A native of Tacoma, Washington, Jamerika Haynes-Lewis has more than ten years of experience as a journalist and advocate for children in foster care. While growing up in foster care, Jamerika was determined to have a different life than the one she experienced. She put herself through college earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Washington State University. As the owner of Clever Jam Communications, Jamerika offers strategic communications guidance, motivational speaking, and facilitation. Currently she is USA Ambassador Ms. 2021 through the USA Ambassador Pageant. Her platform is ‘A Chance to Succeed: Empowering Youth in Foster Care.’ Watch…
Author: Rob Scheer
Leslie Gang (maiden name Reis) was born and raised in Long Island New York, where she currently resides with her husband Jason and children Alexandra and Simon. She graduated from Boston University in 2007 with a double major in Communications (specialization in Public Relations) and Jewish Studies. Leslie has worked in the admissions and marketing field of the nonprofit sector for more than 14 years and is currently the Director of Admissions and Communications at the Brandeis School in Lawrence, NY. Leslie is also the co-founder of Hindi’s Libraries, an international literary nonprofit that donates new and gently used children’s…
Children’s Action Network (CAN) uses the power of the entertainment community to increase awareness about children’s issues and make them a top priority in everyday life. CAN is currently dedicated to raising awareness about and finding homes for the more than 100,000 children in foster care in the United States who are waiting for an adoptive family and improving outcomes for the more than 400,000 children in foster care. FosterMore is an unparalleled coalition of media and entertainment companies, foundations, non-profits, businesses and philanthropic organizations working to create greater understanding, empathy, and action to improve the future of youth in…
Jess is the Director of Crisis Services at the National Runaway Safeline. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the Crisis Services Center and its associated data collection and reporting systems. She supervises all members of the crisis services team to ensure consistent and effective delivery of services offered to youth who have run away, are experiencing homelessness, and/or are in crisis, and their families. Each year, the National Runaway Safeline makes more than 125,000 connections to help and hope through hotline, online and offline services. Prior to joining the National Runaway Safeline, Jess served as the District…
Johnny Agar, born with cerebral palsy and told he would never walk, overcame the odds to participate in long-distance endurance races with his dad pushing him, until the final mile when he walks across the finish line. Previously featured on ESPN and The Today Show, Johnny is making his highly-anticipated book debut this fall that is a testament to the power of extraordinary courage titled The Impossible Mile: The Power In Living Life One Step at a Time (Dexterity, September 21, 2021). Johnny’s story shows the impact of a life lived to its fullest, from the first difficult steps in…
On this special episode of Fostering Change, we welcome Dr. Gail Saltz., M.D. Rob Scheer, host of Fostering Change and founder of Comfort Cases, interviews Dr. Saltz about a very personal topic: R.A.D. Reactive Attachment Disorder. Why is this personal? One of Rob’s sons has been diagnosed with R.A.D. and he and his husband Reece have to deal with all of the issues regarding RAD on a daily basis. Rob and Dr. Saltz further delve into other mental health issues and treatments for them, as well as other fascinating issues about the brain.Dr. Saltz is a Clinical Associate Professor of…
After Misty completed her Bachelor Degree from Manchester University, she found her calling working in Child Welfare. This prompted her to complete her Masters in Social work from Indiana University. In the past 20 years, she has fed her passion to assist those in need and her desire for knowledge in a variety of settings, primarily focusing upon the social constructs and needs of those connected to the child welfare system. In her roles working with families and children, she witnessed the terrible effects of untreated trauma on the children she served, and the lasting effects it has when working…
A Regional Manager at a Social Mobility Charity, Ambassador for Comfort Cases UK, Panel Advisor, Coach & Mentor with lived experience of going through the foster care system. Rosie has experience in both the private and non-profit sectors, and she is an advocate for positive change in society. She has a bachelor’s degree in Law, a Postgraduate Certificate in International Business Law. She has recently completed a Level 5 Coaching Qualification to help individuals and businesses to achieve their goals. Watch Full Interview: https://youtu.be/9saADgTfJJw Story Key Notes: Her journey into & through foster care, overcoming perceived barriers and importance of…
Although a product of the New Jersey foster care system, Laura Singer is a proud graduate from Syracuse University, Johns Hopkins University and most recently, Georgetown University Law Center. With a passion for advocating for children and foster care reform, Laura plans to dedicate her legal career to making substantial changes to the foster care system. Before law school, she served as a teacher in Washington, DC, as a Teach for America Corps Member. She now works as a law clerk in a family law court in Morris County, New Jersey. She hopes to one day open her own school…
Pam and her husband have been married 33 years, raised 5 biological children (the youngest is 20). 8 years ago they became foster parents and began caring for children in their home. Pam led down a road of foster care and as a surprise to their life plan, 2 years ago, adoption of a set of seven siblings from the foster care system. They have a second chance at parenting, and they have a second chance at a family after their first parents passed away in a car accident. Watch Full Interview: https://youtu.be/HXsXOM58CzQ Story Key Notes: Adopting 7 Sets of…
Amanda is a mother of four with two biological and two adopted children (from India). She advocates for adoptees as their voice is often unheard. She wrote and illustrated Finding Family in a Far-Away Land with her daughters’ permission to share their story and memories in hopes of empowering other children and educating families. Watch Full Interview: https://youtu.be/FUFrsmhKrZo Story Key Notes: Finding Family “Far Away Land” BookAdopting Internationally The Struggle to Adopt Children Through IndiaEmpathy is Not Something we are Born withReason For Writing the Book Learn more at https://www.comfortcases.org/
Rob Scheer interviews multi-award-winning author Jodi Meltzer who has written extensively about grief, parenting and divorce for various publications, including HuffPost, The Mighty, Scary Mommy, and Thrive Global. She has just published the book, Goodnight Star, Whoever You Are. A Boston native, she recently relocated to Tampa in search of more sunshine, literally and figuratively. To learn more about Jodi and her books, including the previously published, When You Lived in My Belly, please visit jodimeltzer.com. Today’s episode of Fostering Change is timely, as November 18th, 2021 is Children’s Grief Awareness Day. Rob and Jodi discuss this difficult topic and how…