Fostering Change

Sharlee Jeter is president of the Turn 2 Foundation, a non-profit established by her brother, baseball legend Derek Jeter, and their father, Dr. Charles Jeter, to motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and "Turn 2" healthy lifestyles.  They provide help for youth to reach their full potential by creating and supporting initiatives that promote leadership development, academic achievement, positive behavior, healthy lifestyles and social change. She also serves as vice president of strategy & development for Jeter Ventures, which encompasses Derek’s full portfolio of business operations. She is the co-author with Dr. Sampson Davis of the powerful book, The Stuff: Unlock Your Power to Overcome Challenges, Soar and Succeed . It was inspired by the authors’ own personal challenges and is intended to inspire readers to recognize their own strength and potential to succeed. Sharlee received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Spelman College. She resides in New Jersey with her son, Jalen. ALSO:Congratulations to #Turn2 President Sharlee Jeter for being honored by One Hundred Black Men during its 60th Anniversary Gala. Recognized for her commitment to creating positive change, Sharlee received the Jackie Robinson and Community Impact Award. Held at Lincoln Center, the special event celebrated One Hundred Black Men's 60-year legacy and profound impact on the Black community.Story Key Notes: 🖐️ Giving kids a platform and an opportunity to succeed and live their maximized lives🖐️ There are so many synergies that can be discussed during this podcast🖐️ We have a responsibility to provide youth the opportunity to find & use their voicesYou can find out more about Sharlee by visiting:Website:  www.turn2foundation.orgInstagram: @sjeter2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharlee.jeter.7 Twittter: ​​@sjeter2Learn more about how you can affect change to the lives of youth in foster care by visiting https://www.comfortcases.org/Listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change at https://www.comfortcases.org/podcast 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 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  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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org. 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.As always, thank you for listening! 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 info@comfortcases.org.Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday! 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 info@comfortcases.org.Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday! 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 info@comfortcases.org.Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday! 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: lisac.dcrotary@gmail.com.To 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 info@comfortcases.org.Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday! 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 info@comfortcases.org.Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday! 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 info@comfortcases.org.Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next Tuesday! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.