PREPARING FOSTER YOUTH FOR ADULTING

Show notes and recordings of AOI’s podcasts from 2024 are below (episodes 089-TBD).
You can also find the show on most podcast distributors, including Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, TuneIn, Listen Notes, Podbay, Blubrry, Vurbl, and iHeartRadio. 

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The AOI podcast series has been an incredibly helpful tool for our new non-profit. Our organization has been encouraged, informed and motivated by the AOI podcast series. Our volunteers and leaders love listening to this podcast and look forward to many more to come!

Angela LippensFounder, Unfaulted
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I greatly appreciated being a guest on this podcast! I've been on many podcasts and I found this one to be the most helpful. I loved Lynn's style of tactful and critical feedback. Overall, this is a highly recommended podcast for foster care awareness!

Cheryl WilliamsFounder and Executive Director of Fundamentals for Foster Care
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As a former child welfare case manager who worked directly with children in foster youth, I find it comforting that there are agencies that actually help foster youth who are aging out of care. I love that this podcast showcases those agencies!

Rhea WardAdmissions Coordinator of Multi-Alliance Agency for Children
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The Aging Out Institute podcast is AMAZING! It's a space for conversations about access, opportunities, and discovery as youth transition from foster care programming into adulthood. As an educator and nonprofit leader, I look for ways to connect with people making a difference and to hear about real work happening in communities across the country. Listening to an episode gives me that time to get inspired and find resources for youth.

Andrea FerreroCo-Founder/Executive Director, Pockets Change
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I enjoy the AOI podcast. It gives me an opportunity to learn of the many organizations that have the passion and mission to assist the foster care population.

Patricia Holland, Executive DirectorAll Things New, Inc.
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Just listed to the latest podcast and reached out to your guest...Appreciate you bringing awareness to organizations that help these kids.

Adam Pavao, Executive DirectorImpact Living Services
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I really enjoyed the first podcast of AOI's that I listened to about the mobile tiny homes (among other things). I could tell that Lynn asks questions in such a way that listeners can really gain actionable information.

Dr. Steve J. RiosPresident, NPO Library

04/21/24

In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Mark Mecum, CEO of Ohio Children’s Alliance in Columbus, Ohio. Mark explains the work that his organization does for youth aging out of foster care through the Ohio Bridges Program, the state’s extended foster care program. We talk about the importance of prevention so that youth don’t have to go into foster care in the first place, and we wrap up discussing opportunities to improve outcomes for aged-out youth.

Resources mentioned during podcast:
Ohio Children’s Alliance
Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 26
National Youth in Transition Database
The Open Table

04/16/24

In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Lee Marshall, CEO and Founder of Kids to Love in Madison, Alabama. Lee describes the path she took to leading Kids to Love and the programs and services that Kids to Love offers youth in foster care, as well as those aging out. She explained KTech, which is a 16-week program that teaches skills to help aged-out youth become highly employable. Finally, Lee shares her vision of helping foster youth get on their career path while still in foster care.

Resources mentioned during podcast:
Kids to Love

03/12/24

In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Bruce Wingate, President of Foster Care Furniture in Boise, Idaho. Bruce describes how his organization provides training in woodworking and carpentry for youth who have aged out of foster care. Their nonprofit offers 13 weeks of training in which the youth build products to specifications for a paying client. Then, they assists the youth in finding employment in the trades. They are also planning a second phase, which will include enabling youth to own their own tiny homes.

Resources mentioned during podcast:
Foster Care Furniture
Protect Idaho Kids
College of Western Idaho
Woodcraft
Maker Shop
Idaho Workforce Development Council
CASA/GAL
Casey Family Programs

03/05/24

In this episode, Lynn Tonini facilitates a conversation between two individuals connected with organizations that help youth aging out of foster care find and retain employment: Hope Broomham with Jim Riley Outreach (Plano, TX) and Andraya Slyter with The RightWay Foundation (Los Angeles, CA). During this conversation, we talked about different strategies to help foster youth find and keep employment to help them toward self-sufficiency. We also discussed generational differences that may be influencing employment expectations.

Resources mentioned during podcast:
Jim Riley Outreach
The RightWay Foundation

01/19/24

In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Brian Meza, Executive Director of Petra Cares, a charitable arm of Petra Auto Products based in Cypress, Texas. Brian explained the history of Petra Cares, which provides an automotive foundations course for youth aging out of foster care and assists them with acquiring a job in the automotive industry after successfully completing that course. Through partnerships with Lone Star College and other organizations, this nonprofit ensures wrap-around supports for the youth who sign up for their 7-week program. They are a young organization, but they have caught the eye of other cities and are already in talks about expanding.

Resources mentioned during podcast:
Petra Cares
Young Life
KSPJ Christian Radio
The Riverside Project
The HAY Center
Angel Reach

01/06/24

In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Donna Skora, Founder of Surrogate Grandparents USA, based in Summerfield, FL. We discussed the reason that she started this Facebook page, which is dedicated to connecting people in order to develop chosen families. We then moved into a conversation about how this site can help connect former foster youth with adults who can serve as surrogate family and mentors. We wrapped up with the challenges that youth aging out of foster care face, and how developing a strong relationship with supportive adults can be the key to making the transition successfully.

Resources mentioned during podcast:
Surrogate Grandparents USA
Trauma Informed Care
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)
Foster Care Alumni of America