By Their Side: Advocating for Children in Foster Care

Episode Summary When Jamole Callahan was fifteen, he realized the adults were meeting every few months to decide his future, and he was never in the room. He spent six years in foster care across nine homes and aged out at eighteen into the kind of instability that pushes so many young people straight into homelessness. Twenty years later, the rooms have flipped: lawmakers now invite him in, and h...

Episode Summary For thirty years, neonatal nurse practitioner Tara Sundem watched newborns go through opioid withdrawal under bright lights, separated from their mothers, and for a long time she believed those mothers had brought it on themselves. Then she learned what she had been missing, and she set out to build the opposite of what she had been part of. As co-founder and executive director of...

Episode Summary Phoebe Johnson spent her childhood living in foster care. Today she runs the kind of home she once needed. As executive director of Firm Foundation Youth Homes and Gigi's Cottage, she talks with Micaela about what it took to get there, the foster mom who never gave up on her, and the two models that shape how the girls in her care are met every day: Trust-Based Relational Intervent...

Episode Summary Dr. Scott Lyons explains why trauma is not about the event, it is about what it does to a body. He walks through co-regulation, why safety can stop feeling safe, and the one thing any caring adult can do differently tomorrow: play. In This Episode 00:00  Cold open 00:15  Welcome and episode framing 01:15  What "somatic" actually means, in plain language 04:45  What the body carries...

Author and national speaker  Tori Hope Petersen joins host Micaela Tracy to talk about the people who shaped her: the court advocate who said "I'm not going anywhere," the foster mom Tanya who let her be a kid without turning every moment into a lesson, and her own decision to become a healed person instead of a hurt one. For anyone wondering whether small acts of consistency really matter, Tori's...

Host Micaela Tracy opens Season 3 with Jason Lewis, a student at Grand Canyon University, entrepreneur, and aspiring nonprofit founder who spent ten years in the foster care system. Jason talks about what it felt like to grow up alone inside a system that moved him 28 times and through 13 schools, and about the adults who actually got through to him: an advocate who never sugarcoated anything, who...

Welcome to By Their Side, everyone! This episode features an interview with David Ambroz , a national poverty and child welfare expert and the author of the bestselling memoir A Place Called Home: A Memoir ! Ambroz shares his powerful personal story of growing up homeless and in the foster care system and how those experiences shaped his lifelong mission to help children and families break the cyc...

I am joined in this episode by Jessica Sinarski , a licensed professional counselor, author, and founder of BraveBrains .  Jessica discusses her book What's Inside Your Backpack? which explores how caring adults can help children who have experienced trauma to feel safe, seen, and supported. Throughout the story, her book aims to convey that children are not alone in carrying the "heavy backpacks"...

Welcome back to the show, dear listeners! I am joined in this episode by Tristian Smith , former Army officer, author, and Nebraska CASA volunteer who grew up in the foster care system living in nearly 30 different homes from ages 8 to 18. After experiencing abuse and instability in the system, Tristian went on to graduate college, serve in the military, and now advocates for children in foster ca...

Thanks for tuning back in to By Their Side, dear listeners! For this episode, I interview Gaile Osborne , the executive director of the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina . Listen in as Gaile shares her personal experience as a foster and adoptive parent, having opened her home to over 28 children living in foster care. Gaile highlights the critical role of having a "village" of support for...

Welcome back to By Their Side, everyone! Joining me today is someone with a raw, real, and inspiring story to share. Neil Underwood is the General Manager of Autonation Toyota Tempe, and he comes onto the show for this episode to share his past as a child living through what so many kids in the foster care system are living through today. Before he was leading teams and earning industry-wide award...

I hope that you will listen in to this episode of By Their Side as I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with two dedicated CASA volunteers, Patty and Denise! Both have incredibly rich experiences in the field, and they join me to share their personal journeys and insights into their important work. Denise, who I collaborate with at Voices for CASA Children, speaks about her motivation to j...

Join me for this episode of By Their Side as I have an insightful conversation with Rick Griffin, a renowned expert in trauma-informed care and the neuroscience behind resilience. Rick shares some truly fascinating insights that have completely shifted my perspective. I had always thought of resilience as simply the ability to "bounce back" from adversity, but Rick explains that it's so much more...

Thank you so much for tuning into By Their Side, my friends! Joining me today is Cordelia Cranshaw ! Cordelia is a coach, therapist, storyteller, and the founder of From Survivor to Thriver, an organization that is committed to empowering youth in foster care. Cordelia's journey is truly nothing short of inspiring. She grew up in the foster care system and experienced generational trauma, but she...

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of By Their Side, friends. I am joined today by the great Gaelin Elmore, former NFL player and current passionate advocate for youth facing adversity. As a child, Gaelin was very much a part of the foster system, but his experience, while inspiring because of how he overcame such challenges, was not a happy one. Listen as Gaelin reflects on his journey throu...

**Available Resources for Parents** Nationwide: 2-1-1 Postpartum Support International Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1.800.273.8255 Knee to Knee  National Parent Youth Helpline - 855.427.2736 National Maternal Mental Health Hotline-1-833-TLC-MAMA National Domestic Violence Hotline- 1.800.799.7233 PSI Depression hotline- 1.800.944.4PPD   Arizona Specific: 2-1-1 Arizona Family Involvement Center Prev...

**Available Resources for Parents**   Nationwide: 2-1-1 Postpartum Support International Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1.800.273.8255 Knee to Knee  National Parent Youth Helpline - 855.427.2736 National Maternal Mental Health Hotline-1-833-TLC-MAMA National Domestic Violence Hotline- 1.800.799.7233 PSI Depression hotline- 1.800.944.4PPD   Arizona Specific: 2-1-1 Arizona Family Involvement Center Pr...

I am so thrilled to have had the chance to connect with Allison Davis Maxon , a name that is truly synonymous with expertise in child welfare and children's mental health. Allison's insights and contributions to the fields of developmental trauma and adoption are nothing short of transformative. Not only does Allison hold the position of Executive Director at the National Center on Adoption and Pe...

For this episode, I had the great pleasure of chatting with Maryann McEvoy, an experienced advocate with quite an impressive background that spans across state government, nonprofit leadership, and the United Nations. With over twenty years of experience, Maryann's journey offers a profound exploration into what it truly means to be an advocate. Maryann's passion for advocacy stems from a deep des...

Join me this week as I sit down with Meghan Hays Davis, a seasoned trainer for CASA volunteers in Maricopa County! Meghan's expertise in child welfare and developmental psychology truly shines through as she simplifies complex topics like trauma and child development. With a background in social work and family practice, Meghan discusses how trauma impacts young children, emphasizing the critical...

On this episode, I'm sitting down with Cameron Lee Small who is a licensed clinical counselor, national trainer, and adoptee advocate. As an adoptive parent myself, this topic is very near and dear to my heart, so I am so thrilled to have Cameron share his invaluable insights. Cameron's personal journey as an international adoptee from Korea informs his impactful work today. Through his private pr...

I have the incredible opportunity this episode to discuss the intricacies of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) with Barb Clark, an esteemed expert in the field. As someone who works closely with children, exploring this topic was eye-opening for me, resonating deeply with the struggles and challenges many young ones face. Barb, a mother of five, shares her personal journey and insights gained...

I am thrilled to be sharing with you this amazing conversation with the wonderful Keri Richmond, a remarkable changemaker, storyteller, podcaster , and fierce advocate for children and families. Keri's journey, marked by her time in the foster care system and a turbulent adoption, has shaped her into an international speaker, podcast host, and policy advocate for foster care reform, and as we delv...

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions that may be sensitive or triggering for some listeners, including references to suicide. Listener discretion is advised In this enlightening episode of the show, I am joined by Kevin Powell , an experienced licensed psychologist, trainer, and consultant with over three decades of experience. Diving into Kevin's remarkable journey, we explore the...

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions that may be sensitive or triggering for some listeners, including references to suicide. Listener discretion is advised Welcome back to By Their Side! In this powerful episode, we dive into the often underappreciated perspective of birth mothers with Ashley Mitchell, the inspiring force behind Big Tough Girl ™. She shares her personal journey of...