All Episodes

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S1 E22 Dec 04, 2024

A Field of Dreams for Foster Care with Savannah Bananas Co-Owner Emily Cole

In this episode of the Foster Friendly podcast, hosts Brian and Travis welcome Emily Cole, co-owner of the Savannah Bananas, who shares her journey in fostering and th...

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S1 E21 Nov 27, 2024

How to Best Navigate the Holidays as a Foster Family with Bethany Hall

In this episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast, hosts Travis and Courtney, along with guest Bethany Hall, discuss the complexities of navigating the holidays for child...

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S1 E20 Nov 20, 2024

America’s Kids Belong’s Three Signature Solutions to Fixing Recruitment and Retention Issues with Nanette Kirsch and Phil Grizzle

In this episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast, host Brian Mavis is joined by his colleagues (who form the Executive Leadership Team), Nanette Kirsch and Phil Grizzle,...

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S1 E19 Nov 13, 2024

Former Naval Officer Shares About His Experiences in Foster Care with Dairius Kawawehi

Darius Kawewehi, a former foster youth, shares his experiences and insights on being in foster care. He was born and raised in Hawaii and grew up surrounded by the Haw...

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S1 E18 Nov 06, 2024

Adopting From Foster Care: A Need That Few Know Much About with Marcy Bursac

In this episode, Courtney and Brian interview Marcy Bursac, founder of the Forgotten Adoption Option, about her experience with foster care adoption. Marcy shares her ...

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S1 E17 Oct 30, 2024

One Couple's Journey of Going From Zero to Four Kids Instantly with Adriana and Jamie Howard

Jamie and Adriana Howard share their adoption journey of becoming an instant family of six through foster care. They initially planned for domestic infant adoption but...

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S1 E16 Oct 23, 2024

The Rewarding and Challenging Journey of Fostering as a Single Dad with Nicholas Kelley

In this episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast, Travis and Courtney interview Nicholas Kelley, a single foster dad who shares his journey into fostering and running a ...

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S1 E15 Oct 16, 2024

Foster Care 101: Addressing the Most Common Myths and Questions with Brian, Travis, and Courtney

In this episode of the Foster Friendly podcast, hosts Brian, Courtney, and Travis delve into the fundamentals of foster care, sharing personal stories and insights fro...

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S1 E14 Oct 09, 2024

How One Colorado Church Is Loving Its Neighbors in Foster Care with Buddy Sampson

In this episode, Pastor Buddy Sampson discusses the importance of foster care from a church perspective and the biblical mandate to care for orphans. He shares how his...

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S1 E13 Oct 02, 2024

It’s Never Too Late to Bring Your Gifts and Experiences to Foster Care with Larry and Tammie May

In this episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast, Brian Mavis and Courtney Williams interview Larry and Tammie May, a couple who adopted a child after their biological c...

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S1 E12 Sep 25, 2024

Caseworker Shares Valuable Insights on All Things Foster Care with Becca Bramley

Becca Bramley, a foster care caseworker, discusses her background and role as a therapeutic foster care program manager. She explains the difference between general fo...

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S1 E11 Sep 18, 2024

What It’s Like Being a Teenager in Foster Care with Britt Kelley

In this conversation, hosts Brian and Travis interview Britt Kelley, Foster Friendly Manager with Colorado Kids Belong. Britt is a former foster youth alumni and share...

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S1 E10 Sep 11, 2024

Inspiring Lessons From Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot with Brian, Travis, and Courtney

In this lively conversation, hosts Brian, Travis, and Courtney discuss the movie 'Sound of Hope' and its portrayal of a church in Possum Trot, Texas, that adopted 77 k...

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S1 E9 Sep 04, 2024

Couple Shares Their Journey of Fostering Kids With Special Needs with the Housers

In this heartwarming episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast, hosts Brian and Travis interview Woody and Mindy Houser, an inspiring couple from South Dakota who special...

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S1 E8 Aug 28, 2024

Leading Foster Care Expert Shares Powerful Stories and Insights with Dr. John DeGarmo

In this latest episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast, hosts Courtney and Travis are joined by Dr. John DeGarmo, a renowned foster care expert who has fostered over 60...

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S1 E7 Aug 21, 2024

From Foster Care to PhD: Overcoming Education Hurdles with Dr. Danisha Keating

This week’s conversation explores how being in foster care impacts education. Dr. Danisha Keating is a former foster youth, a CEO, an international motivational speake...

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S1 E6 Aug 14, 2024

What’s Behind the Foster Care to Prison Pipeline? with Bernie Lattner

In this episode, we explore the sobering and eye-opening correlation of many former foster youth who end up incarcerated. Social policy experts have deemed this all to...

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S1 E5 Aug 07, 2024

A Critical Need for Fostering and Adopting Siblings with Former Foster Youth Tina Bauer

Tina gives her testimony of being in the foster care system then being adopted. She is able to discuss what she had to go through during her time in foster care and he...

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S1 E4 Jul 31, 2024

Empty Nester Adopts Seven Siblings After Tragedy Struck with Pam Willis

 In 2019, Pam and her husband Gary were about to be empty nesters when she saw a story on Facebook about a sibling group of seven  whose parents were killed in a car c...

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S1 E3 Jul 24, 2024

Foster Friendly Communities Providing Huge Support to Foster Families with Nanette Kirsch

Nanette Kirsch, as the executive director of marketing and communications for America's Kids Belong (AKB), details her experience in tech marketing that contributed to...