “overcomer,” made stronger by all that she had endured.In her interview with Rob, Emi shares the life lessons she’s learned, particularly of challenging our ideas of what it means to overcome - and find contentment on your own terms.To learn more about Emi and her memoir, please visit https://www.eminietfeld.com/You can also find and follow Emi on social media:Substack:https://eminietfeld.substack.com/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/eminietfeld/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/emi-nietfeld Twitter/Xhttps://twitter.com/eminietfeldFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/eminietfeldTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@eminietfeldOur next episode is our final episode of Season 5 and will air June 4. Throughout the rest of the Summer, we will be sharing some of our favorite episodes of Season 5.  Stay tuned! You can always catch up on previous episodes of all 5 seasons of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Today we share the story of an amazing woman who has the biggest heart - the epitome of what we love to call a “Good Human”. We’ll learn how in the period of just 3 years, Kate Rapier quickly went from being single, to becoming a foster mom, soon an adoptive parent of two and then married to a man with 3 wonderful kids from a previous marriage!Kate was single when she first began the process of becoming a foster parent in 2020.  And like many parents who take this journey, her life changed with a phone call that there was a child coming into custody that day and would she be able to take her?  Just about 5 hours after stating an emphatic “YES”, a caseworker arrived with 1-week old “Gigi”.After having adopted Gigi in 2021, she was just six weeks into dating her now husband when she received another life-changing phone call. This time about baby Ryland.  You’ll hear Kate share more about her life with Gigi, Ryland and her new family and this amazing journey she is on. Kate is one of the loveliest people you’ll meet. We know you’ll agree and will enjoy her story as much as we have.You can learn more about Kate on her Instagram feed: @katerapier Our final episode during National Foster Care Awareness Month will drop on May 28!  You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

As you likely recall, in Season 5, we moved to posting new episodes of Fostering Change bi-weekly. Well, we’ve just met so many amazing humans that we thought we’d make an exception during National Foster Care Awareness Month, so we have four episodes running this month!  Before we get on to today’s show with the amazing Benjy Grinberg, just a suggestion to visit the Comfort Cases website - www.comfortcases.org, and see all of the programs we are working on this month, with some genuinely unique organizations. Thanks.And now, as they say… “On with the Show!”On today’s episode, Rob Scheer speaks with Benjy Grinberg - yes, a GOOD HUMAN.Benjy is the Founder and CEO of Rostrum Records, an independent record label known mainly for developing artists early in their careers and championing their vision. Grinberg started in the music industry at Arista Records as an assistant to record executive Antonio “L.A.” Reid. A career-long champion of the indie community, he leads the labels’ well-recognized, innovative, artist-centric approach driven by his commitment to ensuring the long-term success of his artists. Over the course of two decades, the label has had a diverse roster of chart-topping artists, including Mac Miller, Wiz Khalifa, DC The Don, The Bird and The Bee, 24hrs, Mod Sun, Rockie Fresh, Problem, KT Tunstall, and more. How does this relate to Foster Care? Well, Benjy recently became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)! CASAs are everyday community members appointed by a judge to advocate for children in need of care. On today’s show, Benjy speaks with Rob about why he chose to become a CASA and what it means to him.Definitely an inspirational conversation.To learn more about becoming a CASA, please visit https://nationalcasagal.org/To learn more about Benjy:Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/benjybenjyLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/benjy-grinberg-ba85653/Our next episode will air on May 21. You can also catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

May 1 was the first day of National Foster Care Awareness Month. The team at Comfort Cases wants to take a moment to thank and recognize all of the foster parents, foster families, youth who are currently in foster care and those who have “aged out”. Thank you to the CASAs and the social service agencies and workers who are doing their best.And thank you to YOU, our faithful (and new) listeners of Fostering Change. We produce this podcast for you and in support of all you are doing. Thank you for your comments and sharing episodes with friends, family and colleagues.We couldn’t have asked for a better guest for this first episode airing during National Foster Care Awareness Month.  Award-winning journalist Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the Air Force, and surprisingly attending elite universities in his raw coming-of-age memoir, Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family and Social Class.Rob’s book was an instant USA TODAY Best Seller.  In the book and in his interview with Rob Scheer (who is a Navy veteran), he discusses his pioneering concept of “luxury beliefs”: ideas and opinions that confer status on the Upper Class while inflicting costs on the less fortunate.Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. Divorce, tragedy, poverty, and violence marked his adolescent and teen years, propelling Henderson to join the military upon completing high school.An unflinching portrait of shattered families, desperation, and determination, Troubled recounts Henderson’s expectation-defying young life and juxtaposes his story with those of his friends who wound up incarcerated or killed. He retreads the steps and missteps he took to escape the drama and disorder of his youth. As he navigates the peaks and valleys of social class, Henderson finds that he remains on the outside looking in. Rob Henderson is a columnist at The Free Press and his weekly newsletter is sent to more than fifty thousand subscribers. Learn more at RobKHenderson.com.To find out more about:Visit Rob’s Website and Subscribe to his newsletter: https://www.robkhenderson.com/Twitter: @robkhenderson To learn more about or purchase Troubled, please visit: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Troubled/Rob-Henderson/9781982168537🎥 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.

Today’s episode of Fostering Change is an in depth discussion with Susan Rich, founder and president of 7th Generation Foundation, about FAS: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  FAS is close to home to our host, Rob Scheer, as one of Rob’s children has FAS.  And although the diagnosis for Rob’s son was that he may never walk, or even talk, his son has achieved amazing things in his life, including being the President of his Student Government in High School, and has been accepted into the college he’s loved for years.Susan and Rob discuss the importance of animal therapy on those diagnosed with FAS (one reason Rob and his husband Reece moved his family to a farm!) 7th Generation Foundation operates an inclusive, sustainable green care farm animal sanctuary with programming for children and youth.Author of The Silent Epidemic: A Child Psychiatrist’s Journey Beyond Death Row, Susan and Rob also discuss the thousands of inmates on Death Row who were in Foster Care and diagnosed with FAS at a young age. This is not a coincidence, and there is much that our society can do to curb this horrifying statistic.To learn more about or to purchase Susan’s book, please visit: www.prenatalalcoholexposure.com To learn more about 7th Generation Foundation, please visit:Website: www.7thGenerationFoundationInc.org or www.dreamcatchermeadows.orgFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheDreamCatcherFarm Blog: www.bettersafethansorryproject.comBook: www.prenatalalcoholexposure.com 🎥 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.

After you listen to today’s episode of Fostering Change, take a moment. Take a breath. Reflect on what you heard, and ponder how you would handle the situations that our guest Jackie Polk faced.Here is part of the note Jackie sent us when she inquired about sharing her story:I'm a boy mom of 3. I have 8 year old twins, and an 11 month old baby. 6 years ago I completely rebuilt my life from rock bottom. My rock bottom was filled with drug addiction, domestic violence and having my children removed from my care. I changed everything about my life and regained custody of my children and have been sober for almost 7 years. I'm happily married to an incredible man who's also in addiction recovery.  I share my story in order to inspire and encourage others to never give up on themselves no matter where they find themselves in life. There's so much of my story that I could feel guilty or embarrassed about which would make it easy to keep to myself but there's so many people struggling the same way that I was and I want them to know that there's hope for a better life. I'm no more special than anyone else, I just decided I wanted a different life and I worked really hard to have it.In our interview, Jackie stated: “Foster care gave me the chance to be a better person… a better mom.”Our host, and founder of Comfort Cases Rob Scheer shared that “We all have the ability to change and write your own life chapters. Don’t let anyone else write them for you.”A reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays.  Our next episode will drop on April 23!  You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Jerold Hawkins was introduced to Rob Scheer and Comfort Cases in 2023 when the company he works for, Aptiv, held a “Packing Party,” packing up backpacks filled with new essential items to be delivered to local social service agencies for distribution to youth entering foster care in Michigan.Following the event, Jerold reached out to us because he wanted to share his story: his experience in foster care, moving to a variety of homes over a 5 year period - recalling “all my life’s belongings dumped into a black trash bag.”Jerold shares his journey with Rob and also his now mission to help make positive change to the foster care system. We know you’ll enjoy today’s episode.A reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays.  Our next episode will drop on April 9!  You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Today, we welcome back a wonderful guest, Charell Star. We first discovered Charell in 2021 from the “Humans of New York” column and video she was featured. We wanted Charell to come back on our podcast to give us an update on her work in the foster care system since then.Charell shares her common experiences with CASA and talks with Rob about the needs of youth in foster care, especially to promote reunification.“If we were looking to help people, and not penalize people for the unfair luck of being born poor in a system that doesn’t want to support those born without privilege. If we would spend even a fraction of what we spend to take their children away from them… we could actually solve this.”Later this Spring, Charell will be an Honoree at the 2024 CASA-NYC Gala.Charell has finished her autobiography. Once it’s published, you know she’ll be back on our podcast!You can learn more about Charell by visiting her here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charellstar/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charellstar/You can read Charell’s “Human’s of New York” story here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUK7yfSrFT3/?hl=enA reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays. Our next episode will drop on March 26! You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you! Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Often times when children are removed from their homes and brought to a social service agency or law enforcement office, they are not placed in a foster home immediately, and have to spend hours, a whole night, or even days sitting on an uncomfortable office chair, a lumpy couch or maybe an air mattress tucked under a desk. No privacy, and no dignity.Jennifer Tice and her team at LilyPad: A Soft Place to Land have taken steps to end this practice in their home state of South Carolina, and soon throughout the country. Lily Pad volunteers are building comfortable living spaces, within the state’s Department of Social Service offices, for children to feel loved and valued during an uncertain time.Each Lily Pad space is unique to the DSS office it is installed in. You can click HERE to see a “before and after” of what a Lily Pad space is like (or visit this link: https://www.lilypadinc.org/lilypadroomsbeforeandafter)On today’s episode of Fostering Change, you will learn, as Rob Scheer did, more about Jennifer and her family’s road to foster care, and why the name “Lily” is so important to them.All Lily Pad funding comes from volunteers and good humans like you - our listeners.  To find out more about LilyPad, volunteer, or see how you can get involved, please visit: https://www.lilypadinc.org/You can also follow Lilypad on social media:Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/LilyPad.ASoftPlacetoLandInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/lily.pad.inc/A reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays.  Our next episode will drop on February 27  You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected].🎥 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.

Happy Valentine’s Day! (one day early)On today’s special episode, of Fostering Change we bring in two of our favorite married couples:David & Julie Bulitt and Rob & Reece Scheer!  Yes, our host and his husband - co-founders of Comfort Cases - discuss relationships, particularly the issues faced by parents who adopt children and how to keep the marital relationship going strong!David & Julie have appeared on Fostering Change before. They have a unique perspective based on their careers as Julie is a licensed clinical social worker and David is a Divorce Attorney. David and Julie have been married for more than 35 years. They have four daughters and three grandchildren and are the authors of two books: Secrets of Strong Couples and the recently released, Couple’s Journal - Goal Setting for Strong Couples.Rob & Reece are soon to be celebrating their 21st anniversary, and as you likely know are the parents of five children, all adopted through the foster care system.In today’s discussion, you will hear the Scheers and Bulitts discuss issues they are currently experiencing as married couples and the solutions they have - including compromise - that keep the lines of communication open and flowing positively.  But they do admit that it’s not all “wine and roses” every day, and you need to work together and on a regular basis to keep the relationship going strong.The Bulitt’s new book, The Couple’s Journal is a terrific tool to do just that.  It helps couples set goals and arranges “check-ins” to make sure you’re actually working on those goals.  They also have a new podcast, Conversations for Couples that we encourage you to listen (after you finish this episode of Fostering Change, of course!)To learn more about David & Julie Bulitt:Website: https://thebulitts.com/ All social media channels: @thebulittsConversations for Couples Podcast: https://audioboom.com/channels/5118597-conversations-for-couplesA reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays.  Our next episode will drop on February 27  You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Today, on Fostering Change, Comfort Cases’ founder Rob Scheer has an enlightening conversation with Mark Daley, author of SAFE: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family.  The book offers a deeply personal window into what happens when the universal longing for family crashes up against the unique madness and bureaucracy of a child protection system that often fails to consider the needs of the most vulnerable parties of all—the children themselves.You will hear Rob share that he believes that SAFE is an important resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about, or is actively participating in our foster care system.  You will hear Rob and Mark discuss how having a community of support all around you is so important. In fact, finding community is “Step Number 1!” - be that community family, church, neighbors or others who can support you as you work to juggle this new lifestyle.You will learn so much more about Mark and his thoughts on our broken foster care system. We encourage you to write a review, and share this podcast with others you care about.Mark will be visiting a number of cities for book readings and signings. To see when he is coming to your city, or to invite him to your city, please visit: https://markdaley.us/To purchase SAFE, please visit your local independent bookstore or purchase online on sites including:AmazonBarnes & NobleBookshop.orgYou can follow Mark on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markdaley00/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markdaley00A reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays.  So our next episode will drop on February 13 - a very special Valentine’s Day episode!  You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Comfort Cases is so lucky to have many friends and supporters from around the world.  In 2022 we opened our first international center, Comfort CasesUK (https://comfortcasesuk.org/).  On today’s episode, we welcome a guest from England, our friend Kevin Leslie.Kevin is known for many movie and tv roles, most recently appearing in the Christmas movie: Christmas at the Holly Day Inn.  Today on Fostering Change, Rob Scheer talks to Kevin about the new children’s books series he wrote, Granddad Brian & His Stories.Kevin wrote these books as a creative way of dealing with loss and grief, following the loss of his grandfather to covid.  His grandfather loved telling stories and Kevin wanted to share the warmth from his “granddad” with children around the world.  He partnered with Comfort Cases and has donated numerous books to our center in the UK! We know you’ll enjoy today’s episode!To find out more about Kevin, please visit him on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevinLeslieActor/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinleslieactor/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TheKevinLeslie If interested in getting one of Kevin’s books, reach out to him directly at:  https://www.instagram.com/grandadbrianstories/If interested in making a donation to our center in the UK, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/comfortcasesukA reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays.  So our next episode will drop on Tuesday, January 30.  You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write to us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Welcome to 2024! The entire team at Comfort Cases hopes you had a festive, and happy holiday season.  Note that we didn’t write “restful”, as we know the past few weeks are generally the busiest time of year.This is why we are starting off our 2024 season right, with an interview with Ashley Neese, author of Permission to Rest: Revolutionary Practices for Healing, Empowerment, and Collective Care. Ashley Neese is a renowned breathwork teacher, author, parent, and land steward. She has spent over a decade working at the intersections of embodiment, transformation, and renewal. Ashley is host of The Deeper Call podcast, where she shares restorative conversations to support connection and healing. Ashley is a foster parent, as well as adoptive parent and biological parent. She has recently brought a foster son into their home as part of an emergency foster care situation and understands that all parents need to find time for rest in their lives. In this interview, host Rob Scheer and Ashley discuss how resting as a practice is a portal to grow ones capacity to be with hard things , which in turn gives you the capacity to be there for your kids and partner when they are going through hard things rather than dismiss, shame, or try to make them feel differently - it allows one to meet them where they are.To learn more about Ashley, please visit:Website: https://www.ashleyneese.com/Instagram: ashley_neeseAbout her books: https://www.ashleyneese.com/books* We want to share one note about Fostering Change. Starting this week, we will be posting episodes on a bi-weekly basis (we all need a little rest, right?) So our next episode will be posted on January 16.But you can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write us at [email protected] always, thank you for listening!🎥 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.

Today is a special episode of Fostering Change (well, all our episodes are special, but this one has a very special significance!) It’s the final episode of 2023 AND, today’s episode marks the 200th Episode of Fostering Change. Amazing that we’ve reached this important milestone in our 5th season! And the past 3 seasons, we’ve been named the #1 podcast for issues about Adoption and Foster Care!We couldn’t have achieved this without the amazing support from our amazing guests and all of the positive feedback we’ve received from you, our viewers and listeners. Thank you so much!And what a way to mark this milestone, with another GOOD HUMAN, Emily Cole. You may not know Emily’s name (yet), but surely you’ve heard of the organization she and her husband Jesse run: The Savannah Bananas (https://thesavannahbananas.com/), known as “The Greatest Show in Sports!” The Cole’s started the organization with the goal to make baseball fun and bring families together.And beyond the entertaining brand of baseball the team plays, Emily and Jesse founded Bananas Foster,, an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to Bringing Families Together by focusing on celebrating those who are doing amazing things in the foster care world while educating and inspiring others to get involved. In 2020, the Cole’s became a licensed foster family, an action that would truly change their life.Emily shares her story with Rob on today’s podcast. We know you will find it inspiring and hopefully motivate you to become involved in your community - be it foster care or some other form of charitable act.To learn more about Bananas Foster, please visit: https://bananasfoster.org/ and visit https://thesavannahbananas.com/ to learn more about the Savannah Bananas Baseball team!You can follow Emily and the Bananas on Social Media:Instagram: @EmCole3 @thesavbananas @bananasfosterincTikTok: @SavBananasFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSavBananasTo listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you! Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday!🎥 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.

If you’ve watched or listened to Fostering Change before, or you’ve seen Rob Scheer speak at an event or a Comfort Cases “Packing Party”, you know that he loves to promote people who are doing great things for others - what he calls “Good Humans.” Well, on today’s episode you’ll meet one of the “goodest of them all,” Marcy Bursac.Scaling her lived experience as an adoptive mom of a sibling pair, Marcy advocates for the more than 100,000 children in the U.S. foster care system that are waiting to be adopted through her free app, books, monthly podcast, speaking engagements, and TV, radio, magazine, and podcast appearances.Marcy’s latest book, "What to Know When You Adopt Through Foster Care" is available now - and we highly recommend that if you’ve given any thought at all to adopting that you order this book today. This honest guide covers how to handle the ups and downs, behaviors, and realities involved in raising children adopted through the foster care system who may have experienced neglect, abuse, trauma and/or loss.Inside you'll learn:- what foster care adoption is and which children can be adopted- why some families waited and how some pursued this path after facing infertility- how some had to be persistent and how they endured the process- tips for parenting children who have experienced neglect, trauma, alcohol exposure- tips for parenting children who have mental health or medical needsand more!Marcy is a recipient of the Angels in Adoption® Award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute from Missouri with Senator Blunt. She was crowned United States of America’s Mrs. Ohio 2022. She founded the organization The Forgotten Adoption Option. She is the creator of the Foster Care Adoption Awareness Reading Program. Most recently, Marcy was interviewed and announced the winner of the Pilot Pen G2 Overachievers Grant on The Kelly Clarkson Show on October 26th, 2023.To learn more about Marcy, please visit her website: https://forgottenadoptionoption.com/You can also follow Marcy on social media:Instagram: @marcybursacFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForgottenAdoptionOption LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcybursac/ To listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday!🎥 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.

Prepare yourself for an interview with a woman who defines the term “resilience.”  Regina Calcaterra’s memoir Etched in Sand, A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island is a #1 international best-seller and a New York Times best-seller.  As a result of Etched in Sand’s messages of resilience, optimism, the plight of foster children, that no child is a lost cause and how we can all positively impact the life of a child in need, it has been integrated into college and high school curricula throughout the U.S. and been selected for community reads. She is also co-author of Etched in Sand’s sequel which she wrote with her younger sister Rosie Maloney, Girl Unbroken, A Sister’s Harrowing Journey from the Streets of Long Island to the Farms of Idaho. Girl Unbroken has also been integrated into college curricula alongside Etched in Sand. Regina speaks nationally about her books’ messages and how we can all impact the life of a child in need. To learn more about Regina, please visit: https://reginacalcaterra.com/We encourage you to follow Regina’s journey on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Calcaterra.Regina/ Instagram: @regina_calcaterra LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-calcaterra-1a9608285/To listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday!🎥 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.

“Understand there is more of a reality out there than you’ve been living through.”Today’s episode of Fostering Change will truly inspire you!  Rob Scheer interviews Lisa Cohen, someone he shares much in common.  They were both in foster care, both from Washington, DC and following foster care, both joined the Navy.  They also both have “bucked the trend” and have been successful in business and in life.  They share how they moved forward in their careers, they didn’t talk about their experiences in foster care, as they didn’t want it to be used against them.Lisa has also loved sports her entire life and was a “Muhammad Ali addict”, and became a championship boxer!  She writes about these experiences in her memoir, “Being Too Fierce”.Lisa holds the esteemed position of President of the Rotary Club of Washington DC. Under her leadership, she has spearheaded an initiative called "Rotary's Championship Fight for Youth," which aims to provide essential services to foster youth in the Washington DC metropolitan area. She also works as a Behavioral Clinician for Sasha Bruce Youthwork, an organization that is the leading provider of homeless youth services in the DC Region and have opened their first Foster House.This episode will truly inspire you! To get in touch with Lisa and/or order a signed copy of “Being Too Fierce,” please email directly at: [email protected] learn more about Sasha Bruce Youthwork, please visit: https://www.sashabruce.org/To listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday!🎥 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.

Corporate Responsibility. You hear that phrase often. But how many businesses truly follow through on being good corporate citizens? On today’s episode of Fostering Change you will meet one organization that does just that: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Indiana Medicaid Health Plan. In fact, this organization was Comfort Cases’ very first corporate sponsor - we are celebrating working with them for six years!You will hear Rob Scheer speak with April Lam, Chief of Staff for the health plan. April has a strong connection to Comfort Cases’ mission, as she not only works closely with non-profit organizations, but has also been a foster parent and adopted a child out of foster care.Since the partnership with Comfort Cases began 6 years ago, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has packed more than 7,000 Comfort Cases® to support youth living in foster care.The partnership between Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Comfort Cases has grown since 2018. Since the expansion, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s affiliated health plans have hosted 24 packing parties across 16 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico, providing over 12,000 Comfort Cases and XL duffel bags to youth in foster care nationwide.To learn more about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana, please visit: https://mss.anthem.com/in/indiana-hom...To listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you! Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday!🎥 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.

We hope you are ready for an especially inspiring episode of Fostering Change. Today, Rob Scheer interviews Peter Mutabazi: entrepreneur, international advocate for children, and the founder of Now I Am Known, a nonprofit that supplies resources that encourage and affirm children and families. A single adoptive father of three and foster dad to many (34 as of this date!), Mutabazi is a former street kid originally from Uganda who has worked for World Vision, Compassion International, and the Red Cross, and has appeared on media outlets such as the BBC and The TODAY Show.Rob and Peter discuss his book, Now I Am Known: How a Street Kid Turned Foster Dad Found Acceptance and True Worth, how Peter’s organization is helping countless youth in foster care, and what it takes to be a single parent / foster parent.To learn more about Peter and Now I Am Known, please visit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosterdadflipperInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosterdadflipper/Website: https://www.nowiamknownfoundation.org/To listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!  Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday!🎥 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.

In a discussion that covers everything from medicare filings to the resources necessary for caregivers of all kind to thrive, today Rob Scheer speaks with Mike and Kristin Berry, the co-founders of The Resilient Caregiver, a global initiative that helps foster and adoptive caregivers build resiliency through understanding, education, and support.There are so many hoops one must jump through when becoming a foster parent or adopting, many just don’t know where to start. Kristin and Mike, have been there and done that, and through their recently rebranded organization, The Resilient Caregiver, they provide many of the resources that will make this journey at least a little bit more sensicle. You can find out more about the resources they provide, including workshops and their very own podcast by visiting: www.resilientcaregiver.orgUniversity VIP Link: www.resilientcaregiver.org/universityvipYou can also follow The Resilient Caregiver on social media, here:Facebook: www.facebook/resilientcaregiverInstagram: @resilientcaregiver To find out more about Comfort Cases, please visit our website: www.comfortcases.org.You can also follow us on our social media channels:Facebook: www.facebook.com/comfortcasesInstagram: @comfortcasesTwitter: @comfortcasesTikTok: @comfort_cases    To listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you! Please write us at [email protected] you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday!🎥 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.

Today, Rob Scheer talks with a real “go-getter”. Someone who doesn’t take no for an answer and truly reaches for the stars. Haley Marguerite is a motivational speaker, a publisher and an author. In fact, she published her first book at the age of 11!Haley is the talented author behind the beloved Charlie Takes an Adventure book series. Through her captivating stories, children learn important life lessons while joining Charlie, the adventurous penguin, on his incredible journeys and heartwarming experiences with his loving family. Haley’s passion for empowering kids to believe in themselves and chase their dreams shines through in her writing.She says: “From elementary school through high school, I encountered the harsh winds of bullying – targeted for my appearance, round glasses, and the struggle to comprehend words until the 10th grade. Yet, I've emerged not broken, but resilient, a testament to the power of inner strength.”You can often find Haley speaking to school and community groups about overcoming bullying, and building up self-esteem. Today, we are lucky to have her as a guest on Fostering Change. The latest book in the series is titled: “Charlie Takes an Adventure to the Moon”, where Charlie faces bullying and tries to learn how to deal with and overcome it. More about Haley and the “Charlie Takes an Adventure” book series can be found here:Website about the book: https://www.charlietakesanadventure.com/Website about Haley and her publishing programs: www.haleymarguerite.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/haleymargueritepersonal/Twitter:  https://twitter.com/HaleyPublishingTwitter: https://twitter.com/Charliepenguin2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officalhaleymarguerite/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@haleymargueriteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleymarguerite/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-8g8ADbMc-vzV-3nTMRO3AFor more information about Comfort Cases, or to listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit:Website: https://comfortcases.org/Podcast Archive: https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/If you have any questions or comments about this episode, please write to us! [email protected].🎥 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.

Comfort Cases is thrilled to be working with the team from Amerigroup Georgia Families 360 on a powerful new initiative. Launched at the start of National Adoption Awareness Month, Comfort Cases and Amerigroup Georgia Families 360 are committing to get a Comfort Case(™) to every youth in foster care in the state of Georgia, finally ending the practice of black trash bags being given to youth who are entering or transitioning into foster care.This first-of-its-kind initiative, https://comfortcases.org/press/amerigroup-georgia-leads-the-nation-in-providing-comfort-cases-to-every-child-in-georgia-foster-care/, showcases the power of collective action and sets an inspiring precedent for other states to follow. To learn more about this exciting and ground breaking program, and how you may be able to help, please click on https://comfortcases.org/amerigroupgatakeover/, or visit our website.On today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer speaks with Eshontee Rowe, a member of the Amerigroup Youth Advisory Board. This dynamic young woman sets the standard for what being a “Good Human” is all about.Eshontee not only amplifies the voices of young people who have faced adversity but also actively engages in crafting solutions to enhance the lives of those presently affected by the system. Yet, her dedication extends beyond these roles. Eshontee also serves as a member of Foster Youth In Action's People Agenda Team, an international network of independent foster youth-led groups across the U.S. and Canada, where she diligently works to bring about positive change within the foster care community.Rob and Eshontee’s conversation will truly motivate you to go out and get things done. We encourage you to share today’s podcast with your children and young colleagues. It’s people like Eshontee will truly change the world.To learn more about Amerigroup, please visit https://www.myamerigroup.com/ga/georgia-home.htmlTo follow Eshontee’s journey on LinkedIn, please https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshontee-roweTo learn more about Rob Scheer and Comfort Cases, and the Georgia Takeover Program, please visit us at: https://comfortcases.org/If you have questions or comments about today’s episode, the foster care system, or how you might volunteer or donate to help youth in foster care, please write to us here: [email protected] can find previous episodes of Fostering Change at https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/🎥 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.

You may know the name Zion Clark, whose catchphrase is: “You Don't Need Legs To Leave A Footprint On Earth”Did you watch his documentary on Netflix? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRvGlB1-Ku8Maybe you saw him on America’s Got Talent? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRA3t_9hX50Or, you read his book, “Work With What You Got: A Memoir”, https://www.amazon.com/Work-What-You-Got-Memoir/dp/1536224219Today, Rob Scheer speaks with this amazing All-American wrestler, MMA fighter, Guinness World Record holder, and an internationally acclaimed speaker who infuses humor, wit, powerful life lessons, and infectious energy into each and every presentation that he gives—allowing him to connect with audiences on a level that is undeniably unparalleled.​Perhaps most importantly, he is singularly—and uniquely—ZION.Standing at just over three feet tall and weighing 110 pounds, he competes against "able-bodied" athletes and has his eyes set on competing in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.​Born into the foster care system with a rare birth defect called Caudal Regression Syndrome that left him without legs, Zion has faced countless struggles that he has not only had to overcome to survive, but that he has learned to leverage in order to thrive at the highest levels against all odds.​His overriding winning-mentality has made him an inspiration to millions of people around the world, and he is just getting started.​Zion boasts over one million Instagram followers, two million followers on TikTok, and has amassed over 40 million YouTube views of his Guinness World Record achievement.These are the 3 things Zion leveraged in order to create the life he has for himself. It’s through these you’ll be able to gain:✅ A new perspective on life✅ Confidence knowing you can accomplish what you set your mind to✅ Freedom to live without limitations… with no excuses You can learn more about Zion on his social media channels:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigznoexcuses Instagram: @bigz97 Twitter: @bigz97TikTok: @bigznoexcusesFor more information about Comfort Cases, or to listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit:Website: https://comfortcases.org/Podcast Archive: https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/If you have any questions or comments about this episode, Comfort Cases, or if you have a suggestion for a guest for an upcoming episode, please write to us! [email protected].🎥 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.

Social justice advocate Di Ciruolo is on a mission to shed light on these systematic injustices in the foster care system and provides a step-by-step approach to personal recovery and guidance for survivors and those who seek to support them in her new book, “Indomitable”,  a true story of how she survived foster care.In today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer and Di Ciruolo work together to highlight the flaws in the foster care system, and what can be done to FINALLY correct them, and help our most vulnerable youth.Indomitable is a true story of foster care survival. With intentional wit and a healthy amount of self-reflection, Di Ciruolo invites explorers to find the places they can relate to while finding footing on the rungs to healing. Ciruolo shines a light on inner trauma, by offering encouragement and guidance for survivors and those who seek to support them.From childhood to motherhood, Di Ciruolo takes readers through very personal and intensely heartbreaking experiences and creates a safe space for trauma survivors with Indomitable.Other issues addressed in today’s powerful episode:The fake narratives surrounding foster care and the changes we can make as a community and societyTrauma: how common it is to the human experience, and the outcomes of those foundational experiences in people's lives.Abuse: how abusers create a dual consciousness within their victims that leaves victims feeling responsible for their own abuse, and the shame they carry into adulthood as a result along with the very common outcomes we see from that.Di is a “force of nature”. Here’s how you can learn more about her and “Indomitable”: Website: www.diciruolo.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/DiCiruoloTwitter:https://twitter.com/diciruoloLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/diciruolo/Tags: #indomitablexdi #becomingindomitable For more information about Comfort Cases, or to listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit:Website: https://comfortcases.org/Podcast Archive: https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/If you have any questions or comments about this episode, Comfort Cases, or if you have a suggestion for a guest for an upcoming episode, please write to us!  [email protected].🎥 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.

Today on Fostering Change, Rob Scheer speaks with Monica Pantoja, the dynamic Executive Director of the nsoro Educational Foundation.Founded in 2005, The nsoro Educational Foundation believes not one young person aging out of our nation's foster care system should have to navigate the world alone. Our mission provides the access to and attainment of post-secondary education through a holistic scholarship that shepherds our youth to and through college, optimally positioning our graduates for an equitable transition into adulthood. Nsoro’s Scholarship Program “Fostering Futures” provides a certified executive coach and a mentor with evidence curriculum, anchored in four tenets: post-secondary credentials: emotional literacy, financial fluency, and workforce readiness. From essential gap funding for tuition, books, academic fees, to ensuring our scholar's housing stability and food security, nsoro’s Scholarship serves as a bridge from college to career.Rob and Monica have an important discussion about our youth who've spent time in the foster care system and the barriers they face to achieving self-sufficiency and economic mobility, far greater than than first gen peers.The Results: nsoro scholars:435 college graduate to date81% college graduation rate70% are pursuing an advanced degree98% have not been incarcerated96% have not abused drugs or alcohol78% have not been homeless85% have developed and maintained a budgetTo learn more about nsoro Foundation, please visit:Website: nsoro Foundation: https://nsoro.foundation/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nsorofoundationInstagram: @nsorofoundation Twitter: @nsoroFoundation LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-nsoro-foundation-3825a9248/To learn more about Rob Scheer and Comfort Cases, please visit: https://comfortcases.org/If you have questions or comments about today’s episode, the foster care system, or how you might volunteer or donate to help youth in foster care, please write to us here: [email protected] can find previous episodes of Fostering Change at https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/🎥 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.

In today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer speaks with a true “angel”: Susan Ramirez, the founder of National Angels, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to walk alongside children, youth, and families in the foster care community by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship.”Now in 21 cities in 16 states, National Angels goal is to keep youth in foster care in one home before they are returned to their biological family or become a permanent part of that home by adoption.As Susan notes in the interview: “Every child should have at least one healthy adult who knows the color of their eyes and the passions of their heart.” Because close to 50% of foster parents close their home in one year, on average children in foster care move 7 times every 2 years. Think about that. How does that set these youth up for success?Susan and Rob discuss how foster care affects ALL of us as a society, and it is up to us ALL to do what we can to equip all youth to succeed. Otherwise, it can lead down the wrong path - as many of you know, 80% of all death row inmates were once in foster care. Close to 25% of those who have been part of “human trafficking” have been in foster care. Without support, those numbers will only grow.National Angels will host a “Give-a-Thon” from November 21-28. All of us at Comfort Cases encourage you to consider making a donation to increase their national awareness and support. More information about this important event can be found HERE.Follow National Angels:Website: https://www.nationalangels.org/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nationalangels?fbcl...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalange...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalang...🎥 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.

This true story will inspire you like none you may have ever heard. Rob Scheer interviews Katrina Mullen. You may have seen Katrina on The Today Show, or in People Magazine. This unassuming NICU (NeoNatal Intensive Care Unit) Nurse has received universal praise for how she stepped up where others would not.As a neonatal nurse in a small Indiana hospital, she saw Shariya, a young mother sitting cribside of her 3 young babies she had just given birth to. This new mom, only 14 years old, was often alone, looking lost… and alone. Katrina would visit with Shariya, and try to give her advice and tips on how to care for her babies. Again, Shariya was just 14, in 8th grade, and the mother of triplets - and was virtually alone.When Shariya was discharged from the hospital, Katrina gave her her phone number and told her to call whenever she wanted. Shariya took her up on this and Katrina often went to visit Shariya and her babies.Soon, there was a health issue with one of her babies, and then DSS came and took her two others into care. Shariya asked if she could stay with Katrina. Katrina had 3 young children of her own, plus two adult children, but she immediately said yes, and engaged in all the classes necessary to become a foster parent.So much more to tell about this amazing human being - and how she soon ended up adopting Shariya, and became the grandmother of three beautiful triplets. We know you will love this episode as much as we do.To learn more about Katrina, Shariya and the family, you can visit her on social media:Facebook: Katrina Mullen or Mullen.katInstagram: @kat_mullen23TikTok: @kmullen23Twitter/ X: @Katrinamullen23To learn more about Rob Scheer and Comfort Cases, please visit: https://comfortcases.org/If you have questions or comments about today’s episode, the foster care system, or how you might volunteer or donate to help youth in foster care, please write to us here: [email protected] can find previous episodes of Fostering Change at https://comfortcases.org/podcasts/🎥 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.

On today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob speaks with Laura Foster Parent Partner, whose mission is to educate and support people about the foster care system. Often, new foster parents are not prepared for everything they need to know before their first children come to them.Laura discusses how the “cracks of child welfare are deep”, from misplaced birth certificates to wrong names of the child, and without knowing the right types of questions to ask, you run the risk of not knowing these things and have to play catch up - which is not the situation a new foster parent - or their child - wants to be in!In this insightful conversation, you will here:What sweeping changes need to be made in the foster care systemWhat should be considered when setting up your home for a foster childHow every state has different rules and regulations and how that affects parents and youthHow we should be moving from “mandated reporting” to “mandated supporting”You can learn more about Laura by visiting her here:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/foster.parentingWebsite: https://www.fosterparentpartner.com/Instagram: @foster.parentingTikTok: @fosterparenting YouTube: @foster.parentingStorefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/influence...🎥 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.

On today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob interviews Dr. Kristin Hoffman, Ph.D., Chief Program Officer and Child Psychologist and Chelsea Henandez, LCSW, Clinical Director of the All Star Children’s Foundation.The All Star Children’s Foundation, based in Sarasota, Florida uses a trauma-focused approach  through innovation, science and compassion.  They have an onsite campus, home to youth in foster care and their caregivers where they offer a number of evidence-based trainings to the community while emphasizing an understanding of trauma through a “trauma informed lens”.With so many youth in foster care facing trauma, they don’t often get to someone who can help until it is much too late.  This is where All Star Children’s Foundation comes in and help the child make a shift away from trauma.Rob shares with Kristin and Chelsea that “the moment a child enters the system, they should receive some form of therapy.” They discuss the disservice done to children with so many group homes are shut down and how their campus was developed to create a “lasting change” to work with them the moment they enter care to make the feel loved and capable.”The All Star Children’s Foundation is also planning their first “State of the Mind Conference” on September 21 to help the community understand trauma and how it affects everyone around.  There will be many speakers on hand, including Rob!  For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.stateofmind.org/We know you’ll find today’s discussion full of useful and insightful information.  Please leave us a comment, and share with your friends and colleagues.For more information about the All Star Children’s Foundation, please visit:Website: www.allstarchildren.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllStarChildren/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allstarchildren/Twitter: https://twitter.com/allstarchildrenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/71017516/admin/feed/posts/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMlUB5hOEElGeFBq8VbSL0g/featuredFor more information about Comfort Cases, please visit: https://comfortcases.org/Comments? Questions? Guest Suggestions? Please send them to: [email protected]🎥 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.