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_anomaly

LinkedIn: Tristian Smith

📩 Have questions or guest suggestions? Please email us at [email protected]

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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:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/givingsole/

Instagram

@giving_sole

Twitter/X

@givingsole

Threads

https://www.threads.net/@giving_sole

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/giving-sole

#fostercare #givingsole #adoption

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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 #MakeAChange

To find more about each organization:

Spence-Chapin

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/spencechapin

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/spencechapinsvc/

Twitter/X

https://x.com/spencechapinsvc

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71342/

GWK Academy/Gays With Kids

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/GaysWithKids

Instagram

@gays_with_kids; @gwkacademy

Twitter/X

https://www.youtube.com/@GWK

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrrosenberg/

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How do you feel when you receive a hand-written note? Not an email, not a form letter. But an actual note that someone took the time to sit down and write out with a good old-fashioned pen or pencil? Pretty special right?

On today’s episode of Fostering Change we welcome Jeremy Su, co-founder of “Cards for Cubs”, an organization that demonstrates how a simple handmade card can profoundly impact a child’s life by offering hope and comfort during difficult times.

Since being founded in 2020, Cards for Cubs have collected and distributed more than 200,000 cards and over 400 foster care related organizations.

In 2024, Cards for Cubs collected 70,000 cards. The 2025 Card Drive ends March 31. To send in cards, please visit https://cardsforcubs.org/.

We’re so happy to call Jeremy a friend, and know that you’ll love hearing why he’s doing this and what’s to come!

TO CONTACT & DONATE, PLEASE VISIT:

Website

https://cardsforcubs.org/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thecardsforcubs

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/CardsForCubs/

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

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of difficult subject matter, including child abuse and the tragic death/murder of a young child. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If these topics may be triggering or upsetting, we encourage you to prioritize your well-being and consider this before listening to this episode.

Welcome back for the second part of our special 2-episode series of Fostering Change, featuring the story of the horrific murder of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery.

On our last episode, we spoke with Judge Carol Erskine, author of the book A Cruel Injustice, which documents how our judicial system failed young Harmony, who was taken out of foster care and placed with her birth father - who rather than nurturing her, murdered her.

Today, we speak with Blair & Johnathan Bobbit-Miller, adoptive fathers of two sons before becoming the father of a 3rd son, Jamison, Harmony’s brother.

These amazing and sensitive humans discuss with Rob how the system continues to fail those who need it most—the children. They explain what they are doing, along with help from other Good Humans like Judge Erskine and Rob Scheer, to fix what many consider to be unfixable.

This powerful episode of Fostering Change will make you want to activate yours.

At the sentencing of Adam Montgomery (Harmony’s father), Jamison read a victim-impact-statement. Part of the statement:

"Tell everyone my name is Jamison. I'm 7 years old. My sister is Harmony. I love Harmony, I miss her," Bobbitt-Miller read. "I hope I get to see her again."

He spoke of a broken Elmo toy Harmony had given him that was hers that he has kept ever since. He said he has a Minnie Mouse pillow and new Elmo he planned to give to her.

"I keep it in my closet for her," Bobbitt-Miller read. "I am really sad she is an angel. I miss her. She was my best friend. I hope she can see me playing basketball and being silly with my brothers and I wish I could bring Harmony to my school to meet my friends and teacher."

To learn more about the Bobbit-Miller Family:

Twitter: @BlairMillerTV @BobbitMiller

Instagram: @johnathanb @blairmillertv

“A Cruel Injustice” can be found anywhere you purchase books, including Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Injustic...

If you have any comments or questions regarding this episode or the foster care system, please send them to [email protected].

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

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of difficult subject matter, including child abuse and the tragic death/murder of a young child. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If these topics may be triggering or upsetting, we encourage you to prioritize your well-being and take this all into consideration prior to listening to this episode.

On today’s special episode of Fostering Change we speak with Judge Carol Erskine. Judge Erskine is the author of the book, A Cruel Injustice. In thebook, and in today’s interview with Rob Scheer, Judge Erskine discusses the tragic death of 5-year-old Harmony, at the hands of her father.

Harmony’s murder was the result of our failed foster care system. Where the system should have provided legal advocacy on behalf of Harmony, protecting her, instead it let her, her brother and all of us, down.

Judge Erskine further discusses her career on the bench, and how she remains an advocate for youth in foster care.

Please note that this is PART ONE of a two-episode series. On our next episode of Fostering Change, Blair Miller and Johnathan Bobbit-Miller, the adoptive fathers of Harmony’s brother, speak to Rob about their experiences with the system - their frustrations, and all they are doing to raise Jamison and work with him as he remembers his sister and fights for justice in her name.

To purchase a copy of A Cruel Injustice, please visit a local bookstore, Amazon, or carolerskine.com.

More About Carol:

Carol Erskine has been a lifelong child advocate and a Massachusetts Juvenile Court judge for twenty-one years. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named her one of the state's top ten lawyers.

Judge Erskine has written and published a children’s book and several op-ed columns on children’s issues. She and her husband are the proud parents of a blended family with their now grown adopted and stepchildren.

Website

carolerskine.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolErskine/

Twitter/X

https://x.com/TheCarolErskine

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-erskine-1065a1207/

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

Happy New Year! On our first episode of the New Year, we are so happy to bring you an amazing human, Hunter Beaton. Hunter is the founder of Day1bags.org. Day1’s mission is right in line with Comfort Cases’ mission: to provide hope and dignity to youth in foster care by giving them new luggage or backpacks in place of the disgusting black trash bags that are still given out in so many states.

Hunter started this initiative in 2016 at the age of 15 as part of his Eagle Scout project (yes, he’s a Real Eagle Scout!). He initially provided 100 duffel bags filled with essential supplies to a local nonprofit serving foster youth in San Antonio, Texas. The project quickly became a sustainable mission to support foster children across the United States.

Hunter's work has led to significant milestones, including distributing over 220,000 bags to foster youth across 47 states, legislative advocacy for proper luggage bills, and initiatives that celebrate foster youth's achievements. Through Day 1 Bags, Hunter has inspired meaningful change and continues to empower children in foster care by promoting dignity, belonging, and recognition.

To learn more about Hunter and Day1Bags - and how you can support them, please visit the following links:

Website:

https://day1bags.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/day1bags

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/day1bags/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/day-1-bags/

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

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! This is our final episode of Fostering Change before we launch into 2025. And what a year it’s been. We’ve celebrated amazing guests on our show, learning so much about each other and our society.

Thank you to all of you who have written in with comments and guests suggestions about what you’ve listened to this year. We truly appreciate YOU ALL!

Our charity, Comfort Cases has touched so many people around the country this year, with Rob Scheer once again sharing our message of providing hope and dignity for youth in foster care. It’s not too late to make one last donation if this is possible for you. If this is something you would like to do, to help out our most important people, youth entering foster care, please click on this link or here: https://comfortcases.org/ to become a #Bagbuster to help us stop the evil practice of giving trash bags to our youth.

Thank you!

As for today’s Christmas Eve episode, we end the year with a Very Special Guest: Chef Art Smith. You may initially recognize him as Oprah’s personal Chef, a role he held for 10 years. He is also the founder of Common Threads, a non-profit organization teaching low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals since 2003. He believes that through hands-on cooking and introducing children to fresh foods we can help prevent childhood obesity, reverse the trend of poor eating habits, and learn about diversity and tolerance through the celebration of our cultural differences and our commonalities.

Chef Art has appeared on numerous national television appearances including ABC’s Lady Gaga Thanksgiving Special, Top Chef, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Iron Chef America, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, Fox News, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, BBQ Pitmasters, The Talk, The Dr. Oz Show and of course, The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Chef Art has appeared on the cover of Parade Magazine, and has been featured in Cooking Light magazine. He is a regular contributor to Standup magazine, whose proceeds benefit The Ben Foundation, which raises awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying.

To learn more about Chef Art Smith, please visit:

Website: https://www.chefartsmith.com/

Instagram: @thechefartsmith

Facebook: ChefArtSmith

X/Twitter: @chefartsmith

To learn more about Common Threads, please visit:

Website: https://www.commonthreads.org/

Instagram: @commonthreadsorg

Facebook: CommonThreadsOrg

X/Twitter: @commonthreadsUS

Thank you again for listening and watching Fostering Change. We hope you have a happy and safe holiday and look forward to bringing you more great discussions in 2025. Again, if you have any comments or guest suggestions, please feel free to reach out by emailing our producers at [email protected].

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

Welcome back to another thought-provoking episode of Fostering Change. Today, we speak with Jason Green, a friend and amazing filmmaker. Jason’s documentary, Finding Fellowship, is a story of hope about the unlikely merger of three segregated churches in the 1960s. Jason and Rob belong to this same church, which is how they first met, and both have the same passion for community coming together.

We thought today would be a perfect time to share this interview in the spirit of the holiday season.

Following the episode, we encourage you to watch Finding Fellowship. You can find it on PBS, or click the following link to stream it on PBS.org: https://www.pbs.org/show/finding-fellowship/

If you have any comments or questions, please get in touch with us at [email protected]. There is just one more episode before the New Year, which posts on Christmas Eve—with someone we know you will love to meet!

To learn more about Jason and Finding Fellowship:

Instagram: @jg1732

Twitter/X: @jg1732

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasongerardgreen/

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

A reminder that through the end of November  (National Adoption Awareness Month), when you visit www.BarelyCanadian.com our friend Kelly and her team will donate a Comfort XL Duffle bag for every one of their amazingly plush items purchased. 

Today, we go back almost exactly 3 years to revisit a special episode about a remarkable woman, Pam Willis and family.  We know you’ll enjoy!

Pam and her husband have been married 36 years, raised 5 biological children (the youngest is 20). 11 years ago they became foster parents and began caring for children in their home. Pam led down a road of foster care and as a surprise to their life plan, 5 years ago they adopted a set of seven siblings from the foster care system.  These kids now have a second chance at parenting, and they have a second chance at a family after their first parents passed away in a car accident.

It’s an amazing story we wanted to reshare with you.

Story Key Notes:

🖐️Adopting 7 Sets of Children Siblings 

🖐️History of the 7 Children

🖐️Adjusting into a New Home

🖐️5 Biological Children's Reaction to Adopt New Siblings

🖐️Process to Adopt 7 Set of Children Siblings

Learn more at https://www.comfortcases.org/

If you have any questions, comments or guest suggestions, please reach out to us at [email protected].

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!

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