So get this, I am watching The View on ABC, and I see my ex-boss, Mark Daley, talking about his book, Safe, a book about his experience becoming a foster care parent.

Mark was my first boss right after college. He was a Campaign Manager for a candidate in Iowa. And I got a fellowship from Yale to work on the campaign he was managing as a Field Organizer. Mark was the former Communications Director for Hillary Clinton in her 2008 elections, has worked with 30 members of Congress, owned and sold a digital agency here in LA, and worked with various celebrities like Bradley Cooper and John Legend. I’ve always known him as always focused on his career.

And when Mark turned 40, Mark and his husband knew they wanted to be parents. I loved seeing this side of him come out. They considered IVF, private adoption and ultimately decided to become a Foster Care parent. In my most recent podcast episode, Mark shares his journey.

In today's episode we will be talking about his new book; "Safe" where he shares his journey about foster care and how regardless if you want to be a foster care parent or not, the foster care system does impact us.

Mark has shared with me that everyday, 700 children enter the foster care system. That’s 1 child every 2 minutes. And most children are from Indigenous, and Black families.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Understanding the Foster Care System to see if it’s the right fit for you
• The Impact of Foster Care on Society
• Mark’s personal story of having 2 boys come into their lives, and their challenges with foster parenting including reunification and making sure they do what’s best for the kids’ safety

Resources Mentioned:
Subscribe to the Business & Career Diaries Newsletter: elainelou.com/join
Mark Daley’s Book, Safe
Mark’s Instagram: @markdaley00
Mark Daley Website

Where We Can Connect:
Apply to the Business & Career Mastermind: elainelou.com/mastermind
Schedule a Business & Career Audit call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together: elainelou.com/call
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Check out our other podcasts for Women of Color