This episode is the first episode in our three-part series where we’ll be talking to some leading change makers in the foster care and adoption space, who are working to better conditions for children in the system. In this episode, Lemonada host Gloria Riviera chats with the president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption, Rita Soronen, about the state of foster care in the United States and why every child deserves the right to a family and a home.
This episode is presented by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public charity that is committed to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. For more information visit www.davethomasfoundation.org.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State of American Foster Care

Good Things from Lemonada Media is a podcast about the good people in the world who are rolling up their sleeves and working hard to make things better. Each week, we'll be talking about this country's most complex and confounding issues in an effort to affect systemic change, with a rotating cast of incredible guests and Lemonada hosts. From the dire condition of the American foster care system to the decline of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, protecting democracy, and more, we’re focusing on solutions – with the people putting them into action.
 

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When young adults leave the foster care system they’re left trying to find housing or employment on their own. Oftentimes, the thing they yearn for the most is family. In this special episode, Gloria chats with the president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Systems Innovation, Sandra Gasca-Gonzalez, and CEO at Foster Forward, Lisa Guillette. Our guests discuss how they’re helping youth aging out of foster care age into an ecosystem of belonging. Whether it’s legally creating ‘soul’ families or providing affordable homes, they tell us the ways they’re working with former foster kids to break the cycle and achieve stability. 
 
This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization devoted to building brighter futures for all children, youth and young adults, and ensuring they have the family, community and opportunity they need to thrive. Learn more at www.aecf.org. Views expressed in this episode are solely those of the participants.
 
No One is Coming to Save Us is presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
 
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For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fostering a Better Future (with Sandra Gasca-Gonzalez and Lisa Guillette)

In the third and final episode of our miniseries on foster care, we hear from David Ambroz, a national poverty and child welfare advocate and author of the memoir 'A Place Called Home'. David shares his first hand account of growing up in the American foster care system, his experience becoming a foster parent, and how he learned to practice forgiveness.
This episode is presented by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public charity that is committed to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. For more information visit www.davethomasfoundation.org.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Future of Foster Care

In this second episode of our miniseries on foster care, we hear from Jeanie Gaskill, a parent who connected with her kids through The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Jeanie gets real with Lemonada host Gloria Riviera about what it’s like to navigate trauma and support an open adoption in her family. Plus, Gloria learns what people should consider before fostering or adopting.

This episode is presented by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public charity that is committed to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. For more information visit www.davethomasfoundation.org.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Case For Fostering Older Children

There’s a lot of power in philanthropic work – it’s a way to dole out money to communities directly affected by issues, but it’s also an opportunity to reclaim our imagination. As we learn today, when public dollars are in the right hands, we're able to invest in our local communities, leverage change, and create a vibrant multiracial democracy. In this episode, Lemonada host and journalist Gloria Riviera chats with the president and CEO of Marguerite Casey Foundation, Dr. Carmen Rojas, about the countless ways their investment is helping shape a society that works for everyday people. 
This episode is presented by the Marguerite Casey Foundation. MCF supports leaders who work to shift the balance of power in their communities toward working people and families, and who have the vision and capacity for building a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit on social media @caseygrants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State of American Foster Care

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