Just As Special

The place to learn about foster care from diverse perspectives | Proud BIPOC podcast

The Magic of the Match 09/26/2023

The Magic of the Match Hope felt like she had way more help than she could use as one foster parent which led her to start thinking about how she could help other families who could benefit from even just one more friend. The Neighbor Program has since grown to serve families across the Colorado and even the nation. Learn more about how you can become a . /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/28146152

Get Angry & Change It 05/16/2023

Get Angry & Change It A youth who was labeled “a danger to others” by the foster care system shares what that meant for her and what that means for the system as a whole. Learn more at . /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/26851065

The Power of a Country Club Lunch 08/16/2022

The Power of a Country Club Lunch Former pro basketball player, Nick Thompson, became a child welfare revolutionary when he opened up a non-traditional group home for boys aged 10-15 years old with his wife. Unlike other residential care facilities, Brad's House never utilizes restraining or seclusion tactics to handle big behaviors, relies on strong community involvement, and is a normal house in a suburban neighborhood. The result is that boys who are used to being stuck in the system are finally empowered to heal themselves by discovering their unique passions and identities. Learn more at . /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/24074538

Room to Breathe 08/02/2022

Room to Breathe A 12-year-old LGBTQ+ tween shares what it's like to be in foster care and go through the adoption process from their perspective — and dispenses much sage advice for foster and adoptive parents along the way. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/23938170

The Fanciest Person On Stage 05/24/2022

The Fanciest Person On Stage Charell Star is a former youth in care and current foster care advocate, NYC television personality, and so much more. She draws on her personal experiences in the system to give us practical ways we can support youth in building a successful future for themselves — and how to cultivate a deep sense of joy no matter the struggles we are facing. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/23205668

What Horses Teach Us about Kids in Foster Care: Part 2 05/03/2022

What Horses Teach Us about Kids in Foster Care: Part 2 This episode delves into how to set healthy boundaries — with the foster care system, with the kids in our care, and with ourselves. Just like in , Dave and Lottie use examples of their work with horses to bring their lessons to life. See photos and more at . /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/22970531

What Horses Teach Us About Kids in Foster Care: Part 1 04/19/2022

What Horses Teach Us About Kids in Foster Care: Part 1 It turns out horses and kids in foster care have a lot in common. Lottie Grimes and Dave Wyner are both longtime trauma counselors and co-founders of which provides free equine-assisted . Just As Special host Natasha attended this training before sitting down with Dave and Lottie to delve deep into how horses can teach us to better care for kids in foster care. This episode is made possible with support from . /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/22839674

This Foster Care Life: How to Show Up in a Broken System 02/18/2022

This Foster Care Life: How to Show Up in a Broken System This is the third episode of our This Foster Care Life miniseries where we bring you multiple perspectives around the same topic. In this episode, you will hear from: Ashley Schuster Downend: a foster parent and public policy professional who grapples with tough questions we should all be asking ourselves. Aubree: a white foster mom raising black foster kids in the New York City area. Nikki Brown: a foster mom who shares the challenges of moving states while fostering. This episode was made possible by generous support from . Learn more at . /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/22182503

Fostering Creatively: A 100 lb Bike Ride & YouTube Star 02/02/2022

Fostering Creatively: A 100 lb Bike Ride & YouTube Star Nichole shares what she enjoys about being a single foster mom and how she creatively tackles foster care challenges. See photos and an update about Nichole and the kids in her care at . /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/21990884

Year in Review: Good intentions don't guarantee good impact 01/05/2022

Year in Review: Good intentions don't guarantee good impact Join foster mom, Natasha and foster care volunteer, Rachel as they reflect on lessons learned in 2021 to carry into the new year. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/21686546

Moving Beyond the Mic 11/23/2021

Moving Beyond the Mic Instead of interviewing someone else, Just As Special host Natasha is actually in the hot seat this time thanks to House of Pod’s From the Margins to the Center podcast. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/21260501

Real Life Fairy Godmother 11/09/2021

Real Life Fairy Godmother Longtime foster care volunteer Denise Lombard shares about her experience being a consistent support for kids in care as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/21103082

Unpacking Survival Skills as a Kid in Foster Care 10/25/2021

Unpacking Survival Skills as a Kid in Foster Care Diamond Kobylinski describes how he literally had to unpack his survival mechanisms from growing up in the foster care system after being adopted. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/20931944

The Extra-Intense Life of a Gay Kid in Foster Care 10/12/2021

The Extra-Intense Life of a Gay Kid in Foster Care Diamond describes how growing up gay in the foster care system made his life extra-intense. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/20791682

How do bio kids respond to fostering? (Part 2 of Can you just sit with me in this mess?) 09/28/2021

How do bio kids respond to fostering? (Part 2 of Can you just sit with me in this mess?) Longtime foster parent and foster parent trainer, Kaleo George, discusses how each of her 3 kids are impacted by their family's foster care journey. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/20633858

Can You Just Sit with Me in This Mess? 09/14/2021

Can You Just Sit with Me in This Mess? Longtime foster parent and foster parent trainer, Kaleo George, opens up about the messiness of foster care. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/20470208

This Foster Care Life: Past Trauma & Today's Brain 08/31/2021

This Foster Care Life: Past Trauma & Today's Brain This is the second episode of our This Foster Care Life miniseries where we bring you multiple perspectives around the same topic. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/20323973

A Guiding Star 08/17/2021

A Guiding Star Bruce LeClaire, a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe, has spent more than 20 years being an advocate for native youth in the foster care system. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/20171303

This Foster Care Life: Cultural Ties 08/03/2021

This Foster Care Life: Cultural Ties Cultural Ties is the first episode of our This Foster Care Life miniseries where we bring you multiple perspectives around the same topic. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/20023865

Trigger Dances & A Cookie Sheet 04/06/2021

Trigger Dances & A Cookie Sheet In-demand therapist Patti Swope describes how she became mom to one of her former patients, Mattie Baker (a former foster youth and one of our fan-favorite podcast guests). /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/18628637

Pushing Boundaries of Family - Bonus Episode with Decolonize Everything 03/31/2021

Pushing Boundaries of Family - Bonus Episode with Decolonize Everything Decolonize Everything invited us to talk about decolonizing family — especially as it relates to foster care. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/18545042

Foster Care Vetting, Radical Transparency & Mind Reading - Bonus Episode with Discussion Combustion 03/22/2021

Foster Care Vetting, Radical Transparency & Mind Reading - Bonus Episode with Discussion Combustion We talk foster care parenting and volunteering, radical honesty and transparency, pets we’ve had to return, mind reading, and tons more with the Discussion Combustion podcast. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/18424316

How Do I Escape This? 02/04/2021

How Do I Escape This? Kenisha E. Anthony kept falling through the cracks of the foster care system to the point that she felt like a burden to everyone and wanted to die. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/17827181

Becoming a Foster Mom Changed All My Relationships - Bonus Episode 01/05/2021

Becoming a Foster Mom Changed All My Relationships - Bonus Episode Natasha went from having no kids to being a foster mom of a teenage girl in 2020. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/17436212

The Medicine Stick 11/11/2020

The Medicine Stick Ali and Brittany are a multi-racial Muslim couple raising three foster kids. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/16777850

Sassy As Hell & Haunted by a Microwave 10/09/2020

Sassy As Hell & Haunted by a Microwave Former foster kid and current social worker, Mattie Baker, gets raw with us about her time growing up in the system. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/16332728

Meet Just As Special | Foster Care Podcast & Community 07/24/2020

Meet Just As Special | Foster Care Podcast & Community There are so many stories around foster care that are begging to be told. /episode/index/show/justasspecial/id/15342380

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