Foster Care, Saviorism, and MLK Day

This first episode of Season 2 features Sofia Dee, a New York Immigration and Family Court Attorney who is also a close friend. In this episode we dive into the intersectionality of the immigrant population, migrant children, foster care, and mental health. Sofia is a seasoned attorney and advocate for migrant children and human rights. Her personal and professional journey highlights the need for awareness of an issue often convoluted and polarized by politics and the media.    Recommended: Immigration Nation Documentary Series

In today’s episode, we discuss child welfare and protection reform with Richard Wexler, the Executive Director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform (NCCPR). Richard has been advocating for child welfare and protection reform for over 40 years. He is also a journalist and author of the book Wounded Innocence, and writer of countless articles that draw attention to issues around the framework, practices, policies, and history of the child welfare system. Richard’s incredible depth of knowledge and dedicated passion for this work is foundational to understanding both the historical and political influences on our current foster care system. During this very policy-oriented conversation, we also talk about the intersectionality of racism, classism, politics, and the profit-generating aspect of foster care. As always, thank you for listening. Keep being brave your voices. Take care everyone. Links: NCCPR website: https://nccpr.org/ NCCPR blog: https://www.nccprblog.org/ NPR Article: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/22/988806806/state-foster-care-agencies-take-millions-of-dollars-owed-to-children-in-their-ca The Marshall Project Article: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/04/22/foster-care-agencies-take-thousands-of-dollars-owed-to-kids-most-children-have-no-idea Wounded Innocence By Richard Wexler: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0879759364/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_577QR7SKKH0X92TXPNB

In this episode, I talk about themes in foster care related to saviorism, othering, racism, classism, and parenting a foster child from a place of acceptance, empathy, understanding, and self-awareness.  Though this episode touches upon many topics that deserve further discussion, it was important on a day like today when we celebrate and honor Dr. King's legacy, to highlight the impact of these factors on foster youth.   To share your views, thoughts, and feedback on this episode, please contact me at [email protected] to continue the discussion.    Thank you for listening.  Keep being brave with your voices.  Take care, everyone.

In this episode featuring Ángela Quijada-Banks, an American best-selling author, Founder and CEO of Soulful Liberation ( a book publishing company and podcast), Program Director, and Holistic Health & Purpose Coach at Consciously Melanated Queens, Decolonizing educator and transformational artist.  On the Soulful Liberation podcast, she aims to empower foster youth by day and break generational curses by night. Through her everyday work with helping young people uncover their divine purpose, performing spoken word events, workshops, and political advisory to legislators across the nation, she aims to aid in a revolutionary change in holistic health, economic injustices, child-welfare disparities, cultural competency, and identity within low-wealth communities of color both on a micro and macro level. In her most recent best-selling book, The Black Foster Youth Handbook she sheds light on a taboo topic through her own personal experience highlighting 50+ lessons she learned in order to support young people's journey and equip them with the necessary tools to successfully age-out of foster care and holistically heal. Born in Anaheim, CA her reach has spanned across the nation and in several countries. Since the age of three years old, when she was first introduced to swing dancing she has always come back to it even in the most unstable of circumstances. To this day, Ángela is still open to learning new things that excite her including Kung Fu and drumming. Between her day to day adventures, Ángela enjoys traveling the world and adrenaline rushes at amusement parks with her husband, Michael. She is lovingly called a “graceful powerhouse” by all who know her, as she lives by the quote, “ If not me, then who? If not now, then when?” You can find out more about Ángela Quijada-Banks at originalsoulflower.com, and purchase her book at blackfosteryouthhandbook.com and amazon.com.  Ángela's podcast, Soulful Liberation is available on Apple Podcasts.

Foster Features is on a short break for the holidays but will return in January 2021 with more brave voices and meaningful conversations.  Happy Holidays, everyone!

This episode features Alex and Joel Ellis, a couple who jumped into foster parent training even before they jumped into marriage. They've been licensed foster parents in the Nashville, TN area for 3 years. They juggle a busy schedule of working full-time, podcasting, Alex's part-time college schedule, managing rental properties, and launching a startup retail business. But their most important and rewarding job is as parents to their 1 1/2-year-old adopted son, Brooks, and their foster daughter who has been with them for almost a year. You can learn more about Alex and Joel's fostering and parenting journey on their podcast Barely Braided, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most other podcast platforms.

In this episode, produced by Braided Braided, a podcast hosted by Alex Ellis, your host, Pauline Goldsmith-Johnson, shares some very personal experiences to highlight the challenges many youths face in care. It's important to collaborate with other platforms, organizations, and advocates, in the many forms they may take to cultivate an understanding of the system, the realities, and the stories that help us to better understand what isn't working and what we can do to change that.  Thank you for listening, and for opening your hearts and minds to learn more about this important issue.  

In this episode featuring Liz Sutherland, a former foster youth and author of the book, No Ordinary Liz, we’ll dive into topics around child abuse and neglect, the impact of aging out of foster care, and Liz’s own personal journey through extraordinary circumstances. You can learn more about Liz’s story through her book, No Ordinary Liz, available for purchase at Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble.

In this episode, featuring Lisa Miccolis, the Executive Director and Founder of The Monkey & The Elephant, we'll learn about Philadelphia’s first and only non-profit coffee shop employing exclusively former foster youth.  To learn more about the program, please visit www.themonkeyandtheelephant.org.

In this episode, you'll hear from Jill Goldsmith, my mom, as we discuss an example of policy reform that would go a long way to helping foster youth achieve their goals as it relates to the tuition waiver program.  Jill also shares some of her personal thoughts and observations related to her experience of adopting from foster care.