Fostering Change

In this week’s episode of the Comfort Cases Podcast, Rob Scheer sits down with Amy Vale, foster parent and founder of For the Cubs, a purpose-driven brand creating sensory tools to support emotional regulation in children and adults alike.

Amy shares how her own foster care journey inspired a mission: to design products that provide real comfort, like Percy, a weighted plush bear that mimics the feeling of a hug. Their conversation explores:

✅ The power of pairing entrepreneurship with advocacy

✅ How sensory tools support those facing trauma, ADHD, anxiety, and more

✅ The lack of comforting resources for children entering care

✅ What empathetic corporate responsibility really looks like

This powerful episode is part of our ongoing spotlight series for National Foster Care Awareness Month. Don’t miss this heartfelt discussion about healing, innovation, and how we can all do better for youth in care.

🔗 Learn more about For the Cubs: www.forthecubs.com

📅 New episodes every Tuesday in May

💙 Learn more about Comfort Cases: www.comfortcases.org

📧 Contact: [email protected]

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts—wherever you tune in.

🎥 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.

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, and we’re kicking it off with one of our most powerful episodes yet.

This week on Fostering Change, host Rob Scheer is joined by special guest co-host Jennifer Perry, Executive Director of the Children’s Action Network and Co-Founder of FosterMore. Jennifer’s tireless advocacy has brought national attention to the urgent needs of the 108,000+ children in U.S. foster care currently waiting for adoptive families.

Together, they sit down with Lara Love Hardin, author of The Many Lives of Mama Love—a 2024 Oprah Book Club selection and New York Times bestseller. In this profoundly moving conversation, Lara shares her remarkable journey through opioid addiction, incarceration, the devastating loss of her children, and how she fought her way back to rebuild her life.

This episode is a raw and inspiring look at:

The transformative power of storytelling

The realities of addiction, incarceration, and recovery

The broken pieces of the foster care system—and how we can fix them

The power of second chances and redemption

🎧 Listen, share, and comment on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts—or wherever you get your podcasts!

📅 New episodes air every Tuesday throughout May in honor of National Foster Care Awareness Month. Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss a single story.

🌐 Learn More & Support:

Comfort Cases – https://www.comfortcases.org

📧 Contact: [email protected]

🔗 Featured Organizations:

Children’s Action Network

Website: https://www.childrensactionnetwork.org

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

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/childrensaction

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

FosterMore

Website: https://fostermore.org

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

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/fostermore

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

📚 About Lara Love Hardin:

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

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

📖 Buy The Many Lives of Mama Love: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-many-lives-of-mama-love-a-memoir-of-lying-stealing-writing-and-healing-lara-love-hardin/19897569 or wherever you buy books

🎥 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.

When people think of fostering or adopting, the image that often comes to mind is a cute little baby. But what’s often forgotten are the older children—pre-teens and teens—who are just as in need of love, support, and a forever family.

On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer welcomes Randi Thompson, co-founder of Kidsave—a remarkable nonprofit helping youth ages 9–17 in foster care and orphanages find meaningful, lasting connections and permanent homes. Randi is truly one of the “Good Humans” we’re honored to feature!

Kidsave offers several incredible programs, including their flagship Weekend Miracles initiative, which connects older youth with families who are considering fostering or adoption. As Kidsave says:

“When a child feels like they have someone in their corner, the world opens up to them, and they thrive.”

🎉 Upcoming Kidsave Miracle Galas:

📍 Washington, DC – May 29

📍 Los Angeles – June 7

📍 Houston – June 21

💙 May is National Foster Care Awareness Month!

Comfort Cases is celebrating with events, fundraisers, and new weekly episodes every Tuesday in May. The Season 6 finale airs June 3!

💡 Have guest ideas for Season 7 (coming this Fall)? Reach out to our producer:

📧 [email protected] | [email protected]

🔗 Learn more about Kidsave and connect with them here:

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidsaveInternational

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsave/

🧵 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kidsave

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kidsave

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsave/

🌐 Website: https://www.kidsave.org

🎥 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.

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]

🎥 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.

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

🎥 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.

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/

🎥 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.

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/

🎥 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.

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].

🎥 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.

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/

🎥 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.

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/

🎥 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.