Growing up without a stable foundation changes everything. For many of us who aged out of foster care, the “what if” questions don’t fade with time — they deepen. What if I had a home that felt safe? What if I had parents who protected me? What if I didn’t have to survive before I could dream?

In this episode of the Fostering AfterCare Podcast, Angie opens up about the grief that comes not only from loss, but from absence. Absence from what was never built in the first place. She reflects on moments when the past reemerged in adulthood: in motherhood, marriage, and milestones that brought both joy and pain.

Together, we’ll explore what it means to grow up without a blueprint, and how that lack of stability ripples into early adulthood. Angie shares personal stories of housing instability, fractured relationships, and rediscovering hope in faith and community. We’ll also unpack the data behind the experience; from homelessness and mental health challenges to the concept of “relational poverty” that is revealing the deeper cost of growing up without secure roots.

More than an exploration of grief, this episode is an invitation to healing. It’s about recognizing that while we can’t rewrite the beginning, we can rebuild the foundation with one act of faith, one relationship, one prayer at a time.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever carried the weight of “what if” after foster care, and for those who walk alongside them, helping turn survival stories into stories of restoration.

• Angie’s personal story of parental grief resurfacing in adulthood

• A story of housing loss and instability after aging out and how community support made a difference

• The heartbreaking reality: between 31–46% of youth who age out experience homelessness by age 26

• Why the absence of stable love, housing, and belonging makes adulthood harder to navigate

• The call to reimagine foster care as a healing ecosystem ; one that supports both youth and the adults who care for them

• A prayer and reflection for those grieving what never was but still daring to build what could be

• What “what if” questions do you still carry from your past?

• How do those questions show up in your life today; in your relationships, faith, or sense of belonging?

• If you support youth or adults with foster care experience, how can your consistency help transform grief into restoration?

This episode is sponsored by The Empty Frames Initiative, a nonprofit empowering orphaned and vulnerable youth as they transition out of care by providing life skills, community, counseling, and access to the Gospel. Learn more at fillingemptyframes.org.

• Connect with Angie on Instagram: @angelaquijadabanks

• Subscribe to The Cozy Glow Newsletter for behind-the-scenes reflections and cozy spiritual nourishment

• Explore I Am Success Workbook for guided tools on healing and identity restoration

• Learn more at AngelaQuijadaBanks.com

• What Happened to you ? (book)

Welcome to the very first episode of Fostering AfterCare! I’m Angela Banks—though you can call me Angie. This podcast was created for us, by us; for adults with foster care experience and anyone walking the long road of healing beyond survival.

In this episode, I share the heart behind this podcast, the story that sparked it, and what you can expect this season. We’ll talk about why your identity is not defined by trauma, and why healing is a lifelong journey of rediscovering who we are.

Whether this is your first step into healing or you’ve been walking this road for a while, I want you to know...you’re not alone. This space is here to remind you that your story doesn’t end in survival. It continues into healing, wholeness, and purpose.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The vision for Fostering AfterCare and why it exists.

• My personal journey aging out, searching for identity, and shifting from survival into healing.

• What this podcast is not (spoiler: no “my way or the highway” here).

• A powerful question from a 2022 workshop: Who am I without my past trauma?

• What you can expect this season: conversations on aging out, hyper-independence, peace and safety, trust, relationships, parenthood, and more.

• An invitation to reflect

• Prayer of hope and love

Reflection Question for You: Who am I becoming beyond my past trauma and pain? Take this question with you into the week and throughout this podcast. Journal on it, pray on it, or simply let it sit with you.

My Hope for You: That you feel less alone. That you find language for what you’ve carried quietly. That you’re reminded you are worthy of love, peace, and a life built on who you truly are and not just what you’ve been through. ❤️

Resources & Links:

• • Connect with me on Instagram: @angelaquijadabanks

  • Learn more about my work: www.angelaquijadabanks.com

Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement.

Aging out of foster care often feels less like a graduation and more like an eviction. One day, you’re told to pack your things. The next, you’re expected to step into adulthood with no clear foundation and no one to guide you.

In this episode of the Fostering AfterCare Podcast, Angie shares her own story of being abruptly displaced under the CARS agreement, navigating college while homeless, and wrestling with deep questions of identity, faith, and survival.

We’ll explore what happens when the “blueprints” of foster homes keep changing, leaving young people with fragments instead of a steady foundation. We’ll also dive into sobering statistics about homelessness, unemployment, and mental health, and reflect on what must change in the ecosystem of care if we want better outcomes for youth.

This episode is about more than data; it’s about grief, faith, and the ongoing search for belonging. It’s for anyone who has ever asked, “What do I do now?” and for those who walk alongside adults with foster care experience.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Angie’s personal story of aging out and the abrupt loss of stability.

• A moment of faith questioning and searching for truth.

• The blueprint and foundation metaphor; why building a stable life after foster care is so difficult without support.

• Heartbreaking data: 1 in 4 youth experience homelessness within 4 years of aging out.

• Why caregivers, caseworkers, and communities also need support to prevent burnout.

• A vision of what aging out could look like: not a shove off a cliff, but a supported step into a larger room.

• A prayer of encouragement for all who carry the question, “What now?”

Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever faced a moment where the question, “What do I do now?” echoed loudly in your own heart? How did you navigate it, and who walked with you?

• If you’re an adult with foster care experience, how have you carried that question into adulthood?

• If you’re a supporter—friend, ally, mentor, or relative—how can you help turn the impossible leap into a supported step?

Sponsor Spotlight This episode is sponsored by the Empty Frames Initiative, a nonprofit empowering orphaned and vulnerable youth as they transition out of care by providing life skills, community, and access to the Gospel. Learn more at fillingemptyframes.org.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Angie on Instagram: @angelaquijadabanks

• Subscribe to the Cozy Glow Newsletter

• Learn more about I Am Success Workbook

🎙️ Fostering AfterCare: The Long Way, Together

Aging out of foster care isn’t the end of the story...it’s the beginning of a whole new chapter. But what happens when that chapter feels overwhelming, lonely, or disorienting?

Welcome to Fostering AfterCare, a podcast created for adults with foster care experience and anyone who wants to understand and support them better. Hosted by award-winning author and advocate Angela Quijada-Banks (Angie), this series blends storytelling, biblical wisdom, and practical tools for healing, encouragement to stay on the path and building a life far beyond survival.

This is a three season podcast following the series theme of " The Long Way Home". In Season 1, we’ll walk “The Disorientation of Aging Out” together. Each episode explores the real challenges and quiet victories of life after foster care; from identity and relationships to holistic health and faith. Through honest conversations and guided reflections, you’ll find reminders that you’re not alone, that your story matters, and that healing is possible.

Whether you’ve aged out yourself, love someone who has, or simply want to learn how to walk alongside this community, Fostering AfterCare is your space to breathe, heal, and grow.

✨ Join us on September 29, 2025—the 5-year anniversary of The Black Foster Youth Handbook—as we begin this journey. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the first episode! And share with someone who needs to know: you don’t have to walk this path alone.

Stay connected: 📖 www.angelaquijadabanks.com 📘 Instagram :@AngelaQuijadaBanks 🌱 Subscribe to the Cozy Glow Newsletter