Preserving Childhood: Safeguarding Memories for Youth in Foster Care with Karen Segal

About this episode

Rob Scheer discusses the importance of preserving childhood memories for youth in foster care with Karen Segal, founder of Photo Safe.

On this episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer is joined by Karen Segal, founder of Photo Safe, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting what many children in foster care often miss: photographs and personal memories. For most families, childhood photos are a given. They capture milestones, friendships, and the small moments that help us understand who we are and where we come from. But for many children experiencing foster care, frequent moves and disrupted connections mean those memories are rarely preserved. Photo Safe was founded to close that gap. Through a network of volunteer photographers, the organization has provided more than 60,000 professionally taken and framed photographs to youth connected to foster care and their families. At the heart of Photo Safe’s work is a commitment to safety and confidentiality. Every image is securely archived and preserved so children can access their memories safely now and decades into the future. In this conversation, Rob and Karen explore why photographs matter for identity, how preserving childhood moments can help young people build a sense of belonging, and why something as simple as a picture can become a powerful anchor in a child’s…

People in this episode

Host: Rob Scheer

Guest: Karen Segal

Topics covered

• foster care
• childhood memories
• photography
• identity
• nonprofit work

Keywords

• foster care
• photographs
• memories
• identity
• nonprofit

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Photo Safe

More episodes of Fostering Change

• First-Time Fostering: What It Really Takes to Say Yes · May 5, 2026 · 22 min
• Both Sides of Then: Understanding Where We Come From with Jennifer Griffith · April 28, 2026 · 16 min
• Build the Table: Creating Opportunity, Connection, and Lasting Impact for Youth with Jodi Grinwald · April 21, 2026 · 11 min
• Called to Help: The Many Paths to Building and Supporting Families with Katy Encalade · April 14, 2026 · 13 min
• Thinking Inside the Box: How Business Can Drive Real Impact with Mordy Kurtz from The Boxery · April 7, 2026 · 12 min
• Raising the Voice of Youth Aging Out of Foster Care! · March 31, 2026 · 22 min