Afleveringen
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Last week, we celebrated Father's Day with a special conversation between Rob and his son, Tristan. This week, we're continuing that theme with a powerful discussion about what it means to show up for young people who need someone in their corner.
Rob is joined by Corey McKinney, a speaker, mentor, author, and former foster parent whose life has been dedicated to helping young people navigate some of life's toughest challenges.
Through his work with the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program and other youth-focused initiatives, Corey has spent more than three decades encouraging young people to overcome obstacles, believe in themselves, and build brighter futures. But some of his most meaningful lessons came through foster parenting.
In his book Foster Dad, Corey shares the joys, challenges, heartbreaks, and unexpected rewards of opening your home to a child in need. More importantly, he shares what can happen when a young person experiences consistency, encouragement, and unconditional support.
This is a conversation about mentorship, fatherhood, foster care, and the life-changing impact of simply being present.
Conversation Highlights
What inspired Corey to become a foster parent
The experiences that led him to write Foster Dad
The joys and challenges of opening your home to youth in foster care
Why attachment and connection are worth the risk
The importance of consistency and showing up for young people
How mentoring and foster parenting often intersect
Remaining connected to former foster youth long after placement ends
Why positive adult relationships can change the trajectory of a young person's life
About Corey McKinney
Corey McKinney is a professional speaker, mentor, author, and former foster parent dedicated to helping young people overcome gun violence, bullying, and peer pressure. A former Division I basketball player and longtime mentor with the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program, Corey has spent more than 35 years working with youth. He is the author of Coach Daryl's Colts and Foster Dad, inspired by his experiences as both a mentor and foster parent.
Why This Episode Matters
One of the most common questions prospective foster parents ask is: "What if I get attached?"
Corey's answer is simple: that's the point.
Children and youth in foster care need adults who are willing to invest in them, encourage them, and remain present through both good and difficult moments.
This conversation reminds us that foster parenting is not about being perfect. It's about being available. It's about showing up consistently and creating relationships that can last long after a placement ends.
Whether you're a foster parent, mentor, coach, teacher, or simply someone who cares about young people, Corey's story demonstrates the profound difference one committed adult can make.
🎧 Thank you for listening to Fostering Change. Join us next week for another conversation focused on creating brighter futures for youth experiencing foster care.
Connect with Corey McKinney
Website: www.coreymckinney.net
Facebook: CoreyMcKinney
Instagram: @TheCoreyMcKinney
TikTok: @TheCoreyMcKinney
LinkedIn: Corey McKinney
🎥 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.
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As Father's Day approaches, this week's episode of Fostering Change is one of our most personal conversations yet.
For years, listeners have heard Rob Scheer share his family's story through the lens of a former foster youth, adoptive father, advocate, and founder of Comfort Cases. This week, he sits down with his youngest son, Tristan, for an honest and heartfelt conversation about family, foster care, belonging, and the journey they've shared together.
Tristan joined the Scheer family as an infant, alongside his older brother, Greyson, instantly transforming the family from two children to four. Today, at 17 years old, he's a high school junior, an accomplished football and track athlete, and a young man beginning to think about college, adulthood, and the future ahead.
Together, father and son reflect on growing up in a family built through foster care and adoption, what it was like being surrounded by advocacy and public service, and how Tristan defines family, belonging, and home.
More than a Father's Day episode, this is a conversation about love, resilience, healing, and the lasting impact of showing up for one another.
Conversation Highlights
Tristan's perspective on growing up in the Scheer family
What it means to be part of a family formed through foster care and adoption
Growing up around Comfort Cases, advocacy, and public service
The values Rob and Reece worked to instill in their children
How family is built through commitment, consistency, and love
Lessons learned from fatherhood, family, and shared experiences
Athletics, college aspirations, and Tristan's hopes for the future
Why belonging matters at every stage of life
Why This Episode Matters
This conversation reminds us that foster care is not ultimately about systems, policies, or paperwork.
It's about people.
It's about children finding stability, growing into young adults, building relationships, and creating futures for themselves.
As Father's Day arrives, we also recognize that families come in many forms. Some young people have traditional fathers in their lives. Others are guided by foster fathers, adoptive fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, mentors, coaches, teachers, or caregivers who step forward when they're needed most.
And many are still searching for that connection.
To all those who show up, stay present, and help a young person know they matter: Happy Father's Day.
And to every young person experiencing foster care, may this conversation remind you that family is not defined by biology alone. Family is built through love, commitment, and the people who choose to stay.
🎧 Thank you for listening to Fostering Change. Join us next week for another powerful conversation focused on creating brighter futures for youth experiencing foster care.
🎥 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.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Who gets to tell the story of adoption?
For generations, adoption narratives have often been shaped by agencies, systems, and families. But increasingly, adoptees themselves are taking ownership of those stories and offering perspectives that are more complex, nuanced, and deeply personal.
This week on Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by acclaimed author, educator, and activist Shannon Gibney, whose award-winning memoir, The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be, explores transracial adoption, identity, race, belonging, and the lifelong process of understanding where we come from.
As an adoptee, Shannon brings lived experience to a conversation that challenges assumptions and invites listeners to think more deeply about identity, voice, and perspective. Together, Rob and Shannon explore how adoption stories evolve over time, why adoptee voices matter, and what it means to reclaim ownership of one's own narrative.
This is not a conversation about simple answers. It's a conversation about listening, understanding, and making space for experiences that have too often been left out of the discussion.
Conversation Highlights
How adoption narratives are evolving to include more adoptee-centered perspectives
The unique complexities of transracial adoption and identity formation
Why race, culture, and belonging remain important parts of the adoption conversation
How Shannon uses "speculative memoir" to explore memory, identity, and possibility
What it means for adoptees to reclaim and tell their own stories
Why listening to lived experience strengthens conversations about adoption and foster care
About Shannon Gibney
Shannon Gibney is an award-winning writer, educator, and activist whose work explores race, identity, family, and adoption. She is the author of several acclaimed books, including The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption, which received a Michael L. Printz Honor and a Minnesota Book Award.
In addition to her writing, Shannon teaches at Minneapolis College and was named Educator of the Year in 2023. Her work encourages readers and audiences to engage thoughtfully with questions of identity, belonging, and social justice.
Connect with Shannon Gibney
🌐 Website: Shannon Gibney
📧 Email: [email protected]
Closing Thought
Identity is not a destination. It is a lifelong journey.
This conversation reminds us that adoption is not a single event but an experience that continues to shape people across a lifetime. By listening to adoptee voices, we deepen our understanding of belonging, family, and the many ways people make sense of their own stories.
🎧 Join us next week for another powerful conversation as Fostering Change continues to explore the people, ideas, and experiences shaping the future of foster care and adoption.https://youtu.be/k8YuD5iw_uE
🎥 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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What happens to a child when they grow up in foster care… and no one ever comes for them?
Not when they’re five.
Not when they’re ten.
Not even when they’re fifteen.
This week on Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Jennifer Pinder, Executive Director of You Gotta Believe!, an organization that has spent the last 30 years proving that it is never too late for a young person in foster care to have a permanent, loving family.
As an adoptee herself, Jennifer brings both lived experience and professional leadership to this conversation — helping challenge the harmful belief that older youth are “too old” for adoption or permanency.
Together, Rob and Jennifer discuss why older youth are so often overlooked, the emotional realities of aging out of foster care alone, and how You Gotta Believe! is redefining what family can look like for teenagers and young adults in care.
At the center of this conversation is a simple but powerful truth: every child deserves belonging, commitment, and someone who will show up for them — no matter their age.
Conversation Highlights
Why do thousands of youth age out of foster care each year without permanent family connections
The misconceptions and fears that prevent many families from considering older youth adoption
How You Gotta Believe! focuses exclusively on permanency for older youth in foster care
Why lived experience matters in leadership, advocacy, and building trust with young people
What permanency and belonging truly mean for youth who have spent years in the system
About Jennifer Pinder
Jennifer Pinder is the Executive Director of You Gotta Believe!, a nonprofit dedicated to finding permanent families for older youth in foster care. Since joining the organization in 2020, she has led efforts in advocacy, communications, fundraising, and strategic growth as the organization celebrates its 30th anniversary.
An adoptee herself, Jennifer brings a deeply personal connection to the organization’s mission and works alongside a team that includes many individuals with lived experience in child welfare.
Connect with Jennifer & You Gotta Believe!
🌐 Website: You Gotta Believe!
📸 Instagram: @jennifer_yougottabelieve
💼 LinkedIn: Jennifer Pinder LinkedIn
Closing Thought
Family is not about perfection.
It is about commitment. Consistency. Showing up.
This conversation is a reminder that no young person should leave foster care believing they are unwanted or forgotten — and that it is never too late for someone to belong.
🎥 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.
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As National Foster Care Awareness Month comes to a close, this episode of Fostering Change focuses on something deeply important: what happens when organizations stop working in silos and start working together for young people.
This week, Rob Scheer is joined by two Los Angeles-based leaders making a meaningful impact in the lives of youth connected to foster care: Beth Ryan, Executive Director & Founder of Stepping Forward LA, and Jorie Das, Executive Director of Friends of the Children Los Angeles.
Together, their organizations are helping young people navigate some of the most difficult transitions imaginable — aging out of foster care, finding stability, building community, and creating long-term support systems rooted in consistency and trust.
Beth Ryan’s work through Stepping Forward LA focuses on youth transitioning out of foster care, with programs centered around mentorship, housing support, internships, workforce readiness, and a first-of-its-kind app designed by and for foster youth.
Jorie Das leads Friends of the Children Los Angeles, which provides long-term professional mentorship to youth facing systemic barriers through a unique 12+ year commitment model focused on stability, prevention, and long-term success.
Throughout the conversation, Rob, Beth, and Jorie explore how collaboration between nonprofits can strengthen outcomes for youth — and why consistent relationships remain one of the most powerful tools for healing and success.
Episode Highlights
Why aging out of foster care remains one of the biggest challenges facing young adults
How mentorship and long-term relationships improve outcomes for youth
The importance of nonprofit collaboration instead of competition
How Los Angeles reflects both the scale of the foster care crisis and the opportunity for innovation
Why Foster Care Awareness Month must lead to meaningful action and engagement
About the Guests
Beth Ryan is the Executive Director & Founder of Stepping Forward LA, a nonprofit supporting youth aging out of foster care through mentorship, housing support, workforce development, and community-based solutions. As the organization approaches its 10-year anniversary, Stepping Forward LA continues expanding its impact across Los Angeles.
Jorie Das is the Executive Director of Friends of the Children Los Angeles, an organization providing long-term professional mentorship to youth facing systemic barriers. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded across Los Angeles County, helping youth and caregivers through a prevention-focused model built on consistency and trust.
Key Questions from This Episode
What prompted the creation of Stepping Forward LA and Friends of the Children Los Angeles?
What are the biggest challenges youth face when aging out of foster care?
Why does long-term mentorship matter so much?
How can nonprofits collaborate more effectively to support youth?
What role do community, housing, and workforce development play in long-term stability?
How can people move beyond awareness and take meaningful action?
Connect with the Guests
Stepping Forward LA
🌐 Website: Stepping Forward LA
📸 Instagram: @steppingforwardla
Friends of the Children Los Angeles
🌐 Website: Friends of the Children Los Angeles
📸 Instagram: @friendsla
Closing Thought
Real change rarely happens alone.
This conversation is a reminder that when organizations, mentors, communities, and advocates work together, young people experience something powerful: consistency, connection, and the belief that they are not navigating life alone.
🎥 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.
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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Christie Werts, a former foster youth, Army veteran, author, and adoptive mother whose life has come full circle through foster care.
Christie shares her journey in her book, Life’s Sad Story, God’s Love Story, tracing a path from childhood trauma and separation to healing, compassion, and building a family of her own.
This is an especially emotional conversation for Rob, who reflects openly on the painful experience of his own mother leaving him and his siblings — and the lasting impact that loss has had throughout his life.
Together, Rob and Christie explore how childhood trauma shapes identity, how healing can emerge in unexpected ways, and what it means to return to the foster care system — not as a child, but as a parent determined to create something different.
At the center of Christie’s story is compassion: a decision to foster and later adopt her husband’s ex-wife’s child in order to keep siblings connected and together.
And by the end of the conversation, Christie leaves listeners with a message that becomes the emotional heartbeat of the episode: this is ultimately a love story — about God, healing, and hope.
As Christie shares:
“There’s a love story ahead of you. And it’s gonna be ok.”
Episode Highlights
Christie’s journey from foster youth to foster and adoptive parent
The emotional impact of childhood separation and abandonment
How trauma and healing can exist side by side
A remarkable decision to keep siblings together through adoption
The role of faith, compassion, and second chances in rebuilding family
About the Guest
Christie Werts is a former foster youth, Army veteran, author, speaker, and mother of five whose life has come full circle through foster care and adoption. After experiencing trauma in the system as a child, she later returned to foster care as a parent, ultimately adopting a child connected to her own family.
Through her book, Life’s Sad Story, God’s Love Story, Christie shares a deeply personal journey of resilience, faith, healing, and compassion.
Key Questions from This Episode
What inspired you to write Life’s Sad Story, God’s Love Story?
How did your childhood experiences in foster care shape your life?
What led you to step back into foster care as a parent?
How did the decision to adopt your husband’s ex-wife’s child come about?
What did healing look like for you over time?
How have kindness and compassion shaped your family today?
What message do you hope listeners take from your story?
Connect with Christie
📱 TikTok:
@Cjthemom5
📘 Facebook / Instagram:
Christie Werts
🎥 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.
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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by David Sussillo, a neuroscientist, author, and former youth who experienced a childhood marked by instability, poverty, and time in group homes.
His story begins in environments many children in foster care and group settings know all too well — uncertainty, trauma, and systems that don’t always provide the support they should. But his story doesn’t end there.
Through a combination of resilience, critical intervention, and moments where someone stepped in, David found a path forward. Today, he is a leading neuroscientist who has worked at Stanford, Google, and Meta, studying the very thing that shaped his life: the human brain.
His memoir, Emergence, is not just a story of survival — it is a powerful reminder of what can happen when even one opportunity changes the trajectory of a child’s life.
This conversation challenges us to ask a difficult but necessary question: how many children are out there right now, just one moment away from a different future?
Episode Highlights
Growing up in instability, poverty, and group home environments
How trauma shapes memory, identity, and development
The role of mentors, teachers, and small interventions
From survival to success in neuroscience and research
Reflecting on resilience, loss, and the paths not taken
About the Guest
David Sussillo is a neuroscientist, author, and adjunct professor at Stanford University. After a childhood marked by instability and time in group homes, he earned a PhD in computational neuroscience from Columbia University and has worked at leading institutions, including Google Brain and Meta.
His memoir, Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mysteries of Mind, tells the story of his journey from trauma to transformation.
Key Questions from This Episode
What led you to write Emergence now?
What was it like to revisit your childhood experiences through writing?
How did you navigate growing up in group homes and unstable environments?
Who were the people who helped change your path?
What role did small moments or opportunities play in your journey?
How do you reflect on your success alongside those who didn’t have the same outcome?
What would you say to a young person facing similar challenges today?
Closing Thought
Sometimes it doesn’t take everything changing — it takes one moment, one person, one opportunity.
And for a child navigating instability, that can be the difference between surviving and becoming something far beyond anyone's expectations.
Connect with David
🌐 Website:
https://www.davidsussillo.com
🐦 Twitter/X:
https://x.com/SussilloDavid
🔗 LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sussillo-736a1290/
🎥 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.
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This episode kicks off National Foster Care Awareness Month — a time not just to reflect, but to act.
On today’s Fostering Change, Rob Scheer welcomes back Laura, The Foster Parent Partner, a therapeutic foster parent, mentor, and now author of First-Time Fostering, releasing May 12.
This conversation focuses on a question many people ask, but far fewer answer: what does it actually take to become a foster parent?
Not the idea of it — the reality.
Laura brings practical, real-world insight into what fostering looks like day to day, what new foster parents need to understand, and how to move from thinking about it to stepping into it. As a returning guest, she builds on her previous conversation with Rob to go deeper into the emotional, logistical, and human side of fostering.
As we begin National Foster Care Awareness Month, this episode serves as a starting point for those considering how they can be part of the solution.
Episode Highlights
Why National Foster Care Awareness Month should lead to action, not just recognition
The gap between thinking about fostering and actually saying yes
What foster parenting really looks like day to day
Common fears and misconceptions that hold people back
How support, mentorship, and community make fostering possible
About Laura
Known as The Foster Parent Partner, Laura is a therapeutic foster parent, content creator, and mentor who supports individuals navigating the foster care journey. Through her platform, she helps new foster parents move through the licensing process and prepare for their first placement with confidence.
Her new book, First-Time Fostering, is a practical, honest guide designed to equip future foster parents with the tools, expectations, and clarity needed to take that first step.
Key Questions from This Episode
What inspired you to write First-Time Fostering — and who is it for?
What makes this book different from others about foster care?
Why does Foster Care Awareness Month matter, and how should people respond?
What are the biggest fears that stop people from fostering?
What does fostering really look like on a daily basis?
What role does community play in helping foster parents succeed?
What should someone do if they’re on the fence right now?
Closing Thought
Awareness is only the beginning. What matters is what comes next.
Foster care doesn’t need more observers — it needs more people willing to step in, show up, and say yes.
🎥 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.
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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Jennifer Griffith, author of Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment and host of the About Your Mother podcast.
This conversation centers on a deeply personal and universal question: how much of who we become is shaped by the relationship we have—or don’t have—with our mother?
Jennifer’s memoir explores abandonment, generational trauma, and the search for understanding and connection. While her story is not rooted in foster care, the themes resonate deeply. Many children in foster care experience separation from their biological parents, particularly their mothers, making this conversation especially relevant to identity, belonging, and emotional development.
Together, Rob and Jennifer explore how early relationships shape us, how patterns are passed down, and how telling the truth about our stories can open the door to healing and transformation.
Episode Highlights
How maternal relationships influence identity and self-worth
The lasting emotional impact of abandonment and separation
Understanding and breaking cycles of generational trauma
Why storytelling can be a powerful tool for healing
How these themes connect to the experiences of youth in foster care
About the Guest
Jennifer Griffith is an author, speaker, and host of the About Your Mother podcast, where she explores the stories that shape identity and relationships. Her debut memoir, Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment, examines generational trauma, resilience, and the lasting influence of family history. Through her work, she encourages others to better understand their past and find meaning in the connections that define them.
Key Questions from This Episode
What did writing your story teach you about understanding where we come from?
Why is the “mother story” such a powerful lens for identity?
What does healing look like when relationships are complicated or absent?
How do early experiences of separation shape a child’s sense of self?
Where does healing begin for someone carrying a difficult family story?
Connect with Jennifer
🌐 Website: https://byjennifergriffith.com/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byjennifergriffith/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/byjennifergriffith/
Closing Thought
Understanding where we come from doesn’t always give us easy answers — but it can give us clarity. And sometimes, that clarity is the first step toward healing, growth, and a different path forward.
🎥 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.
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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer welcomes back Jodi Grinwald, founder of Today is the Day, co-founder of Applaud Our Kids Foundation, and author of the new book Today is the Day: LIVE IT!.
Jodi is a returning guest to the podcast, and we’re excited to continue this important conversation around opportunity, connection, and impact.
Jodi’s work is grounded in a simple but powerful idea: if the table doesn’t exist, build it — and make sure others have a seat.
Her new book, Today is the Day: LIVE IT!, expands on that philosophy, encouraging readers to take action, lead with purpose, and create meaningful impact in their own lives and communities.
👉 Learn more and purchase the book: https://todayisthedayliveit.com/live-it
This episode also builds on a recent crossover conversation — Rob was a guest on Jodi’s podcast, Today is the Day Changemakers.
🎧 Watch Rob’s episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1rN8EtfTJM&t=501s
Through Applaud Our Kids, Jodi is helping children gain access to music, dance, and acting programs that might otherwise be out of reach. While her work is not exclusively focused on foster care, the connection is clear. Children experiencing instability or hardship often miss out on opportunities that build confidence, identity, and a sense of belonging.
This conversation explores what it means to create those opportunities — and why access, connection, and creative expression can change the trajectory of a child’s life.
Episode Highlights
What it means to “build the table” and create opportunities for others
Why access to the arts can be transformational for children
The role of connection in building confidence and long-term impact
How purpose can drive action, even when the path is unclear
Why opportunity and exposure matter for youth facing hardship
About the Guest
Jodi Grinwald is a leadership and connection strategist, speaker, and founder of Today is the Day Changemakers—a global platform and podcast that reaches listeners in more than 135 countries. She helps organizations strengthen the connections that power performance, shape culture, and accelerate growth.
She is also the co-founder and CEO of the Applaud Our Kids Foundation, expanding access to performing arts education for children ages 7–18.
Jodi is the author of Today is the Day: LIVE IT! along with 30 other leadership voices. The book is a powerful reflection on courage, leadership, resilience, and connection—calling individuals to step into purpose, create opportunity, and lead with intention.
Key Questions from This Episode
What does “build the table” mean, and how can people apply it in their own lives?
Why is access to the arts so important for children and youth?
How can programs like Applaud Our Kids support children experiencing instability?
What role does creative expression play in identity and confidence?
How can someone take the first step toward making a difference?
About Applaud Our Kids Foundation
The Applaud Our Kids Foundation provides access to performing arts education for children ages 7–18, helping them build confidence, discipline, and a sense of identity through creative expression.
Connect with Jodi
🌐 Websites:
TodayistheDayLiveIt.com
ApplaudOurKids.org
📸 Instagram:
@todayisthedayliveit
@applaudourkids
🔗 LinkedIn:
Jodi Grinwald
📘 Facebook:
Today is the Day Live It
Applaud Our Kids
Closing Thought
Creating change doesn’t always require building something new — sometimes it means opening a door that should have been open all along. This episode is a reminder that when we create space for young people to explore who they are, we help shape who they can become.
🎥 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.
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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Katy Encalade, President and CEO of Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions, who has spent more than two decades helping to create and support families.
Katy brings a unique and deeply personal perspective to this conversation. She has been a foster parent, an egg donor, and a surrogate — offering a rare view across multiple paths of supporting children and building families. Her experience as a foster mom serves as a meaningful bridge, grounding this conversation in the realities of child welfare while expanding the lens to include other ways people can step in to help.
While Fostering Change often focuses on foster care, adoption, and permanency, this episode broadens that perspective. Katy encourages listeners to consider that there are many ways to support children and families — whether by opening your home, helping someone become a parent by choosing to be a surrogate or egg donor, or finding other ways to show up with compassion and responsibility.
Episode Highlights
How foster care, surrogacy, and egg donation connect through a shared purpose of supporting children and families
The importance of lived experience, including Katy’s time as a foster parent
Why stability, care, and belonging remain central across all family-building paths
The role of ethics, transparency, and trust in family-building work
Encouraging people to explore different ways they can help support children and families
About the Guest
Katy Encalade is the President and CEO of Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions, an organization that has helped create more than 2,000 families worldwide. A former foster parent, egg donor, and surrogate, she brings both personal experience and professional expertise to her work. Katy has spent more than two decades advocating for ethical, transparent, and relationship-driven approaches to family-building, previously served as Board Chair of the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, and now serves as Board Chair of Families Out Loud.
Connect with Katy
🌐 Website: www.CreateAHappyFamily.com
📘 Facebook: Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions
📸 Instagram: @createahappyfamily
🎵 TikTok: @createahappyfamily
🔗 LinkedIn: Katy Encalade
🎥 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.
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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Mordy Kurtz of The Boxery, a company that demonstrates how even behind-the-scenes business operations can play a meaningful role in supporting children in foster care.
At Comfort Cases, partnerships are essential. The Boxery has been a valued partner, providing boxes and shipping materials that help deliver Comfort Cases to children across the country. While this support may not always be visible, it is critical to ensuring that essential items reach youth who need them.
Mordy leads marketing and growth at The Boxery, bringing creativity and purpose to an industry often viewed as purely transactional. Through initiatives like Givebox, the company is demonstrating how businesses can integrate giving into their everyday operations and make a meaningful impact in their communities.
This conversation explores how companies of any size or industry can align their operations with purpose and become active participants in supporting causes like foster care.
Episode Highlights
The role of operational partnerships in supporting nonprofit impact
How The Boxery contributes to Comfort Cases through logistics and infrastructure
Bringing creativity and brand voice to a traditional industry
The importance of customer-focused, solution-driven marketing
How initiatives like Givebox integrate giving into everyday business operations
About the Guest
Mordy Kurtz leads marketing and growth at The Boxery, where he focuses on creative branding, customer-first marketing, and building systems that help businesses operate more effectively. With more than 15 years of experience, including work with nonprofits, he brings a purpose-driven approach to business and is helping expand The Boxery’s impact through initiatives like Givebox.
About the Partnership
The Boxery supports Comfort Cases by providing essential packaging and shipping materials for nationwide distribution. This partnership highlights the importance of infrastructure and logistics in delivering resources to children experiencing foster care.
Connect & Learn More
🌐 Website: theboxery.com
📘 Facebook: The Boxery
📸 Instagram: @theboxery
🐦 X (Twitter): @TheBoxery
🧵 Threads: @theboxery
🎵 TikTok: @theboxery
🔗 LinkedIn: Mordy Kurtz | The Boxery
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎥 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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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by leaders and advocates working directly with young people transitioning out of foster care: Sarah Baumgartner of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Brian Robinson of Kids’ Voice of Indiana, and Princess Martinez Casanova, a foster youth leader and member of the Youth Impact Board at Kids’ Voice.
For Comfort Cases, partnerships have always been central to the mission. The organization’s first corporate Packing Parties began in Indiana with Elevance Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 2008. Since then, Anthem has remained a longstanding partner, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to corporate responsibility and to supporting children and youth experiencing foster care.
Today, that commitment continues through collaboration with Kids’ Voice of Indiana, working together to raise the voice of youth transitioning out of foster care by creating resources, providing transition support, and expanding opportunities for education and career advancement.
As Foster Care Awareness Month approaches in May, this conversation highlights the importance of recognizing the needs of young people preparing to age out of the system — and the role partnerships play in helping them build strong, independent futures.
Episode Highlights
The importance of supporting youth as they transition out of foster care
How corporate partnerships can expand resources and opportunities for young people
The role of Kids’ Voice of Indiana in advocating for older youth and preparing them for independence
The impact of mentorship, advocacy, and youth voice in shaping better outcomes
Real-life success stories, including pathways to higher education and career development
About the Guests
Sarah Baumgartner is the Older Youth Case Manager on the Foster Care Team at Anthem Indiana Behavioral Health Services. She brings more than 20 years of experience in mental health, including residential treatment, school-based counseling, and private practice. Her work focuses on supporting older youth as they transition from foster care to adulthood.
Brian Robinson is the Director of Older Youth Initiatives for Kids’ Voice of Indiana. With more than 25 years of experience working with children and families, including serving as a Guardian ad Litem since the early 1990s, he centers his work on preparing older youth in foster care for independence.
Princess Martinez Casanova is a bilingual education advocate, foster youth leader, and member of the Youth Impact Board at Kids’ Voice of Indiana. After immigrating from Mexico as a teenager and entering foster care at fourteen, she is now attending DePauw University on a full scholarship, studying Education Studies and Spanish, and advocating for foster youth and immigrant communities.
About the Work
The collaboration between Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Kids’ Voice focuses on:
Transition support for youth aging out of foster care
Elevating youth voice and advocacy
Expanding access to education and career pathways
These efforts reflect a shared commitment to helping young people move from foster care into adulthood with the tools, support, and opportunities they need to succeed.
Connect & Learn More
Kids’ Voice of Indiana: https://kidsvoicein.org/
Facebook: @AnthemMedicaid
Instagram: @anthembcbs
X (Twitter): @AnthemBCBS
LinkedIn: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield – Medicaid Health Plans
🎥 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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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Karen Segal, founder of Photo Safe, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting what many children in foster care often miss: photographs and personal memories.
For most families, childhood photos are a given. They capture milestones, friendships, and the small moments that help us understand who we are and where we come from. But for many children experiencing foster care, frequent moves and disrupted connections mean those memories are rarely preserved.
Photo Safe was founded to close that gap. Through a network of volunteer photographers, the organization has provided more than 60,000 professionally taken and framed photographs to youth connected to foster care and their families.
At the heart of Photo Safe’s work is a commitment to safety and confidentiality. Every image is securely archived and preserved so children can access their memories safely now and decades into the future.
In this conversation, Rob and Karen explore why photographs matter for identity, how preserving childhood moments can help young people build a sense of belonging, and why something as simple as a picture can become a powerful anchor in a child’s life.
Episode Highlights
Why childhood photographs play a vital role in identity and emotional development
The often-overlooked reality is that many youth in foster care grow up without documented memories
How Photo Safe protects images through secure archival systems and strict confidentiality
The lasting emotional impact of framed photographs and preserved milestones
How preserving memories helps youth maintain a connection to their own story
About the Guest
Karen Segal is the founder of Photo Safe, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving childhood photographs for youth in foster care. After a 30-year career in financial technology with firms including Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, and Barclays, she now serves as a Quality Executive at Ernst & Young. Through Photo Safe’s volunteer network of photographers, the organization has provided more than 60,000 framed photographs to children and families connected to foster care while maintaining rigorous standards of privacy, security, and long-term archival preservation.
Connect with Photo Safe
🌐 Website: www.photosafe.org
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/photosafe.org
🎥 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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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by his friend, Pedro Andrade, an Emmy Award–winning journalist, producer, and global storyteller whose work explores identity, culture, and what it truly means to be a family.
Pedro is the host and producer of the HBO Max documentary series Somewhat Familiar, which follows Pedro and his husband as they adopt a baby and travel the world exploring how families are formed across cultures and communities.
One episode of the series is especially meaningful to the Fostering Change community. Episode five featured Rob Scheer and the Scheer family, offering an honest look at foster care, adoption, and what permanency can look like in real life.
In this conversation, Rob and Pedro revisit that experience and explore how storytelling can expand our understanding of family, bring visibility to foster care, and inspire more compassionate conversations about belonging.
Episode Highlights
How media and storytelling can redefine traditional ideas of family
Why foster care stories deserve a place in global conversations about belonging
Pedro’s experience of becoming a parent and how it shaped his perspective on adoption
What the Scheer family story revealed about permanency and resilience
The role of documentaries in shifting public understanding and reducing stigma
About the Guest
Pedro Andrade is an Emmy Award–winning journalist, producer, and global storyteller known for his work exploring culture, identity, and human connection. He is the host and producer of the HBO Max documentary series Somewhat Familiar, which follows Pedro and his husband as they navigate adoption while exploring family structures around the world. Through his work, Pedro highlights diverse stories of belonging and invites audiences to see family through a wider, more compassionate lens.
Connect with Pedro
📸 Instagram: @pedroandradeTV
🎬 Series: Somewhat Familiar with Pedro Andrade on HBO Max
🎥 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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On this episode of Fostering Change Podcast, Rob Scheer is joined by Temple Lentz — nonprofit CEO, local elected official, and debut novelist — for a thoughtful conversation about what happens when the systems designed to protect vulnerable families don’t always work the way they’re supposed to.
Temple is the author of the novel Not Quite Home, which explores the cracks in America’s social service safety net. While the book is fiction, its themes are grounded in real-world experience. Having worked both inside nonprofit leadership and as an elected official, Temple brings a rare systems-level perspective to the conversation.
Together, Rob and Temple discuss the gap between policy and lived reality, how well-intentioned systems can sometimes cause unintended harm, and why storytelling may be one of the most powerful tools we have to illuminate the need for reform.
Episode Highlights
• Why systems meant to help families often fall short
• The unintended consequences of well-intentioned policies
• What people misunderstand about how social service systems actually function
• Why fiction can humanize policy failures more effectively than reports and data
• How civic engagement and storytelling can open doors to meaningful reform
About the Guest
Temple Lentz is a nonprofit CEO, local elected official, and debut novelist. She earned a BA from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Claremont Lincoln University. Her writing has appeared in outlets including the Portland Mercury, Vancouver Business Journal, Live Wire! Radio, New City Chicago, and the Windy City Times.
Her first novel, Not Quite Home, examines the human impact of systemic gaps within America’s social safety net.
Connect with Temple
🌐 Website: templelentzbooks.com
📘 Facebook: Temple Lentz
📸 Instagram: @gototemple
🐦 X/Twitter: @gototemple
🧵 Threads: @gototemple
🔗 LinkedIn: Temple Lentz
🎥 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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On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer sits down with Dr. Liz DeBetta — an award-winning writer, educator, and solo performance artist whose work explores adoption, trauma, identity, and healing through storytelling.
Dr. Liz is the founder of Migrating Toward Wholeness, a trauma-informed, arts-based healing framework, and the author of Adult Adoptees and Writing to Heal. Her work centers on an often-overlooked truth: adoption isn’t a moment — it’s a lifelong identity journey.
This conversation is especially meaningful for Rob, who reflects on his own experience adopting his son Alex, who joined the Scheer family at 18 and was formally adopted at 22 — a powerful reminder that belonging and permanency have no age limit.
Together, Rob and Dr. Liz explore how adults navigate adoption-related grief and identity, why healing can unfold later in life, and how storytelling becomes a transformative tool for reclaiming voice and wholeness.
Episode Highlights
Late and adult adoption as meaningful and transformative
How writing and embodied storytelling support trauma integration
What “wholeness” means for identities shaped by early loss
The role adoptive families play in supporting adult adoptees over time
About the Guest
Dr. Liz DeBetta is an award-winning writer, educator, and solo performance artist whose work focuses on adoption, trauma, and identity through narrative expression. She is the founder of Migrating Toward Wholeness™, the author of Adult Adoptees and Writing to Heal, and the creator of the acclaimed one-woman show Un-M-Othered, which examines adoption and patriarchy through embodied storytelling. Holding a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, she blends research, lived experience, and art to support healing and identity integration.
Connect with Dr. Liz
🌐 Website: www.lizdebetta.com
📘 Facebook: Dr. Liz DeBetta
📸 Instagram: @dr.liz.debetta
🎵 TikTok: @dr.liz.debetta
🔗 LinkedIn: Liz DeBetta, Ph.D.
🎥 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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This episode of Fostering Change was originally scheduled to air in March — but after recording, Rob Scheer felt the conversation was too important to wait. He personally requested that it be released early so listeners could hear it as soon as possible.
Rob is joined by Rachel Bruno, a Nashville-based author, speaker, and advocate whose deeply personal experience with the child welfare system ignited a powerful call for accountability and reform.
After her children were unlawfully removed by child protective services, Rachel found herself confronting a system where parental rights, due process, and family integrity are often overlooked. Instead of staying silent, she fought back — ultimately securing a seven-figure civil rights settlement and emerging as a leading national voice for families facing similar injustices.
Rachel is the author of Fractured Hope: A Mother’s Fight for Justice and founder of Giver of Light, an organization dedicated to supporting families navigating child welfare involvement. Together, Rob and Rachel discuss hope after trauma, the urgent need for accountability, and why lived experience must guide ethical, child-centered reform.
Episode Highlights
• How one mother’s fight sparked national conversations about reform
• What families experience when due process is ignored
• Accountability and justice within child welfare
• How Giver of Light supports families in crisis
• Why lived experience belongs at the center of policy change
📘 Book Recommendation
Rob strongly recommends Rachel’s book:
Fractured Hope: A Mother’s Fight for Justice — a powerful firsthand account that exposes the realities families face inside the child welfare system and why reform is urgently needed.
👉 Get the book directly from Rachel:
https://rachelbruno.com/book/
Purchasing directly supports her advocacy and helps amplify voices too often unheard.
About the Guest
Rachel Bruno is an author, speaker, and advocate for parental rights. Her lived experience navigating the child welfare system made her a national leader in reform. After securing a civil rights settlement for the unlawful removal of her children, she authored Fractured Hope and founded Giver of Light. She continues to serve in leadership and advisory roles, promoting family integrity, accountability, and ethical child welfare practices.
Connect with Rachel & Giver of Light
🌐 Website: www.thegiveroflight.org
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/rachelbrunospeaks
📸 Instagram: @rachelbrunospeaks
🐦 X/Twitter: @bruno.rachel
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rachelbruno
🎥 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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Nonprofits exist to serve people — not paperwork.
But too often, outdated financial systems slow growth, strain leadership, and pull focus away from mission-driven work.
This week on Fostering Change, Rob Scheer sits down with Stephen Garten, Founder & CEO of Charity Charge, a Public Benefit Corporation built exclusively to support the financial needs of nonprofit organizations.
Stephen launched Charity Charge in 2015 after recognizing a widespread problem: nonprofits were forced to rely on banking and financial tools never designed for how they actually operate. Today, Charity Charge serves more than 3,000 nonprofits nationwide, offering nonprofit-specific credit cards, bookkeeping and compliance tools, gift cards, and over $60 million in working capital — empowering leaders to focus on impact instead of infrastructure.
Rob and Stephen also reflect on their recent crossover conversation, following Rob’s appearance on Stephen’s podcast, The Charity Charge Nonprofit Spotlight, where they continued discussing leadership, transparency, and sustainability in the social sector.
🎧 Watch or listen to Rob’s interview here:
https://www.charitycharge.com/nonprofit-resources/rob-scheer-comfort-cases/
Episode Highlights
• Why traditional banking often fails nonprofit organizations
• How Charity Charge was built specifically for mission-driven leaders
• The connection between financial transparency and donor trust
• Lessons learned from supporting thousands of nonprofits nationwide
• What it takes to build long-term sustainability without losing sight of mission
About the Guest
Stephen Garten is the Founder and CEO of Charity Charge, a Public Benefit Corporation providing financial infrastructure built exclusively for nonprofits. Since launching in 2015, Charity Charge has supported more than 3,000 organizations, delivered over $60 million in working capital, and granted more than $1 million through the Charity Charge Foundation.
His work has been featured by Forbes, Fast Company, and The Today Show, and he hosts The Charity Charge Nonprofit Spotlight, highlighting nonprofit and social impact leaders across the country.
Connect with Charity Charge
🌐 Website: www.charitycharge.com
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/CharityCharge
📸 Instagram: @charitycharge
🐦 X/Twitter: @charitycharge
🔗 LinkedIn: Charity Charge
🎥 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.
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As Fostering Change continues through Season 7, this episode dives into an urgent but often unseen issue: menstrual and postpartum poverty, and how it impacts girls in foster care and communities around the world.
Rob Scheer sits down with Yvonne Esipila Patron, Co-Founder and CEO of the PATESI Foundation, an organization working globally to ensure women and girls have the dignity, resources, and education they deserve.
In 2025, Comfort Cases and PATESI began a powerful partnership to make sure no girl entering foster care faces her first night without essential menstrual supplies. Through this collaboration, PATESI donates up to 10,000 emergency menstrual kits each year, included in Comfort Cases® backpacks for girls ages eight and up — providing dignity, protection, and confidence during moments of deep transition.
Together, Rob and Yvonne unpack why menstrual poverty remains invisible, why postpartum poverty continues long after childbirth, and why involving men and boys is key to ending stigma and driving real change.
Episode Highlights
• The global impact of menstrual poverty and why it’s rarely discussed
• How entering foster care can make menstruation even more stressful for young girls
• What the Comfort Cases × PATESI partnership delivers each year
• Why postpartum poverty deserves national attention
• How male allyship strengthens long-term solutions
About the Guest
Yvonne Esipila Patron is the Co-Founder and CEO of the PATESI Foundation, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending menstrual and postpartum poverty. With a background in public health and sustainable development, she has spent her career advancing reproductive health equity, youth empowerment, and community-driven solutions.
Connect with PATESI
🌐 Website: www.patesifoundation.org
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/patesifoundation
📸 Instagram: @patesifoundation
🎥 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.
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