In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to author, speaker, and foster care advocate LaTasha Watts. LaTasha is the founder of The Purple Project, a yearly conference that brings teens in foster care together for workshops and to share their experiences. LaTasha spent most of her childhood in foster care, suffered horrible abuse, battled cancer, and has now dedicated her life to helping youth who are aging out of foster care.

For more information, please visit comfortcases.org/podcast.

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Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Noah Ehlert. Noah grew up in and out of the foster care system and discovered a passion for cycling when a friend's mother gave him a bicycle when he was a teenager. Now a father of three, Noah is embarking on a bike tour from San Diego, CA to St. Petersburg, FL to share his story and inspire youth in foster care. He will spend two months riding his bike across the southern part of the country, speaking at various group homes along the way... and we'll be delivering Comfort Cases to the kids at every stop. Listen as Noah tells the story of his childhood and why he is seeking to share it with kids who are currently in care.

Learn more at comfortcases.org/podcast.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Rob's husband and Comfort Cases co-founder Reece Scheer. Together, Rob and Reece talk about their foster-to-adopt journey and what made them decide to grow their forever family by adopting from the foster care system. They share some of the struggles they faced on their journey and how their four children have brought so much joy to their lives.

For more info, please visit comfortcases.org/podcast.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Comfort Cases' Volunteer Coordinator Markia Chambers. On Friday, November 22, Comfort Cases will kick off the first ever "Marathon Packing Party" in which over 350 volunteers will come to the national center in Rockville, MD to pack 2,400 Comfort Cases in 24 hours. Markia talks about the volunteers who will come for the Marathon Packing Party as well as all of the ways in which supporters in other parts of the country can help. For more info please visit comfortcases.org/podcast.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Steve and Rob Anderson-McLean about their amazing adoption story. They knew they wanted to grow their family by adopting from foster care, but they didn’t plan on falling in love with 6 siblings from Ohio until they saw their photos. Steve and Rob talk about the foster-to-adopt process, what happened when they first met the kids, and what the first day as a family of 8 was like.

For more info, please visit comfortcases.org/podcast.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Adoptions Together founder Janice Goldwater.

Adoptions Together has placed nearly 8,000 children in permanent homes since it’s inception in 1990. Janice founded the organization with the idea that all children deserve a loving home regardless of their age, race, or ability, and that all stable adults who want to be parents should have the opportunity, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status.

Listen as Janice explains the various ways in which Adoptions Together works to find loving homes and supports children who have experienced trauma along with their families. She also shares some success stories and her own journey as an adoptive mother.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to speaker and author Carlotta Taylor.

Carlotta shares her story of growing up with an abusive father, escaping with her mother, and ending up in foster care during her teenage years. She credits the grace of God for helping her through the early years of her life and she writes about letting go of her painful past in the book, “No More Flinching: 5 Steps to Overcoming Adversity”. She is also the founder "Somebody Step In”, a non-profit that supports youth and former youth in foster care.

For more info please visit comfortcases.org/podcast.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana welcome government relations consultant Maureen Flatley. Maureen offers her unique insight into how the system actually works on the federal and state level and where she sees the disconnect between legislation that is passed and implementation. She talks about the for-profit foster care sector, the lack of accountability, and how she believes advocacy groups can make a difference.

For more info, please visit comfortcases.org/podcast.

Maureen Flatley is a Boston based government relations and strategic consultant.  Best known for her expertise in government reform and oversight of adoption and child welfare her work has included advocacy for children and families in a variety of areas. Using a broad bi-partisan array of relationships on Capitol Hill she has focused her attention on the nexus between individual injustice and large-scale system reform.  In that capacity she has advised public and private agencies, corporations and non-profits, attorneys, families and children.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk about Rob's book, "A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time". Rob explains how the book came to be, the Upworthy video that started it all, and what the process of writing was like for him. He also talks about the things he's gained - and what he lost - as a result of telling his story publicly.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to Kimberly Raff. Kimberly is the founder of Foster Alumni Mentors, an organization that provides assistance to young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. Having aged out of foster care herself, Kimberly understands the need for "wrap around services" for young adults who lack the support they need to transition into adulthood. Not only does her organization help young people with housing assistance and filling out college paperwork, they also provide emotional support and encouragement for the youth they serve.

Please visit comfortcases.org/podcast for more information.

🎥 Watch the full video episodes on YouTube!

Head over to Comfort Cases on YouTube to catch every inspiring conversation:

👉 youtube.com/@comfortcases

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