Garbage Bags to Graduate School: From Invisible to Unstoppable
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Garbage Bags to Graduate School: From Invisible to Unstoppable
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Summary
Beth LaFontaine knows that answer, not from theory, but from lived experience. She moved through 19 foster placements, carried her belongings in garbage bags, and learned early that survival often meant staying quiet, guarded, and unseen. But her story doesn’t stay there.
In this conversation, Beth shares what it actually feels like inside the foster care system, the grief that follows you, the moments that shape you, and the people who can change everything simply by choosing to see you.
“I wasn’t just a behavior. I was a child who needed to be understood.”
“We don’t need better suitcases. We need better systems.”
“There is so much grief, and not enough space to name it.”
You’ll hear about the quiet power of one teacher who saw beyond the chaos, the long shadow of broken trust, and why so many well-intended systems miss what matters most. But this isn’t just a story about what’s broken. It’s about what’s possible.
From high school dropout to licensed clinical social worker, from surviving the system to working to change it, Beth is now helping bring voices together, foster youth, caregivers, and professionals, to build something better.
There’s honesty here. There’s hard truth. And there’s hope. Because being seen can change everything.
Please visit https://FCGadvocacy.org to learn more about the solutions we are working on! The Foster Care Collective is one of areas of focus and information will be updated on our homepage as we continue this important initiative. Also check out our stories of success and some of the ways we can help you move the needle on what matters most to you.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support.
Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.
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