This is the trailer for the BONUS BABIES podcast. Jayne Amelia Larson interview kids, attorneys, social workers, caregivers and more, and tracks her experience learning about and navigating through the foster care system…not as someone who has a lived foster care experience… but through the unique lens of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (or CASA) volunteer––the eyes and ears of the court––whose job it is to seek out as much information as possible about the child to whom they’re assigned, the child’s case, and the child’s family. The CASA acts as the child’s voice, and is her advocate, her voice, in court; and it is a volunteer position, this is what differentiates us everyone else in that child's care. Los Angeles, where she is recording, has 35,000 kids in the county foster care system, and only 1200 CASA volunteers. So do the math, there are not enough of them. We hope that hearing about these kids and from these kids will help give them a voice …to give them a forum to help others understand what it’s like to have a lived foster care experience by hearing the compelling stories of the children who have lived it. Original music by Christina Apostolopoulos. Yukon Haar is the audio producer. Executive Producer is Jake Eberle.

Go to NationalCASAGAL.org to find out about becoming a CASA anywhere in the US, and CASALA.org in Los Angeles.

See bonusbabies.org to learn more about what we are doing and please donate to support us by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES TO RECORDING AND PLATFORMING THESE STORIES. Yeah!

We are so happy there are so many people listening (all over the world!) and can't wait to reach an even bigger audience this next season. Please consider becoming a CASA or a foster parent or offering respite care or contributing to the many worthy organizations working with youth in foster care.

National CASA/GAL
California Youth Connection
National Foster Youth Institute
Peace4kids.org
Adopt a Foster Child in LA
Heart Gallery LA
KIDSAVE

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See bonusbabies.org to learn more about what we are doing and please donate to support us by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES TO RECORDING AND PLATFORMING THESE STORIES. Yeah!

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Jayne Amelia introduces the BONUS BABIES podcast and talks with her first guest, foster parent and Peace4kids.org volunteer, Mrs. Dorrie Woods. After a rewarding career in education, Dorrie retired to a life of family and volunteering with Center of Hope Youth Ministries, Miracle Workers, Carson Foster Parent Association, and Peace4Kids which offers a peaceful respite to children in the system and their families. She’s a Fun Ambassador at the Compton Adult School where one of the highlights was sparking and following through on a prom for intellectually delayed individuals who've never had one before, and she is a volunteer lead at Sister to Sister Purse Ministry providing purses jam packed with hand-written letters of encouragement and comfort items to homeless women. Dorrie founded Travel For Me, creating personalized and fully escorted travel for adults with Downs Syndrome, Autism, and intellectual development disabilities to provide the experience of pleasure and joy of travel. In her role as a foster parent (to mostly special needs children and young adults) and assistant principal, she has supervised, escorted and loved thousands of kids. These experiences have given personal insight on how to foster special needs individuals who are often times marginalized, discredited, ignored and not valued as contributing members of society. Dorrie is a die-hard lover of chocolates, a good scrabble game, and great adventures. She and her husband have had the pleasure of raising 2 biological children, and fostering for 31 years with 26 Bonus Babies. They are currently fostering 2 stellar future leaders.

faithfosterfamilies.org
Peace4kids.org
centerofhopechurch.org/minsitries
dcfs.lacounty.gov/caregivers/adoption
heartgalleryla.org
kidsave.org

See bonusbabies.org to learn more about what we are doing and please donate to support us by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES TO RECORDING AND PLATFORMING THESE STORIES. Yeah!

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Jayne Amelia talks with Jaci Cortez, former foster youth identifying as LGBTQIA and now a foster youth advocate. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Jaci is of Guatemalan and Asian Indian descent, and was in foster care from the ages of 4-21. She has a Communications Degree from Rio Hondo College, and now serves as a consultant to nonprofit organizations and programs that serve current and former foster youth. Jaci is working toward her dream of launching her own nonprofit organization, Sunflower Foster Youth Investment, to help current and former foster youth achieve stability and realize their goals.

pennylane.org
fosterreprohealth.org
CASAla.org
kidsave.org

See bonusbabies.org to learn more about what we are doing and please donate to support us by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES TO RECORDING AND PLATFORMING THESE STORIES. Yeah!

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