Browse All Podcast Episodes

We are BACK in the cypher! What does it mean to fight for Black families in a system designed to annihilate them? And who must we become in the cracks, in the rupture, and in the struggle? In this episode of Audio Nuggets, we welcome back movement lawyer Miriam Mack to the cypher, now in […]

Andrew Clark is the founder and president of Yes Every Kid, an organization which works to change the nation's standardized approach to education, pushing towards a focus on serving the unique needs of every student. He is also a veteran of the Stand Together community, and a skilled lobbyist and political tactician, having worked on state policies ranging from food trucks to Social Security. Today, he and Michael discuss the recent survey done by Yes Every Kid on educational freedom in America. Many parents feel that the values they hold are not addressed or considered by the US educational system, which tends to "teach to the test" rather than taking a more nuanced approach. They discuss who is--and who should be--making the decisions about our kids' education. They also talk about government overreach in the homeschooling laws of some states.

Historically, when a young person with a foster care history becomes a parent, they are subject to more scrutiny by child protective services than their peers who have not spent time in foster care. We visit Children’s Law Center in Los Angeles, where attorneys and advocates work to ensure young parents don’t lose their children to foster care just because they experienced foster care themselves.

What does lasting support look like after foster care ends? Ivory Bennett speaks with Christina Young-Van Osten, a child welfare professional and consultant who aged out of New York’s foster care system, about connection, mental health, and genuine decision-making power. Christina reflects on navigating adulthood, finding family beyond care, and turning lived experience into leadership. Together, they explore why achievement does not erase the need for support—and why preparing young people for adulthood requires choice, practical guidance, and relationships that last.

In this episode, we're looking at an addiction treatment program in Ohio that has helped more than 5,000 parents get sober and keep their kids out of foster care.

Dr. Mical Raz is a professor of Public Health & Policy, History, and Clinical Medicine at the University of Rochester. Mical earned her PhD and MD from Tel Aviv University in 2007 and 2009, respectively, and has since completed her residency and post-doctoral fellowships at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania. She has written numerous journal articles on child welfare and is the author of four books.  Today’s conversation revolves around her conclusions from her most recently released book, Breaking Families, Making Families: Adoption & Child Welfare in the 1990s.

In this episode, Angela talks with Dr. Frank W. Putnam, author of Old Before Their Time: A Scientific Life Investigating How Maltreatment Harms Children and the Adults They Become. Dr. Putnam is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and an authority on the lifetime effects of childhood maltreatment. He is co-founder, with the late Dr. Penelope Trickett, of the Female Growth and Development Study (FGDS), an ongoing 35+ year, multigenerational study of the enduring biopsychosocial effects of childhood sexual abuse on female development. This episode highlights key points from the book and actions children's lawyers can take to help their clients, particularly those who have been sexually abused.

A lot of conversations in child welfare and human services begin with reform. How do we reduce harm? How do we address disparities? How do we improve policies, practices, training, accountability, and outcomes? Samantha Mellerson and Tshaka Barrows, Co-Executive Directors of the Haywood Burns Institute, bring decades of experience working with communities and systems to address racial and ethnic disparities, build community power, and imagine more just conditions for children, families, and communities.

What does it cost an adopted person to wear a mask just to keep the world comfortable—and what does it take to finally take the armor off? In this October episode of Born in June, Raised in April, host April Dinwoodie sits down with Erik Mohn, author of his debut memoir Stranger in My Own Story, for an electric, soul-baring conversation on transracial adoption, race, culture, family and Black masculini

On this week’s headlines edition we discuss recent actions by the Trump administration, including efforts to improve the background check process for foster home licensing. We also discuss why in some states, the end of SNAP waivers for former foster youth won’t mean much, because they never got the waivers in the first place; and the push to build more juvenile facilities in states that can barely staff the ones they have.

Dr. Peter Gray, a research professor emeritus of psychology at Boston College, joins us to share his expertise across developmental psychology, neuroendocrinology, anthropology, and education. He is the author of a widely acclaimed introductory psychology textbook, currently in its eighth edition. He also wrote the popular book, Free to Learn, emphasizing the importance of childhood freedom to learn. Dr. Gray’s recent scholarly work explores how play shaped human evolution and how children naturally educate themselves through self-directed play and discovery. He joins Michael to discuss his latest release, Restoring Childhood: How to Set Kids Free in the Age of Anxiety. This conversation takes us through the timeline of events in the United States and parenting that have contributed to where we are today.

Our all-former-foster-youth squad tells all about menstrual health and periods: what they are, why they happen, and what it feels like to get one. We also share our own stories and provide tips on how to stay comfortable. We even explain the many period products you’ll see out there, such as pads, tampons, menstrual cups, period underwear, etc. After listening in, we hope you’ll realize that periods are a normal part of growing up and nothing to be embarrassed about. Your body and everything that comes with it is unique, and that’s okay. You’ve got this!