Welcome to Hot Topics! In this episode, host Gabrielle Crichlow and guest Sharon Dunlevy highlight the significant effects of trauma on children's learning capabilities in foster care. They examine how exposure to drugs, alcohol, and physical abuse can hinder academic progress and emotional well-being. Tune in to discover actionable steps foster parents can take to support their children's educational rights and needs. Educational advocacy involves understanding those rights and striving to ensure they are upheld in the educational system.

Who is Sharon Dunlevy?
Sharon Dunlevy is an educational advocate for children in foster care. It is her mission to bring the educational needs of children in foster care to the attention of those who can change policies and practices that would give more children in foster care the ability to succeed educationally, the foundation for their ability to succeed after leaving care. Her primary work includes training foster parents on the educational laws that affect children in foster care and how to use those laws to ensure these children graduate successfully. But Sharon is not just a trainer, she is also a speaker and influencer. She has recently participated in two speaking competitions with the intent of bringing attention to those needs, winning fan favorite in the second competition.

You can find Sharon:
On the web: https://sharondunlevy.com/
On Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/fostercaretrainingtoday
On Facebook (group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/fosteradoptivefamilies
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharondunlevy72
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharondunlevy/
On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sharondunlevy
By email: [email protected]

Purchase Sharon's ebook, "From Placement to Graduation and Beyond: How to Navigate Education in Foster Care. The Path Forward," here: https://fostercaretrainingtoday.com/ebook

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/SwaHEGZu1YY

Rate this episode on IMDB: TBA
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Original date of episode: January 13, 2026