Fostering Change

• From Addiction to Advocacy: Lara Love Hardin's Journey of Redemption

  May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, and we’re kicking it off with one of our most powerful episodes yet.This week on Fostering Change, host Rob Scheer is joined by special guest co-host Jennifer Perry, Executive Director of the Children’s Action Network and Co-Founder of FosterMore. Jennifer’s tireless advocacy has brought national attention to the urgent needs of the 108,000+ children in U.S. foster care currently waiting for adoptive families.Together, they sit down with Lara Love Hardin, author of The Many Lives of Mama Love—a 2024 Oprah Book Club selection and New York Times bestseller. In this profoundly moving conversation, Lara shares her remarkable journey through opioid addiction, incarceration, the devastating loss of her children, and how she fought her way back to rebuild her life.This episode is a raw and inspiring look at:The transformative power of storytellingThe realities of addiction, incarceration, and recoveryThe broken pieces of the foster care system—and how we can fix themThe power of second chances and redemption🎧 Listen, share, and comment on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts—or wherever you get your podcasts!📅 New episodes air every Tuesday throughout May in honor of National Foster Care Awareness Month. Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss a single story.🌐 Learn More & Support:Comfort Cases – https://www.comfortcases.org📧 Contact: [email protected]🔗 Featured Organizations:Children’s Action NetworkWebsite: https://www.childrensactionnetwork.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/childrensactionnetworkTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/childrensactionFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensActionNetworkFosterMoreWebsite: https://fostermore.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foster_moreTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/fostermoreFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/FosterMore📚 About Lara Love Hardin:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laralovehardinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/laralovehardin📖 Buy The Many Lives of Mama Love: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-many-lives-of-mama-love-a-memoir-of-lying-stealing-writing-and-healing-lara-love-hardin/19897569 or wherever you buy books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Why Older Kids in Foster Care Deserve a Forever Family with Randi Thompson of Kidsave

  When people think of fostering or adopting, the image that often comes to mind is a cute little baby. But what’s often forgotten are the older children—pre-teens and teens—who are just as in need of love, support, and a forever family.On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer welcomes Randi Thompson, co-founder of Kidsave—a remarkable nonprofit helping youth ages 9–17 in foster care and orphanages find meaningful, lasting connections and permanent homes. Randi is truly one of the “Good Humans” we’re honored to feature!Kidsave offers several incredible programs, including their flagship Weekend Miracles initiative, which connects older youth with families who are considering fostering or adoption. As Kidsave says:“When a child feels like they have someone in their corner, the world opens up to them, and they thrive.”🎉 Upcoming Kidsave Miracle Galas:📍 Washington, DC – May 29📍 Los Angeles – June 7📍 Houston – June 21💙 May is National Foster Care Awareness Month!Comfort Cases is celebrating with events, fundraisers, and new weekly episodes every Tuesday in May. The Season 6 finale airs June 3!💡 Have guest ideas for Season 7 (coming this Fall)? Reach out to our producer:📧 [email protected] | [email protected]🔗 Learn more about Kidsave and connect with them here:📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidsaveInternational📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsave/🧵 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kidsave🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kidsave💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsave/🌐 Website: https://www.kidsave.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• From Foster Care to Fierce Advocate: Tristian Smith’s Journey Against All Odds | Fostering Change

  On today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer sits down with another incredible “Good Human” — Tristian Smith. After losing his mother at the age of seven, Tristian entered the foster care system, where he experienced over 25 placements and attended 13 different schools. Despite these hardships, he never let his circumstances define him.Tristian shares the powerful story behind his memoir, Against All Odds, which chronicles his journey through the challenges of foster care and his path to becoming a voice for change.Now a retired U.S. Army Officer, Tristian continues to serve as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), a Foster Care Review Board Member, and a mentor to youth aging out of the system. His commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and reform is genuinely inspiring.📘 Get Tristian’s book, Against All Odds, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.🔗 Connect with Tristian: Instagram: @undeterred_anomalyLinkedIn: Tristian Smith📩 Have questions or guest suggestions? Please email us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Shawn Henss & the Heartfelt Mission of Giving Sole

  Don’t you just love a really good person? On today’s episode of Fostering Change you’re about to meet one. Shawn Henss is truly the definition of what we call a “Good Human.” A nice guy, with a HUGE heart. Shawn is the founder of Giving Sole, a non-profit organization that gives new shoes to youth in foster care. Technically, Shawn’s son came up with the idea for Giving Sole at the age of 10! Since founding Giving Sole in 2018, they have given away more than 3,000 new, brand-name shoes and sneakers to youth in foster care throughout Arizona, and are looking to share this generosity throughout the US.We can go on longer here, but we’d rather you listen to Shawn’s story directly from him in this beautiful interview with our host, Rob Scheer.To find out more information about Giving Sole, including how to donate, please visit: www.givingsole.org.You can also follow them on various social media channels:Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/givingsole/Instagram@giving_soleTwitter/X@givingsoleThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@giving_soleLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/giving-sole#fostercare #givingsole #adoption Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  21:45
• How Federal Cutbacks are Impacting Youth in Foster Care with Kate Trambitskaya and Brian Rosenberg

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

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