Foster care has many shared experiences- many are beautiful and wholesome, but at times there are moments when we can struggle with some of the processes involved. Placement decisions, adoption, and transitioning a child from one home to another are no exception. These are hard conversations but they are important as you explore the world of foster care. This month we did just that- shared our…
Greetings! This episode is extra special because we're celebrating National Adoption Month with the wonderful story of Matt and Melissa! We believe every family's journey is a story worth sharing, and we're so grateful they're sharing theirs with us. Their experience, like so many others, is a powerful reminder of the love and commitment that builds a family. It's real, it's heartfelt, and it…
One of the original intentions of the podcast was to introduce ourselves as an agency and the people who provide youth and families with support. We'll draw a topic and then discuss. This month we explored the unexpected- what were the things that surprised us about our work in foster care, what surprised us with our kids and families, and what have we learned about ourselves and each other along…
A new fiscal year brings new potential and new possibilities, but also gets us to reflect on our successes over the last 12 months. This year we celebrate our new programs, our permanency achievements, and the little wins (but really, is any win “little?”) all along the way. This episode we are joined by a couple members of leadership as we explore everything the last year held- and look to a…
In this episode we’re shining a light on sharing the voices of our LGBTQ+ staff and allies, their stories, hopes, struggles, and celebrations. Let us always find our pride, and remember wherever life takes you, we see you and we honor you every day. While these reflections are deeply personal, we also recognize they don’t capture all LGBTQ+ experiences. Each journey is unique, and every voice adds…
In past episodes we have talked about how disparities exist in foster care- minority and marginalized groups are a larger part of our foster care population than they should be. Part of this is because of those things people don't always realize they hold: implicit bias in particular. Erin Reynolds, Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, joins us again to talk about how we as an…
For the past few years we have talked a lot about two primary ways people can help children and families who are supported by different systems of care: providing foster care and mentoring. There are, of course, other ways that you could be involved in supporting your community- and one of those is through charitable giving. While people think about giving most around holidays, this is a…
Updated November of 2024! Welcome to Stanford Sierra Youth & Families' introductory episode of Resource Families Thrive! We hope you learn more about our agency, the people who will be working with families like yours, and how you can get involved to support youth and families in our communities! For more information please visit our website at SSYAF.ORG or give us a call at (916) 344-0199.
Research shows us that when a child or teen stays in their community, with people they already know, the impacts of entry into the foster care system are reduced. This is called Kinship Care, and is increasing in priority through legislation and policy changes. This month we're joined by Risha from our Family & Youth Partnership program, sharing her lived experience as a kinship caregiver. To…
This time of year is a great time to think back on what we have done in the Foster Care realm, and what we are looking forward to doing. Who better to explore with than our Program Director, Danielle Paminto? In this episode we discuss some of the driving factors behind our program and operations, and some of the upcoming changes to the foster care system as a whole. To learn more contact us at…