Fostering Change

This week Rob and Dana talk to foster care survivor, writer, and advocate Quay Bowen. Quay is sharing her story on her website in the hopes of writing a book. She talks about her life growing up, her relationship with her birth family, and how poorly she was treated by the Atlanta foster care system. 🎥  Watch the full video episodes on YouTube! Head over to  Comfort Cases on YouTube &nb...

On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob and Dana talk to Foster Boy creator and attorney Jay Paul Deratany. Set to be released this weekend, Foster Boy tells the story of a teenage boy who was failed by the foster care system. Combining his passion for acting, writing, and advocating for children in foster care, Jay Paul wrote this film in the hopes of inspiring people to take action to change th...

On this week's Fostering Change podcast, Rob and Dana talk to Connect Our Kids founders Jennifer Jacobs and Jessica Stern. Connect Our Kids is a website that helps child welfare agencies find and track family connection and data for children in the foster care system. Jennifer and Jessica have used their backgrounds in government, homeland security, and communications to create a unique program th...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to high school student Joe Davis about why he chose Comfort Cases for his Eagle Scout project. We are inspired every day by the number of kids of all ages who are doing big things to support our mission to help other children. Joe is not only passionate about collecting donations for Comfort Cases as part of his project, but he is also focused on the importance o...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to married couple Alexis Lenderman-Black and Justin Black. Both Alexis and Justin spent time in foster care and are now advocates for children in the system. They are getting ready to release their first book, Redefining Normal , in November. The book is about how they overcame difficult childhoods and learned how to have a healthy relationship with each other. L...

On this week’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob and Dana welcome Keri Richmond, the founder of Foster Strong. Keri previously told her story on Episode 40 of the podcast , and now she is sharing information about the organization she is building with other former foster youth. Foster Strong is about embracing the resilience of men and women who grew up in foster care and ending the stigma about ch...

In this week's episode, Rob and Dana welcome the newest member of the Scheer family, 19-year-old Alex. Rob and Alex share the story of how they met and what life is like as a family of 7. Alex also talks about his struggles in foster care and what got him through the most difficult times in his life. 🎥  Watch the full video episodes on YouTube! Head over to  Comfort Cases on YouTube &nb...

On this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Ivymarie Washington about her journey in foster care and how she became a part of the Foster Strong organization. Ivy and her older brother were removed from their parents’ home when she was 6 years old. They were placed in a children’s home for the maximum 180 days and were then placed in a foster home when she was 7. She remained in that foster home until sh...

In this week’s episode, Rob and Dana talk to Comfort Cases Ambassador Bryanna Williams. Bryanna talks about her role as a Comfort Cases Ambassador and why she has such a passion for children in foster care. She is the reigning Mrs. Tri-State All-Star United States and promotes both Comfort Cases and Ronald McDonald House as part of her pageant platform. Bryanna is a special education teacher at a...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Smirna Savino. Smirna told some of her story at our Comfort Cases Gala in 2018 and shares more with us on this podcast. She is one of 14 children, all of whom were removed from their mother and separated. Smirna was the only one to live with family for a few years, she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle. At the age of 5, she went into foster care. She re...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to social worker and Foster Strong digital manager Lino Martinez. Lino talks about his experience in foster care and reflects on how he persevered through the many challenges that faced him early in his life. Lino is also part of Foster Strong, an organization with a mission to end the stigma about youth in foster care and to show them that a successful future is...

In this episode, we shift focus from foster care to fatherhood and welcome Robert Selby, one of the dads featured in the DADS documentary on Apple TV. Through their participation in the film, Rob Scheer and Robert have become friends. We wanted to hear more about Robert’s story, his relationship with his son and his son’s mother, and what’s next for him and his amazing family. 🎥  Watch the f...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Matt Anderson, the VP of Programs and Business Development for the Children's Home Society of North Carolina. Matt talks about his role at The Children's Home Society and how the organization has evolved since it's inception 120 years ago. Matt is also the producer of the documentary "From Place to Place" which follows 3 young adults who aged out of foster car...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Dan Shufelt, CEO of Arizona Helping Hands. Arizona Helping Hands supports thousands of foster families throughout the state of Arizona. They provide everything from cribs and diapers to birthday gifts and bicycles. So far in 2020, they have distributed over 1,100 beds to foster parents. They also supply potential foster parents with items they need to pass the...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to mom and author Keri Vellis. Keri’s incredible story was recently featured in People Magazine . When she became a foster mom, Keri tried to find children’s books about being in foster care and she realized there wasn’t much out there. She decided to write a book herself… and a few years later she wrote another one. Keri talks about what inspired her to be a fos...

In this episode, Rob and Dana welcome LaTasha Watts, founder of The Purple Project, back to the podcast. LaTasha grew up in foster care and now hosts an annual conference for former youth in foster care. She is also and advocate for children in foster care. This week we wanted to shift focus to the larger issue facing our country right now - systemic racism and injustice. LaTasha talks about how s...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Jamerika Haynes about her experience in foster care and how it shaped her into becoming an advocate for children in the system. She is a journalist and the reigning Ms. Evergreen State 2020, and she uses her platforms to educate others about the challenges facing children in foster care. Listen as they discuss poverty and racial bias in the child welfare syste...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to It’s a 10 Haircare founder and CEO Carolyn Aronson. When she was an infant, Carolyn and her 11 siblings were removed from their mother’s home and placed in foster care. At the age of 2, she and one of her biological brothers were adopted into a loving family. At 26, she set out on a mission to find her biological family and 9 months later they met. Caroyln has...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to child welfare advocate Keri Richmond. Keri spent her early childhood in foster care, was adopted into an abusive home, and ended up depending on a friend's family for support during her teenage years. She often meets with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and talks about why it's been difficult to make changes within the system. She also talks about what people can do...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Terrica Smith about her journey from foster care to becoming a real estate developer now investing in her own community. Terrica was placed in foster care at the age of 8 when her grandmother passed away. She moved from foster home to foster home, and then to group homes, often running away to escape abusive situations. At 17, she was homeless and pregnant, an...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk with Whitney GIlliard about how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted youth aging out of foster care. Whitney is the founder of Gilliard & Co, a nonprofit that provides mentoring and wrap-around support for young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. She talks about the various things she’s been helping kids in her program deal with and how the commu...

In this episode, Rob and Dana welcome author and motivational speaker Leigh Anne Tuohy. As the mother of an adopted son from foster care who went on to become a Super Bowl champion, Leigh Anne knows first-hand how the loving support of a family can change a child’s life. The story of her son Michael Oher and the Tuohy family was depicted in the 2009 movie “The Blind Side”. Sandra Bullock won her f...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk with Noah Ehlert about the completion of his Discover Your Path Tour. In February, Noah set out on a mission to ride his bike from San Diego to Florida, visiting youth in foster care group homes along the way. Having spent much of his childhood in and out of foster care and group homes, Noah found solace and a sense of peace when a neighbor gave him a bike... Yea...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk with founder and CEO of The Handbag Awards, Emily Blumenthal. Emily heard Rob’s story a few years ago and was so moved by it, she invited him to speak at her annual event for handbag designers in New York City. Not only is Emily a successful businesswoman, she also prioritizes giving back and loves finding creative ways to use her connections and influence to enc...

In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to college student Fabian Tolan about his foster care journey. Fabian is a journalist and musician currently studying at a college in California. He shares his story growing up in and out of the system, how he stays focused on his future, and what he wants the public to know about life in foster care. 🎥  Watch the full video episodes on YouTube! Head over t...