Browse All Podcast Episodes

In this episode, we discuss the stigma that comes with choosing abortion care, especially for the foster youth community. Our all-former-foster-youth crew clears up important medical terms – like the differences between in-clinic abortions and medication abortions. We also give tips on how to prepare for your medical visit and consider your needs for childcare, transportation, a support person, etc. We talk about what the abortion experience can be like, and how you can be a supportive friend in the process. The decision is yours, and we are here to empower you with knowledge and confidence.

As the back-to-school transition gets underway, new routines, unfamiliar hallways, and shifting social circles can test a child's confidence—especially for kids navigating difference, transracial adoption, or mixed-race identity. In this episode, Rooted in Connection: Back to School with Dr. Jenn, we explore how to send children into the new school year anchored in deep self-worth and belonging.

Billie has experienced child welfare from multiple perspectives: as a child in foster care and group placements, and later as a parent. In this deeply personal conversation, she joins InnerViews host Ivory Bennett to discuss grief, being unheard in care, motherhood, addiction and recovery, family separation, advocacy, and what children and families truly need from the systems designed to support them.

In this episode of Community In-Site, host Valerie Frost talks with Livingstone College Vice President Nailah McDowell and student RaMaj Parker about what changes when an institution asks a different question: not simply whether students are ready for college, but whether the college is ready for its students.

Unfortunately, not all medical workers treat foster youth with respect. In this episode, we share how we have sometimes had to stick up for ourselves to get the sexual and reproductive health care we need (and deserve!). Listeners: you have the right to ask questions, say no, and make choices about your own health. You should feel respected and listened to by your doctors— and if you don’t, it’s okay to look for someone new.

What happens when a public-systems leader with more than 30 years of experience is asked to move from a sweeping vision for reform to the realities families experience when they seek help? In this episode of Community In-Site, host Valerie Frost speaks with Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner Clarence Carter, author of Our Net Has Holes in It.

How can we prioritize our mental health while navigating romantic relationships?  Derenice and Myh’Keith explain ways to talk openly—even about the hard stuff. They also explain how “growth-bonding” can be a great way to build your relationship.

For three years, a collaborative effort was made to develop core principles and concepts around how best to support young adults as they prepared to exit the foster care system. That effort culminated in the publishing of Improving Outcomes for Young Adults and the Systems that Serve Them: A Playbook of Best Practices.  On this week’s episode we were joined by Natalie Clark and Sarah Goad, two of the many people who worked on the playbook.

In July 2026, April Dinwoodie discusses the complex themes of adoption, identity, freedom, and community with her guest, a neurodivergent queer trans woman and adoptee. They explore personal stories, societal perceptions, and the importance of authentic connections.

Prevention is one of the most common words in child welfare and family well-being conversations. But what are we actually trying to prevent? Are we trying to prevent foster care entry, family crisis, poverty, surveillance, or are we trying to build the conditions families need to thrive?

We are joined by Tasha Patterson for this episode; True Narratives: Kidnapped, Terrorized, and Still Coming. In this episode, we engage with the true narratives of kidnapping, terror, and the moment of rupture.

There are dozens of girls incarcerated in Los Angeles’ juvenile justice facilities, and virtually everyone agrees they don’t need to be there. On this episode, we talk to Jessica Nowlan of Reimagine Freedom and Lisa Small of the Liberty Hill Foundation about the Liberation Fund and other efforts to rethink the way Los Angeles supports system-involved girls.