The conversation also delves into the Dare to Dream program, which pairs mentors with youth to provide guidance and support, and the Love Box program, which offers assistance to foster families. The importance of normalcy for children in foster care is emphasized, along with the need for community involvement and volunteer support to strengthen foster care systems.
Learn how you can get involved and become part of the National Angels organization.
TRANSCRIPT:
Travis (00:01.863)
Welcome to another episode of the foster friendly podcast. I’m Travis joined by my cohost Courtney. Today we’re going to talk to a special guest coming to us from New Jersey. And she’s a reminder that we can’t all. Okay. Screw it up. Screw it up. All right. So remember, all right. I didn’t print this yesterday. That’s why. Okay. All right.
Courtney (00:02.798)
I’m Travis, joined by my co-host Courtney. Today we’re going to talk to a special guest from New Jersey. And she’s a reminder that we can’t all… Okay, screw it up. Screw it I didn’t drink this yesterday.
Travis (00:26.903)
All right, welcome to the Foster Friendly Podcast. I’m Travis, I’m joined today by my cohost Courtney. We can’t all foster, but we can all do something. And today we’re gonna hear about an amazing organization allowing people to step up and make a big difference in their communities.
Courtney (00:27.566)
Welcome to Foster Family Podcast. I’m Travis and joined today by my fellow Courtney. We can’t all foster, but we can all do something. And today we’re going to hear about an amazing organization allowing people to step.
Courtney (00:45.024)
Yeah, so Kim Swillputt is an adoptive mom and had a child from foster care in her child care facility and watched the difficulties that he faced. And so today she’s the executive director of New Jersey Angels. Welcome, Kim.
Kim Swilpa (01:01.456)
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Courtney (01:03.756)
Yes, I love reading this little story. It’s kind of interesting, like not your typical story of how you get into something, but you say that you met the founder of New Jersey Angels on a nonprofit networking call. And then you heard these troubling statistics and you just knew like, this is something I want to be part of. So just tell us more about that transition and how that all came to be.
Kim Swilpa (01:22.788)
Yeah, so my first career was in sales and marketing in the cosmetic industry. I actually sold ingredients that go into cosmetics. So it was long-term relationship building, building trust. And I did that for many decades.
And then I opened a childcare facility and I did that with the caregiver of my children. She had a childcare facility in her home and we opened it together, a licensed facility in our town. And it was during that that I first met a child who had been in foster care and it was really difficult. I saw the change in him as that was going on.
But we can get back to that later. But once that child, so after I opened the childcare facility with her, I realized that really wasn’t my passion. So I sold the business to her and she is still doing it 30 years later, which that’s very difficult work. So she still has a very strong passion for that. And I was on a nonprofit networking call and I was going back to school to be a social worker.
And I started a nonprofit at the time for elephants in Sri Lanka, which they do need help. There’s a lot of human elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. But everybody would get on this nonprofit call and would say what we did. And Cheryl Oliver, who is the founder of this chapter, would get on and she would say, you know, two thirds of children who age out wind up.
Travis (02:32.535)
Hmm.
Kim Swilpa (02:46.713)
homeless, incarcerated, all of the societal ills that come from foster care. And I thought, I really want to be a part of this. So as I was going back to school, I noticed they had a part-time case manager position available.
So I called Cheryl right away, I said, do you remember me? Would you hire me for this position? And I didn’t have social work experience, but I had relationship experience. And that’s what it’s about, is building that relationship. So I had that experience and I said, hey, look, give me an opportunity to do this, it would be great. So I got to spend my first year with the New Jersey Angels.
Travis (03:08.587)
Mm-hmm.
Kim Swilpa (03:20.191)
on the ground with the families, with the children and youth who are experiencing foster care. So was really just a great opportunity to see what they go through, how hard this work is, and how our organization is making an impact with them.
I did that for a year and then as our organization is starting to grow, we’re only four years in New Jersey. We’re part of a national organization and we were able to hire an executive director. So I applied for that position and with the skillset I had from being in sales all those years and owning a business, it was a great opportunity to put all my skills together for this amazing cause. I love coming to work every day. I truly do.
Courtney (04:01.632)
What a fun background, mean, elephants to cosmetics to children.
Travis (04:04.267)
I know right? Wow.
Courtney (04:07.422)
Yeah, you’ve done it all. You’ve done a lot of stuff.
Kim Swilpa (04:10.733)
Yeah, lots of changes, you know, everyone’s got to, you know, take that opportunity to do something new, you know.
Courtney (04:12.707)
Yeah.
Travis (04:17.643)
Yeah, I imagine too, it’s fascinating to bring, you know, this lens of these different realms and experiences, marketing, the profit sector, bring that into the space where you really, I mean, what we’re marketing here is this need that’s largely invisible, know, foster care is the space for most Americans. That’s just like either don’t know anything about it or don’t understand, you know, really what’s going on there. So it’s part of the point of this podcast is to be really the space to help illuminate that space for everyone.
Courtney (04:36.184)
don’t know anything about it or don’t understand.
Travis (04:48.193)
Yeah. Am I echoing guys? you hear? Okay. I’m just hearing something weird. Okay. Anyway, so we’re to move on, but hearing my headphones. Okay. So we’re to go on the next question, Kim on aging out. Okay.
Courtney (04:53.816)
Mm-mm.
Courtney (05:05.9)
on next question, Tim, on aging out.
Travis (05:14.241)
Someone once said that for some people, even the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train. I can’t help but think that the experience of kids who’ve been in foster care long-term, it just feels like it’s this compounding set of challenges that, you know, it’s the next turn and bend of another calamity or catastrophe. And each of us knows the challenges that face youth in foster care and especially those who do age out. We see higher risks of homelessness, incarceration, unemployment.
Courtney (05:14.574)
Someone once said that for some people, even the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train. I can’t help but think that the experience of kids who’ve been in foster care long term, it just feels like it’s this compounding set of challenges that, you know, it’s the next turn event of another calamity or catastrophe. And each of us knows the challenges that face youth in foster care and especially those who do age out, who see higher risk of homelessness, incarceration, unemployment.
Travis (05:43.647)
limited access to education and just on and on. New Jersey Angels exists to help make lasting change in these outcomes. Kim, tell us more about the Dare to Dream program and kind of what you’re doing in that space with Aging Out.
Courtney (05:43.916)
limited access to education, just on and on. New Jersey Angels exists to help make lessons change in these outcomes. Kim, tell us more about the DERA Dream program and kind of what you’re doing in that space with Paging Out.
Kim Swilpa (05:56.996)
Yeah, so our Dare to Dream program, what we do is we match a volunteer who we train and we match them with the youth from the ages of 11 to 22.
And we start to empower them and prepare them for the aging out process. What is that going to look like? Because we believe foster care is an experience, not an identity. And we want them to really get that self-confidence that what do I want to do after this? What does it look like, a life beyond this? So what we do is we go through milestones with the youth, whether it’s helping them get a driver’s license, whether it’s a bank account, teaching them about
healthy eating habits, different things that they may not have had the opportunity to learn about because of either moving around or not having a consistent adult in their life. So that’s what these mentors do. They are consistent adult in this child’s life.
And I, you know, I could give you a story. Recently, we had someone, one of our mentors, he’s on two years with a child or two years he’s been with him. And that child has been in three different homes. And that mentor has followed this child to every home. He is that consistent adult that shows up for him. And no matter what’s going on, the child’s been getting into trouble. He’s obviously has a lot of trauma.
And now he is actually in a group, a residential facility. And that mentor is still with him. And he just got connected with him the other day. And the youth was so excited to hear from him because he sees him. He knows that there’s a person that cares where he is, what he’s doing. And it’s just so wonderful to see that, to see that connection continue to happen. Cause that’s sometimes that’s what they need. They need to know they’re loved and seen and heard.
Courtney (07:48.78)
Yeah, and that follow through was just so important, you know, moving from place to place to have somebody. I’m curious, what does the commitment look like from a mentor?
Kim Swilpa (07:57.178)
So they have to commit to at least a year and we hope it goes on forever. That’s the ultimate goal for them to just be a part of their lives and whatever that looks like. But it’s at least twice a month for a year commitment. It takes time to get to know kids, you know what I mean? You’re not just gonna open up right away. So we talk a lot about that, like the first couple of months, it’s awkward. It could be a little bit awkward.
Yeah, we try to make it so that they have similar interests. So whether it’s a guy and they like sports or they like the same teams or whatever that looks like, we want to make it so that, you know, they have a step up, you know, like, okay, well, at least we both love sports. We can talk about that if nothing else.
Travis (08:43.319)
that so much. I was doing research one time on sort of just the aging out thing with kind of the independent living programs, you know, and how there can be just such an array of like great resources to help, you know, kind of just whether it’s financially or different things, but the one, but you’ll, you’ll talk to directors, a lot of those programs and how many of them feel like they’re failing at all times. And one of the big things that kind of the research pulled out was just that program.
not in all cases, but in a lot of cases, it’s missing that kind of anchor relationally. I mean, you can have all the sort of things thrown at you with resources, but to your point, Kim, without that sort of stability of an ongoing presence of someone significant in your life that you can look up to and just kind of share life with, that’s huge. I love that.
Courtney (09:16.622)
can have all the things thrown at you with resources, but to your point, Kim, without that stability of an ongoing presence of someone significant in your life.
share like with. That’s easy.
Kim Swilpa (09:31.191)
Yeah, it really is because there’s so many resources and it’s sorting through the resources. Like what do I need? It’s very difficult. I mean, it’s difficult for kids who are not in foster care right now to just manage their lives. So I can’t even imagine a child who’s going through this and just doesn’t have someone to just back them up and just say, hey, let me just bounce this off of you. Here’s what I’m thinking about.
Courtney (09:55.758)
I’m also curious, you said it goes through age 22. Is it the same there? Like here, kids can stay in care, youth, adults can stay in care until they’re 21. Is it the same there? And you just added that year to just kind of explain that a little bit where you came up with 22.
Kim Swilpa (10:10.007)
Yeah, yeah, so we just want to make sure that if they’re still, they’re still in need of our services and they’ve been in foster care, we’re going to keep, you know, trying to make an impact on their lives. Like we’re going to keep going with them. So yeah, we just put that, you know, the age of 22, because that’s, you know, at that point we, we, I don’t know, sorry, that was not.
Travis (10:30.679)
So you’re adding on another year out of beyond when the services say they would age out potentially?
Kim Swilpa (10:38.871)
Yeah, so I guess we just want to make sure that if someone is has not like for instance right now we’re working with a group home that children who have been in foster care.
They are now in the group home. So even though the foster care at 21, that’s starting to not have services, we’re going to still mentor that child if that child wants to be mentored at 22. And they’ve been throughout the system and they are maybe in a group home or a situation where they just still want to mentor. We just matched someone recently.
And I believe she is turning 22 very soon, but she’s not in foster care anymore. She’s experienced foster care, but now she’s in a residential facility because that’s the other thing with homeless, like with how hard it is to make it now to, you know, the homelessness. It’s really, how do you make it with the rent? So, you know, rents are high. And so this is a transitional home where, you know, she’s working a job. What does that look like? She wants to move out.
Courtney (11:28.814)
And that’s one thing I think.
Kim Swilpa (11:40.035)
but someone to just guide her through that.
Courtney (11:43.758)
And don’t know if it’s the same, I’m guessing it’s the same nationwide, but here, know, kids can stay in care until 21, but most of them choose not to. But the fact that they might choose not to and want to do this alone, but then be able to have a mentor, you know, I could see them choosing that even if they choose not to be in care. So what an opportunity to still be pouring into them and supporting them in these hard transitional things of adulthood, you know, even if they’re not still living in a foster care home.
Kim Swilpa (12:08.085)
Exactly, exactly. Because we just did a resource fair and it was children who were about to age out.
I think we got 10 plus signups of kids who were going to age out and going to be in another situation, whatever that looked like, and they were looking for mentors. And that’s the biggest thing for us because when we first started as an organization in New Jersey, we had a lot of people who wanted to mentor, but we weren’t there wasn’t awareness of our program in the community. And now we see that awareness coming up and we see the need and they’re saying, hey, there’s someone here. I’d love to join that. So.
The good news is our services are needed, but we need more volunteers. We always need more volunteers.
Travis (12:48.598)
Mm-hmm.
Courtney (12:53.56)
So supporting the kids, probably the closest to the heart of helping these kids move on. But another reality is the foster homes, right? Foster homes, we want to see foster homes foster longer and stronger. We all know that 50 % of the foster homes quit within their first year, often because they don’t feel supported. They feel a lack of community beyond just the other fostering families. So we’ve done a lot of episodes on the reality of just foster parent attrition.
the quitting and why that happens. But we really just want our listeners to understand that there is a role again for everyone to play in this foster care equation. It doesn’t have to mean you’re fostering. You can be a mentor like you’ve been talking about. You can wrap around a foster family. So you have that dare to dream program, but you also have a program called the Love Box. Tell us about that.
Kim Swilpa (13:46.094)
Yeah, so the love box room, because you’re right, fostering is so hard. I mean, it’s really just really, really hard. And what we do is we take volunteers once again and we match them with families. And when we say we match them with a whole family, it’s the entire family. It’s not just the child in care. It’s the biological children in the home. It could be a grandparent in the home. We wrap around the entire family. So the same thing. It’s not a one size fits all. Every single family has different needs.
We have matched people who wanted, so I’ll give you an example. I’ve matched a woman, she was fostering an infant and she had two biological boys. And she said, you know, I’d love a, not a mentor, I’d love someone to come to our home and spend some time with the boys as opposed to the infant so that I can still care for this infant, feel like my boys are getting something special.
Travis (14:31.83)
Hmm.
Kim Swilpa (14:38.605)
because we’re wrapping around the whole family and she’s gonna continue to foster because she feels like she’s not having less time for her boys because she’s fostering. They have something special too. So that’s what it’s about, wrapping around the entire family so they stay strong and continue to foster. Because the same mom, after that infant moved out of her home, she had a set of toddlers. And we matched her with a love box group. So that was a group of women.
Travis (14:47.595)
Hmm.
Kim Swilpa (15:06.713)
who would come and take the toddlers for the day so that she could spend more time with her biological boys. So that difference, every need she has was a little bit different. So when we matched her, so now, you know, she got a little bit of a break because toddlers, they’re a lot harder than babies. So yeah, so we had a different group that had come in and yeah, so it’s, it’s.
Travis (15:22.519)
Ha ha ha.
Travis (15:31.905)
So you’re getting a lot of good feedback and responses from the foster homes that are experiencing that. And then are you getting some of the feedback too to where, you know, making adjustments or kind of like, Hey, this is sort of a new stated need or you kind of, does that all work?
Kim Swilpa (15:47.177)
Well, when you say is it a new state of need meaning, I don’t understand the question.
Travis (15:50.827)
Well, yeah, like, or maybe you’re getting feedback from like, I wish, you know, if only we have this and you’re kind of adapting different things to with your programming or how that looks like.
Courtney (15:51.054)
Well, yeah, like, or maybe you’re getting feedback from like, I wish, you know, if only we had this and you’re kind of adapting different things to with your programming or how that looks like.
Kim Swilpa (15:58.83)
Yeah, our program is really, it’s based on the parents. the love box itself, it got its name because Susan Ramirez, when she started this organization in Austin, Texas, would show up to this woman’s home with a big box of stuff. And it was items, everyday household items that that family needed. And they would show up, her and her friends would show up to a woman who was fostering six teenage boys.
And as she showed up with this big box of stuff, it’s a conduit to the relationship building, right? But as they started, as the program developed, they realized that it’s, you the stuff is great. It’s just a conduit. It’s in the relationship building with the family that was making the real impact. And it’s also talking about what the items were in the box. I think one of the stories she tells is that the woman finally said to her, I have enough sanitizer to feed, I mean, to bathe all my boys.
Courtney (16:50.612)
Yeah.
Kim Swilpa (16:51.895)
I don’t need any more sanitizer. You’re giving something to someone and you don’t want to feel like you’re ungrateful. And she’s just like, I’m really sorry. We just don’t need any more sanitizer. So that’s when we talk about the Love Box program. We ask each family, do you need snacks? Do you need laundry detergent? Is it toilet paper? So our volunteers will show up with a box of items sometimes. Sometimes people don’t want that.
Travis (16:53.463)
Ha ha.
Kim Swilpa (17:14.051)
But at the beginning, it’s just like showing up with flowers. I’m showing up with a box of stuff that you need that’s specific to your family. So that’s when it’s very intentional. We talk about intentional giving. And so it’s dynamic in that each family is different. And like you said, their needs change over time. It’s not every single time it’s the same thing.
Courtney (17:35.566)
Yeah. Are you guys able to help with transportation?
Kim Swilpa (17:40.719)
Yes, so we do. So some of our families have been able to take the child to an appointment or something while the mom can stay home or they stay home while the mom takes the child to an appointment. But yes, we are able to do that.
Courtney (17:57.922)
I know I’ve, you know, I was a foster care recruiter for a while and then I ran on the side. I helped them run a program called Foster Family Helpers, which sounds very similar. And almost always when I’d ask a group of foster parents, like, what do you need most? It was somebody to help me with transportation. I drive so much throughout the week. But there have been some barriers in Colorado that we’ve tried to overcome of the whole transportation thing. And I know different states have different rules, but I know it’s a huge need.
Kim Swilpa (18:23.287)
Yeah, yeah, that and babysitting. We’re just, mean, baby’s time. Parents need a little time to themselves. And that’s something that we’re talking about with our chapter right now. How do we maybe have some of our volunteers who are not matched with the family yet, maybe potentially be able to.
know, babysit because they’re all vetted, their background checked and ready to go and they’re trained. So we were actually talking about that recently of how can we help some of the families who need babysitting if they’re not matched with a family yet? Is that a possibility of something that we can do? So we’re trying to adapt a little bit there.
Courtney (19:02.734)
and is it the same commitment from volunteers once a month or twice a month for a year?
Kim Swilpa (19:07.599)
So that is once a month minimum, once a month minimum, but I know people who, you know, they’ll go twice a month and they connecting, if they don’t see them, they’re still connecting, right? So I have a story about a woman. So she was having a particularly hard day and her volunteer had connected with her and…
Travis (19:18.615)
Thanks
Kim Swilpa (19:28.887)
said, you know, she heard in her voice what a hard day she was having. So she wasn’t able to see that volunteer, but the volunteer had her favorite pliable delivered to the house. So when she got home, that pliable was sitting there waiting for her. And it’s that little moment of someone cares, someone’s hearing me, someone heard how bad my day was, someone knows my favorite pliable. Cause you know, caregivers, caregivers don’t ask for anything. So we have to be really cognizant about listening and just
Travis (19:47.233)
Thank
Travis (19:54.603)
Mm-hmm. Yep.
Kim Swilpa (19:58.844)
hearing what they’re saying, hearing when they talk about things and sort of in anticipating what they might need because they don’t always ask. That’s I think one of the hardest things is that trying to they just don’t want to ask specifically so we really got to pull it out of them sometimes.
Travis (20:07.169)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (20:15.607)
Yeah, we’ve talked about that on the podcast. Just, you know, if you are a caregiver, the need to learn to ask and how important that is and self care and being able to kind of give other people an opportunity to serve you, you know, I mean, you can’t last and you can’t do it in a healthy way over time if you can’t be poured into two.
Courtney (20:16.078)
You
Courtney (20:28.59)
can’t do it in a healthy way.
Mm-hmm.
Kim Swilpa (20:34.187)
Absolutely, absolutely. One of my biggest, when I was case managing, one of my most proud moments was when one of my moms, foster moms, she said, I’m taking your advice. I’m reaching out to my angels. And I was so proud of her. She’s like, you’re right. need to ask. And we’re like, yes, that’s why we’re here. You know, it was a little celebratory.
Courtney (20:46.734)
Yeah.
Travis (20:49.429)
right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Good words. Yeah. Well, Kim, how would you finish the sentence? What kids in foster care really need is
Courtney (20:55.662)
Mm.
Courtney (21:02.424)
What is…
Kim Swilpa (21:08.257)
A sense of normalcy. A sense of normalcy. see too many kids when you talk about children and they’re moving or they’re doing this, they don’t get the normal childhood experience. It’s a sense of normalcy. What we hope is that by supporting a family, a child might stay in that family for a longer period of time so they can do things like be part of a sports team. Join the theater club.
whatever that may be because half the time, you know, they don’t know sometimes if they’re going to be there for how long. So just having that normalcy that I know when I come home that this is going to be my home today, that I’m not on edge worrying. So I just, that sense of normalcy is missing and that really hurts my heart, you know, to think about.
Courtney (21:57.674)
It does. Yeah. Our latest placement just last week, we were having a little meeting and she told me, she said, you know, I’m just tired of my teachers treating me differently. And so what do you mean? And she said, well, ever since I came into care and they all know they’re treating me differently. I said, well, they not badly, right? And she said, no, they’re like giving me too much attention. Like they know that I’m in care. And so she said, I just want them to treat me like the same person I was two weeks ago. It’s just so sweet. And then I said to her, said,
Travis (22:17.975)
Mmm.
Kim Swilpa (22:24.537)
Wow.
Courtney (22:27.598)
Do you feel comfortable telling them that? And she said, no. I said, would you like me to send them an email and just kind of maybe lay that out for them? She’s like, yes, please. It’s just, again, being normal, feeling normal, feeling like the rest of the kids in the class, the rest of the kids in the home, finding their gifts and talents. Like, yeah, makes such a difference.
Kim Swilpa (22:35.663)
Right.
Kim Swilpa (22:44.245)
Absolutely. And that’s part of the, you know, with the Love Box program, when we talk about that, we didn’t want to just focus on the child and care. We didn’t want to other them, even if other is, you know, giving them something. We just don’t want to other them. They’re part of this unit. We want to treat that unit as such so that that child just feels like a part of the family. And once again, that sense of normalcy. I’m just part of this. I’m not different. You know.
Travis (22:44.279)
That’s awesome.
Travis (22:55.767)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (23:08.715)
Yeah. Gosh, I love that so much. feel like a theme in this episode of talking with you is you’re, you’re kind of, you’ve really landed in this place of stability through mentoring. That’s, know, kind of an ongoing relational anchor. This thing with normalcy. mean, everything about foster care just feels like it’s spinning. You know, it’s just what’s the outcome. Where am I going next? What’s going to happen? And to, I love what you guys are doing about bringing in, like, we’re just going to slow everything down.
Courtney (23:36.99)
everything down that we can, you know, by and then bring people along.
Travis (23:38.453)
that we can, you know, and bring people along you that are going to be there and just enter into that space with you and be a place that feels like the world slows down. So like, that’s really cool.
Kim Swilpa (23:48.117)
Absolutely. Thank you.
Courtney (23:49.488)
Yeah. I’d love to hear a little bit more about the organization because you’re a chapter. So tell us a little bit more about that. And, you know, we’ve got listeners from all over the place, kind of where are the places that foster parents might be able to be like, I’ve got this in my area or what if I don’t have this in my area?
Kim Swilpa (23:55.084)
Mm-hmm.
Kim Swilpa (24:05.035)
Yeah, so we are the the Austin Angels started 15 years ago. They’re celebrating their 15 year anniversary this year. So that’s exciting. And we have 19 chapters across 14 states. So if you go on to nationalangels.org, you can see the different chapters and we’re looking to expand. So we are going to be opening up for chapters, I believe next year. For new chapters.
Travis (24:34.165)
And how does expansion look? it people kind of reaching out and say, I’m in this city and, or is, what is that? Just kind of making contact and.
Kim Swilpa (24:42.935)
Yeah, so when we first started the first chapter, it happened exactly like that. Whereas we started in Austin and Amarillo called and said, I love what you’re doing in Austin. Can I do it in Amarillo? And that’s how it started. Susan Ramirez didn’t intend, I don’t think at the beginning or couldn’t have foreseen.
that this happened, you know, this happening, but it did. And then it just snowballed. That’s how Cheryl started it as well. She was at a conference where she heard about the angels and she looked it up and said, there’s nobody in New Jersey. Let me open. Let me start this. So Cheryl started this. They started in 2020. We didn’t serve impact our first family till 2021, but yeah, they started during COVID. So.
Courtney (25:24.248)
Wow.
Travis (25:26.583)
That says something about your organization. you’re just like, is right. And just strength to be like in this year of chaos.
Courtney (25:27.01)
That’s fast growth.
Kim Swilpa (25:34.255)
Yes. Yes. So in 2021, we served our first family and I want to say it was seven children, but I looked the other day and it looked like it was nine children in the family, we served nine.
children and youth the first year and in 2024 we matched 124 children and youth. So each year we’ve been growing each year and we’ve been growing and expanding into more reach and more counties in New Jersey because we are the only chapter that handles the entire state.
Yeah, the rest of the chapters are like Olympic, Seattle, Charlotte, Tuscaloosa. You know, there’s there are different mainly areas,
Travis (26:22.835)
We will put links to your organization in the show notes and so where people can find you and possibly start a new chapter if there isn’t one where they’re at. So, yeah.
Courtney (26:31.318)
Yeah, that’s great. We appreciate what you’re doing to make a difference in the foster care realm, foster care system, but ultimately the homes and the hearts of those that are serving and being served. So thank you for sharing and making it a reality.
Kim Swilpa (26:45.923)
Thank you.
Kim Swilpa (26:49.881)
Thank you so much. we’re looking to, mean, you know, changing the experience of foster care is really, you know, what we want to do because, yeah, thank you.
Travis (27:00.247)
Thank you, Kim. Thanks for being with us.
Kim Swilpa (27:01.946)
Thanks so much.
