Episode 45 – Frontlines of Foster Care: A Conversation with Laura, Foster Parent Partner

TRANSCRIPT:

Travis (00:01.659)
Welcome to another episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast. I’m Travis Vongness, joined by my co-host Courtney Williams. The great French writer, Simone Vey once said, attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. It’s National Foster Care Awareness Month. And today we are joined by a popular face in the fostering community, Laura, with Foster Parent Partner, who’s bringing so much awareness and bringing all of the country’s generosity through awareness to the issue of foster care.

Courtney (00:25.678)
you

Travis (00:31.045)
As we talked about in our previous episode, we are bringing stories of awareness this month and knew she’d be a great guest to have on. Laura’s Instagram channel has more than 250,000 followers. She’s a social media creator who creates videos that provide practical advice and relatable stories to help others navigate the complexities of foster care. Many of these getting millions of views on our huge YouTube channel. Laura’s mission is to raise awareness, advocate for children in foster care, and inspire foster parents to feel confident.

and prepared in their journey. Welcome Laura to the Foster Friendly Podcast.

Laura (01:06.097)
Thank you so much. I’m so excited to be here, especially during Foster Care Awareness Month. So thank you for having me.

Courtney (01:12.328)
Yeah. And again, like Travis said, most people in this this world fostering world, they know who you are. But what’s something about you that maybe our listeners wouldn’t know about you?

Laura (01:22.907)
Ooh, okay. I feel like I share a lot. been, you know, sharing for a couple of years now. think something I haven’t, a niche I have not discussed on my channel is that I’m actually a huge gamer. I am such a nerd and I love playing computer games, not video games, but computer games, which I think makes me extra special.

Travis (01:24.327)
Ha

Laura (01:49.741)
a lot in my downtime decompressing time and obviously with the kids.

Courtney (01:55.502)
very interesting. I didn’t know that computer games were still a thing.

Travis (01:55.687)
that.

Laura (01:59.149)
It’s not. It’s really just games from the 90s.

Travis (02:00.431)
It’s…

Travis (02:04.241)
But there’s a cult following around it, so it’s gotta be like, for those that are in, you’re in deep. Wow.

Laura (02:08.898)
we’re in it. We are in it.

Courtney (02:10.03)
What types of games? Like… Okay. Very specific. Okay. It does sound fascinating.

Laura (02:14.187)
like point and click adventure games if I’m going to be specific.

Travis (02:19.055)
Okay, point and click adventure games. That sounds really fascinating.

Laura (02:24.305)
very different from what I do on Instagram.

Courtney (02:27.819)
Yeah.

Travis (02:29.755)
Well, I’m so glad that that hidden gem of Laura was revealed on this podcast to kick it off.

Courtney (02:33.665)
I you.

Laura (02:36.355)
Anyone is welcome to message me if you also play because I’m here for it.

Travis (02:39.681)
Awesome. That’s awesome. Grow the group. Okay. So very cool. well, as we now pivot back into the space of foster care and kind of more of just your own story and journey, tell us how you decide to start making the videos that you’re making with awareness and kind of bringing people in. How did you continue? And then how do you continue to find inspiration to keep going with that?

Courtney (02:42.03)
Love it.

Laura (03:02.885)
Yeah. So when I very like started at the very beginning, I was actually seeking out some answers myself with a situation that I was experiencing in my day to day. And when I went online, I did not find exactly what I was looking for. There’s tons of amazing foster care related accounts that talk about the broad strokes of statistics and what’s happening.

and also a lot of personal stories, which adds some depth to these conversations. But I was really looking for in the moment information. And I have a friend who is a content creator, and she was like, you should do that. Why don’t you make a video? And so I…

I made a video and put it on TikTok thinking that no one would see it. And then suddenly 7 million people saw it. And, you know, kind of at that point had to make a decision. Am I going to, is this going to happen? Like, am I going to do this? And I thought, okay, let’s try this for three months and just see if people also resonate with this type of information. And, you know, it was impactful. you know,

Courtney (03:57.752)
My goodness.

Laura (04:18.865)
suddenly was having these videos that were really successful and also hearing from the community. And I think to answer your second part of your question, it’s why I’ve been able to continue to make content. You know, I have my personal experiences, but they’re limited. But I’m able to share about a lot of broad topics because I have a community that shares with me. And so I take some

I take the information in the comments, the DMs, the question boxes, and I synthesize and I research and I take trainings and I talk to people who’ve gone through it and I create a video. And that then serves as the next point for more information. You know, I’m so grateful for, like, I have so many different types of people that follow me, not just hopeful and new foster parents. And I think that’s what makes the information really

rich with nuance and really unique situations and considerations that I think the broader community can really connect with.

Travis (05:27.313)
Right. That’s, yeah. Well, they are. very, I mean, so true.

Courtney (05:28.492)
Yeah. So interesting. Yeah.

I was telling Travis because we were a few weeks ago about you and I was like, I go click on your name and I see friends that follow you that aren’t just foster parents. It’s just the algorithms and all that of how it works, but it’s interesting that.

Laura (05:46.625)
Yeah, think people will see a topic and it isn’t just related to foster parents. know, a lot of people experience these things that are difficult or childhood trauma that is outside of child welfare. And also a lot of people work with children impacted by foster care, teachers, daycare providers, physicians, therapists. And I think everyone wants to serve the children better.

And when everyone comes together and shares, hey, that worked for me, or you know what, that didn’t work, here’s what we did instead. It really provides this great learning opportunity for everyone. I’m learning constantly. And I think that it’s really turned into something special that I really love. And I’m grateful that everyone else has joined as well.

Courtney (06:40.952)
So you started it after you started fostering, correct? Okay.

Laura (06:44.633)
Yes, so I was a few years in at that point.

Courtney (06:48.034)
take us back to before the videos, how did you get into foster care? led you to decide to become a foster parent?

Laura (06:53.967)
Yeah. So I was a teenager and I actually saw a special on TV during the holidays about children in foster care. in truth, that is how I was introduced to it. And it led to discussions with my parents and obviously with my friends. it was something that the seed was planted at that point. And it was something that I wanted to learn more about and explore and

possibly do in the future as a way to support my community. And when I met my husband, it was something that I talked to him about and he was like, yeah, that sounds like a really interesting, I wanna know more about it. And so, in 2018 is when we signed up for our classes and dove in headfirst at that point.

Travis (07:35.089)
Hmm.

Travis (07:48.259)
I love that. I love hearing the backstory. You’ve set that up really well and just kind of, know how the origin of a friend, like you said earlier, that, you know, kind of, why don’t you try making one? And you did, and look at what happened. You’ve already answered this because we’ve kind of, we couldn’t help but get into this part of the curiosity part of your videos. but kind of going back to that a little bit more, you know, it is interesting to see where in the space of, you know, there’s maybe

Courtney (07:49.134)
Thank you.

Travis (08:16.001)
north of 200,000 current licensed foster homes. I mean, you’re in this genre with your videos where, you know, you’re not doing shock value, you know, it’s not like overly trying to be hooky and that kind of thing. You’re in a space that’s very few know anything about foster care at all. And yet that amount of impact with that many watches. So it, you know, it sounds like part of the magic to that is your authenticity and your, guess,

you describe kind of crossover appeal into, you know, whether it’s just general parenting kind of things. Speak anything else to where you also think where some of the, I guess, the views are coming from. it also just like, think of maybe my sister of like, I don’t ever imagine her fostering, but she would be that person that would just curiously for 40 years be peeking over the, you know, kind of like, what is this about?

Courtney (09:02.926)
that was just seriously for 40 years you couldn’t ever be more

Laura (09:07.247)
Yeah, I think you’re exactly right. People are trying to learn about how our communities function. And I think more than ever, people are trying to step in to see what is going on, to understand these complex systems that are broken and to see what it’s all about. I have a lot of people that just want to learn. And some of them have converted to being foster parents. And I’m…

I love that. That is like the foundation. I would love for more people to step in to help. And I think a lot of people are coming in and like, oh, you know what? I don’t actually know a lot about child welfare. I see these sensationalized stories or I hear these, I see these articles pop up, or maybe I saw a movie about it once, but like, is that real? And I think people want to learn. There is a curiosity because they care. And I think also,

there are people who have experienced childhood trauma themselves and they want to do things differently and they want to maybe see what it looks like to experience something differently. So I do have a lot of current kids in foster care that follow former foster youth. A lot of kids whose friends are in foster care who want to just figure out what this

whole thing is about and how do we make it better? How do we help our friends? How do we help our community members?

Courtney (10:38.712)
Fascinating. Do you see a certain topic that seems to be like these are the hits all the time or is it always changing?

Travis (10:40.731)
sense.

Laura (10:50.789)
I mean, the most like controversial things I speak about are usually related to eating and food. People tend to be on the internet really like triggered by food related topics, which I think speaks to many society things as a whole as each generation has approached eating and food differently from our parents. And there’s a lot of different new ways of approaching.

snack time and meal times. so anytime I talk about that, that seems to like get a lot of people sharing their opinions and how they feel about it, which is what I welcome. But I think even more the videos where I showcase like a brand new foster parent and then showcase someone with a bit more experience and the difference.

those seem to really be impactful to a variety of audiences. Because the first scene where I show someone who’s brand new, it is usually very well-meaning. And I think that’s what we’re all trying to do as parents and caregivers is to do our very best. And what I am showing is that that’s a great start. And we all start there. A lot of those are based in my personal experiences.

But when we have more information and we can understand these really complex, nuanced situations, we can better the care for the children we’re serving. And I think even though I showcase this from a foster parent perspective, a lot of people take that insight and apply it to their job at the school or at the doctor’s office in a variety of situations.

Travis (12:41.223)
Hmm. No, I love that. Well, and it seems like too, you’re also reaching your, there’s a visual element. There’s the role play that, you know, some people are just really visual learners rather than just informational. And so like you might, you do that really well, you know, and that.

Laura (12:53.361)
Mm-hmm.

Laura (12:57.489)
That’s a good point. And although I’m like a horrible actress, it’s just, you know, to your point, some people don’t have time to read a book or understand how the brain works, or, you know, don’t, you know, don’t have access to those types of resources and materials or don’t have time to go to the library and find them. And so, you know, my videos are not the whole story. It is only a starting point, but I think it’s a good way to get people

Travis (13:01.287)
Ha

Laura (13:26.947)
started on a topic or started with a moment, feel more confident in those moments, and perhaps we’ll take the time to learn more after seeing that video.

Courtney (13:37.174)
Yeah. So you mentioned these new foster families. I was there once too, so I get it and I know and I still make mistakes, but I’ve grown a lot in 17 years, right? But what are some of your biggest nuggets of advice to new foster parents?

Travis (13:46.854)
Yeah.

Laura (13:53.411)
Yeah, I think there’s a lot to say, but I think the like core is really just understanding and accepting and tolerating that foster parenting is disruptive to your life. And I don’t mean that to be like scary and like only certain people can handle that disruption. But you are walking into this and you need to be prepared for things to change in your life for it to be sometimes fully disrupted.

Travis (13:57.095)
Hm-hm.

Laura (14:23.631)
And so I always recommend people having as much stability as possible before starting. And that isn’t just, I have like a house to live in and I have a job, but it’s also stability in your relationships, your friendships, your support, your self care, and your mental health. Like all of that is kind of in a place that is stable because then you are well positioned to bring in a child and a professional team.

and then their family and support them through a crisis. And that’s going to take a lot of flexibility on a foster parent. And when I see, when foster parents have a rigid situation or something they can’t, that’s very difficult for them to change, that’s when things become very difficult for foster parents, myself included. So, you know, and you may not even know what those limits, boundaries and moments are going to be.

But I think it’s a common experience for foster parents to run into a situation where you cannot tolerate or you cannot handle disruption and that’s where things get really hard. And so that’s sort of my, always my biggest like piece is make sure you are ready for things to change. And that is good and positive. And there is personal growth, family growth, all of that. You’re making a difference, but.

It is not this easy, like turn the switch on and it’s wonderful and easy and like fairy tale, because that’s just not it.

Travis (15:57.478)
Mm-hmm.

Courtney (16:01.144)
Yeah, yeah. One of our coworkers always says that we need families with grit. And I love when she says, cause it really is like, it’s that grit, but part of that grit is being flexible, you know, little gritty, little flexible. Yeah.

Laura (16:06.171)
Mm-hmm.

Travis (16:08.668)
Mm-hmm.

Laura (16:09.871)
I like that.

It’s flexible, it’s tolerant, it’s being able to be a creative problem solver, allowing your mind to change your values and what you, know, truths that you’ve held dearly are gonna be tested. And it’s important to be able to have an open mind and a student mentality to learn new ways or just new ideas.

Travis (16:14.204)
Mm-hmm.

Travis (16:20.167)
Mm-hmm.

Courtney (16:26.766)
Mm-hmm.

Travis (16:38.341)
Yeah, man, that’s so true. There’s a, remember talking to some caseworkers in Tennessee, long time recruiters and kind of their line was that they see families that can just handle chaos, kind of live in chaos. And to your point, I’ve even seen just personally with friends that, you know, there’s just a real strong element of just rigidity and they’re just family. They can be great loving parents, but that sense of not being able to kind of pivot, like you said, or a

or even kind of change your thinking is going to be very problematic. I mean, because it’s going to be tested. Yeah.

Laura (17:11.121)
it’s hard. Yeah, but I think, you know, as community members, you know, with so much changing right now, we’re all being tested, we all are being challenged to understand other people’s lives and what they’re going through. And this is just, I think, a part of the human experience, you just have to be open to it and ready, right? Because you’re not always going to be ready for that, you know, chaos as you as you called it, the disruption of being a foster parent.

Courtney (17:32.142)
Mm-hmm.

Travis (17:37.584)
Yeah.

Travis (17:41.115)
Yeah, that’s so well said. I love what you’re, continue to kind of pull us back into like just the community. We’re all like, I can definitely see the relatability of your audience with you because yeah, we’re all like in a time that’s like unprecedented, like of just fractured, know, we can’t talk to each other. It just pro polarized. And I think like to your point, like we can take those experiences of what we’re collectively learning just in society.

Right. And bring it into like the house and realize it. Yeah.

Laura (18:11.801)
Yeah, and there’s a lot of work to do within foster care and child welfare. And, you know, I try to share this constantly that there’s always something you can do. You just have to first inform yourself and be open to that information and stepping in and doing the work.

Courtney (18:26.478)
Yeah.

Travis (18:30.331)
Well, if you could change one thing about the foster care system, what would come to mind? What would that be?

Laura (18:40.301)
One thing is hard because the system depends on so many factors. We see a lot of different places in this country piloting different programs. And that’s often how we see these changes and reforms happen is one counting steps forward to pilot. And I would love to see, I don’t think I’ve seen this yet, a program that’s piloted where we are giving more resources

Courtney (18:42.894)
Thank you.

Travis (18:44.935)
Yup.

Laura (19:08.591)
and perhaps the stipend to biological families before their kids enter foster care. I think we really got to push these resources into the primary families and in a genuine way that is well-resourced and well-funded. I think that we haven’t given that a strong chance to work.

And that could also include foster parents providing respites for biological families or mentorship, trainings and teachings and friendship and any of that. But I would love to see more support to families in crisis before children are removed because it is devastating what occurs when a child is removed from their family.

Courtney (20:00.439)
Yeah, I’ve often said that I wish we had quite a few situations where a mom was homeless or just could not provide and then it led to other things. I’m could they just come live in our basement and I can help be a mentor and you know, the kid can be here with her as mom and I’m just here as a support and a mentor role. like, wouldn’t that be a beautiful picture? But I’ve been told though every time I’ve asked.

Laura (20:06.513)
Mm-hmm.

Travis (20:11.815)
Mm-hmm.

Laura (20:17.316)
Yeah.

Laura (20:20.655)
Yeah, and I’ve seen it’s hard. know, there’s, least in my city, there’s treatment programs for parents where the kids can be at the treatment center with them. And it’s, programs like that, that I think could be really interesting to be, you know, more widespread, better funded to support these families on, on their path to healing and getting through their own crisis and changing their circumstances.

Travis (20:22.811)
Ha ha.

Travis (20:29.361)
Mm-hmm.

Travis (20:46.791)
I have seen, and I know there’s, you know, pilot models of everything and, know, and some, some of these things are happening. It does remind me, I did see in a program I was part of with a residential program, they call it the building families program. And in that case, it was a cool idea where as the kid was reunified and getting to go home, they would then have going into the home, sort of what they were learning together in the program that was modeled with the bio parent to like be resourced.

Laura (21:15.249)
with that.

Travis (21:16.081)
but also be like kind of visually watching too. Like kind of Courtney, you said of like, if I could just be in the house with them and they could kind of just be around each other and like men. So yeah, but on a widespread scale, you just don’t necessarily see that. So.

Laura (21:28.975)
It’s hard. It starts with, you know, a county stepping forward and trying it out and pushing those resources to specific families. Of course, this would not work for all situations, of course. But I think in many, many situations, I mean, I’ve seen it firsthand where I just think like, gosh, why couldn’t we have just given that money to the family for four months instead of have their kids with me for four months?

Courtney (21:57.71)
you

Laura (21:58.134)
I can’t even, it’s just, it’s devastating.

Courtney (22:02.29)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. So speaking of the system a little bit, and that can encompass so many different things, right? We know that. And looking aside, like not the system involved, what do you think are the biggest reasons people don’t foster?

Laura (22:21.329)
think it starts with awareness and there isn’t enough just daily conversations and seeing foster families. If we can incorporate children in foster care into services at school, if the PTA meeting, they were making announcements and they say, oh, and all of our foster families, they’re gonna get this. Like if it’s just naturally,

part of our daily conversations because kids in foster care are everywhere, but you don’t hear about them. Not that we need to single them out, but just talking about foster care and also talking about the different ways to engage. If you cannot provide full care like foster care traditionally, there are respite programs. There’s emergency care services, emergency shelters where it’s maybe just

14 to 30 days, for example. There’s different programs in all of these counties across the country that might be better suited, but I don’t think people know that that even exists. You we only hear about these big moments or maybe just adoption from foster care, but there’s so many other ways to plug in. And so I think it starts with just a general awareness of programs that exist in the county and ways that people can step in to help.

and offer their home in those ways. And then I think it comes down to people feeling really uncertain that they can do it. And that’s one of the reasons I make content is I want people to feel confident that they could enter into these situations. But a lot of people don’t feel like they have enough money or don’t feel like their home is big enough.

And I think there’s just a lot of hesitancy because they realize how big of a deal it is to step in to be a foster parent. And they’re not sure that they’re enough, good enough or skilled enough or have enough money or things like that. So I think those are a lot of the roadblocks that people face. And then when they get down to it, there’s just a lot of.

Laura (24:36.529)
problems with agencies and counties being under resourced to get people to answer the phone, to respond to people, to get those trainings lined up, to get the paperwork process. I hear from people all day every day. Yeah, I really wanted to do this, but no one called me back for three months. It’s like, you know, and I, you can’t blame one person or one department or one unit. There’s just so many, you know,

Travis (24:43.077)
Right.

Hmm.

Travis (24:50.459)
Mm-hmm.

Courtney (24:54.222)
you

Travis (24:54.917)
Right.

Travis (25:01.765)
Right.

Laura (25:05.945)
downfalls that make it hard.

Courtney (25:07.054)
Yeah.

Travis (25:09.127)
Yeah, everything you said. you know what? It is interesting too. Like there’s that tension between the trepidation, rightly, to understand the weight of, know, I don’t want to just step into this if we’re not fully on the same page, if they’re partner or just that, you know, we’re maybe we’re going through some of our own family stuff that we just, you

And then the other ditch of just like, you know, almost this mythical thought that, know, I’m always going to, if I have enough information, which, know, you just, at some point, you know, you want to be resourced to know what you’re facing, but it’s a myth that you’re ever going to be, I guess, probably fully feel like you’re ready. And I think when people say it’s what we learn as we go, like continuing to watch your resources and things like that, but it’s like this ongoing learning.

Laura (26:06.32)
It is.

Travis (26:06.693)
I, right. That’s the.

Laura (26:08.953)
Yeah, you will never have all the information you need. There is always going to be a leap of faith. And it goes back to the types of families that are well suited to foster and it’s families that are able to take those leaps of faith and handle the needs that come through at that time.

Courtney (26:28.878)
It’s so interesting because, you know, I’m a foster parent trainer. So I train new foster parents for our county and it’s wonderful training. It’s 24 hours. But I feel like they don’t have the context yet to really grasp it. And I understand we need pre-service, right? Like they need to be trained ahead of time. But then we do in Colorado, at least they need 20 hours every year. But those 20 hours can be from so many different things, which is great. But it’s almost like we need to have very specific

training now, like now let’s come back together that you’ve been doing this a little while and give you some of this training even again, because the lens is just so different. I feel like the greatest training comes once you actually start, but then it’s like, okay, now I really need more of this or this or this, you know? And it’s like, I feel like we get some of that wrong too of keeping foster families licensed because they probably burn out without having the correct training after they’re already trained from the get go.

Laura (27:04.863)
Thank you.

Laura (27:11.281)
Mm-hmm.

Laura (27:21.553)
Yeah, training and then ongoing support because you can have, you know, the most experienced well-trained caregiver, but sometimes you need support services. You know, if you’re not getting that other piece, the kids cannot be properly served at times. You know, we were a treatment foster home. And so I had around 40 hours of training before I started and it was still, I mean, it was really hard.

And my best training was when we had wraparound support services, in-home therapists and behaviorists. That was where I learned everything that I know. I mean, obviously still learning, but in those moments, that was my training and it was phenomenal. But I know that not every situation calls for that level of care. And so, you know, a lot of homes are not getting that kind of training and support.

Courtney (28:01.518)
Yeah.

Courtney (28:14.583)
Mm-hmm.

Travis (28:17.831)
Well, you’ve shared Laura that you and your husband chose not to renew your license. You tell us a little bit more about that decision and just plans for your future as you look.

Laura (28:29.073)
Yeah, was something that we had been thinking about for a while. You we started our very first class in 2018. And so obviously, things in our home has changed. And we’re just in different stages of our life. And we also know now, like the disruption and what comes with it. And so our confidence and be able to show up in the way that we need to was not as strong.

But you know, there’s still always like, okay, well, how can we show up? Can we just respite? Can we do mentorship? But ultimately, you know, in California, they’re running into insurance problems with insuring foster family agencies. And so ultimately, because we have a pool, that was a call we received was, well, we can’t license you anymore. You’d have to change back to the county to get your license.

we took that moment to be like, okay, then we’ll just close at this point. So it was sort of forced our hand, but it was something we’d been thinking about. And it’s something we take very seriously. We will foster again in the future. That’s something that we’re very certain of, but it’s far enough in the future that we would close our home at this point. But I, you know, still making content, there’s still a lot to teach and to share and to, you know, learn and share back out.

Um, and I’m putting everything into a book so that it it’s a little bit, um of a different kind of resource so that If you aren’t on social media, you know Some people are not That can be a resource and then I hope to do casa court appointed special advocate Um, I think that I have a lot to that I could provide Um for a youth in that way, so it never ends. I always say once you see the needs you can never

Travis (30:05.927)
Right.

Laura (30:24.795)
Forget it, it’s part of who I am now. And I will always be supporting the community and the youth in foster care in some way.

Courtney (30:25.437)
See you.

Travis (30:25.777)
Hmm.

Travis (30:35.567)
love it. And thanks for taking us into kind of just your decision on that and kind of just some of your personal life with that. Very cool. That’s exciting new chapter too.

Laura (30:39.611)
Yeah.

Laura (30:44.409)
Yeah, it’s different. But yes, you know, but that’s that’s what happens. I think that we have to also normalize that you don’t need to foster for years and years or seasons upon seasons, you know, stepping in to foster within a single case from start to finish is meaningful. And we that’s still needed to. I think on the Internet, it seems like everyone is like they keep saying yes. And there’s so many kids in the home. And that’s that’s not

Travis (30:45.947)
Yeah, yeah.

Travis (31:02.341)
Yes.

Courtney (31:06.424)
Hmm.

Travis (31:11.207)
Mmm.

Laura (31:14.095)
reality of what the system needs. That is great. If you can do that, by the way, great. But we also need people who can foster in a shorter term or in a smaller capacity too.

Travis (31:17.595)
Right.

Courtney (31:24.866)
Definitely. Yeah, the need for so many homes for different situations. And also people that aren’t foster homes, casas and guardian ad litems, mentors, people that just bring foster families a meal. I mean, there’s so many things that we can do. It’s not just fostering as well. So again.

Laura (31:35.942)
Yeah.

Laura (31:40.313)
Absolutely.

Laura (31:44.378)
Yeah, definitely.

Courtney (31:47.192)
So Laura, how would you finish this sentence? What kids in foster care really need is.

Laura (31:54.993)
This is cliche, but they trauma-informed care. And that’s not just from the foster parent. That is in all factors of the system with the workers, with how the system operates, the policies, the therapist, the visits, court. You know, we tout so much for foster families to be able to understand and provide trauma-informed care.

But I think the whole system needs to understand that. And I think that’s how kids are supported best. it’s tough though. It’s super nuanced and it’s impossible to provide fully trauma-informed care within foster care because it started with a removal from primary care. I mean, that alone. So I think that…

Travis (32:46.267)
Mm-hmm. Right.

Laura (32:52.111)
we really need to lean into the fundamentals and the basics. And that is how we serve the youth in foster care is, you know, taking their needs and being able to, you know, practice what we preach.

Travis (33:07.249)
Yeah, absolutely.

Courtney (33:11.374)
Well, anything else you want to share with our listeners as we, during this National Foster Care Awareness Month, anything you want to share, inspiration, thoughts?

Laura (33:19.473)
You covered so much. No, I would just, if you’re listening and you’ve made it this far, I would just encourage you to get involved, reach out, connect with your local nonprofits that are serving you and step in and just start to learn and then share with a friend and family what you’ve learned. I the more that we can talk about this, you know, it all starts with understanding and then we can put that

Travis (33:39.719)
Mmm.

Laura (33:47.833)
understanding into action and reform and policy change and showing up for our kids on a day-to-day basis. And so that’s what I would, I hope, you know, it’s Foster Care Witness Month. I hope that people will take the time to learn and then share with a friend or family member what they’ve learned this month.

Travis (34:09.061)
That’s good of a practical next step and just yeah and what that You’re right. Yeah Yeah, no, and that’s that’s why I was totally struck by your videos of just it’s so practical and it’s just this is Their next step kind of a thing and I can just see why people latch on to that. So yeah, that’s that’s awesome. So thank you for yeah, just just Speaking from the heart which I know you do and yeah, just some just great advice

Laura (34:13.957)
You know me, I’m all about practical things. can we do today?

Courtney (34:16.01)
Yeah.

Travis (34:38.715)
Great reminders. Yeah, and just helping be, thank you for being such a bright light in this space to shining a light in the margins where people do not see these kids. And you show a strong bright light for that.

Courtney (34:48.162)
Yeah.

Laura (34:50.971)
Thank you. know, I’m just, we all play our part and doing our best. It’s a lot of work to do ahead of us, so.

Courtney (34:56.718)
One thing I encourage our listeners to do is to follow Laura. Follow America’s Goods Belong if you don’t follow us on social media, especially this month, all months, but this month we’ve got a lot of content coming out, statistics, stories, ways you can get involved. Laura, but how can our followers, listeners, how can they follow you?

Travis (34:56.838)
Well said.

Laura (35:14.981)
Yep, I’m on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook. They can find me anywhere, foster parenting or foster.parenting, depending on the platform. And I’m also on Patreon for people who are new foster parents that really want more one-on-one support. But yeah, join the conversation in some way. I so appreciate all the work you do on your platform. It’s so educational and inspiring and also very practical ways to dive in. And I really appreciate that.

So, know, thank you for everything you guys are doing this month and beyond.

Travis (35:50.535)
Thank you.

Courtney (35:53.72)
Thanks for joining us again. We appreciate you and I know you’ve got a busy schedule and this is a little different than your typical short little videos. We’re glad that you gave us 40 minutes of your time. Have a good day.

Travis (35:53.967)
All well.

Laura (36:02.181)
Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

All right, take care.

Travis (36:08.423)
We’ll see you.