No Child Should Age Out Alone: Finding Families for Older Youth with Jennifer Pinder
About this episode
Rob Scheer and Jennifer Pinder discuss the challenges faced by older youth in foster care and the importance of finding them permanent families.
What happens to a child when they grow up in foster care… and no one ever comes for them? Not when they’re five. Not when they’re ten. Not even when they’re fifteen. This week on Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Jennifer Pinder, Executive Director of You Gotta Believe!, an organization that has spent the last 30 years proving that it is never too late for a young person in foster care to have a permanent, loving family. As an adoptee herself, Jennifer brings both lived experience and professional leadership to this conversation — helping challenge the harmful belief that older youth are “too old” for adoption or permanency. Together, Rob and Jennifer discuss why older youth are so often overlooked, the emotional realities of aging out of foster care alone, and how You Gotta Believe! is redefining what family can look like for teenagers and young adults in care. At the center of this conversation is a simple but powerful truth: every child deserves belonging, commitment, and someone who will show up for them — no matter their age. Conversation Highlights Why do thousands of youth age out of foster care each year without permanent family connections The misconceptions and…
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- From Trauma to Triumph: Dr. Danisha Keating's Journey of Foster Care, Healing, and Hope
- From Foster Care to a Billion-Dollar Brand: Carolyn Aronson's Journey of Resilience and Reinvention
- Listening First: Bridging Policy, Community, and Youth in Foster Care Support with Kym Renner
- Foster Dad: The Power of Showing Up with Corey McKinney
- Growing Up Scheer: A Father and Son's Perspective on Family, Foster Care, and Finding Home
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