Just As Special

Hope felt like she had way more help than she could use as one foster parent which led her to start thinking about how she could help other families who could benefit from even just one more friend.

The Neighbor Program has since grown to serve families across the Colorado and even the nation.

Learn more about how you can become a Neighbor.

This is the second episode of our This Foster Care Life miniseries where we bring you multiple perspectives around the same topic.

Today's topic is how past trauma affects today's brain.

In this episode, you will hear from:

• Diamond Kobylinski, a self-described former gay foster youth, who describes how coming out while in the system affected his emotional state.
• Kaleo George, a longtime foster parent and foster parent trainer, about how her past trauma impacts her foster parenting.
• Patti Swope, a therapist, former foster parent, and mom to former kid in care Mattie, about how to manage your own trauma as a foster parent.
• Mattie Baker, Patti’s daughter, a former kid in care and current social worker, about the intensity of trauma.

This episode was created in partnership with Urban Leaders Fellowship and made possible by generous support from Cobbled Streets and the Colorado Association of Family and Children's Agencies.

Longtime foster parent and foster parent trainer, Kaleo George, discusses how each of her 3 kids are impacted by their family's foster care journey.

Diamond describes how growing up gay in the foster care system made his life extra-intense.

As a teenager, Diamond was faced with an important decision when he learned a family of two moms was interested in adopting him.

Since this recording, Diamond has closed Hope for Colorado.

Fact Check: Currently there are more than 400,000 kids in foster care in the United States. Every year, 23,000 kids age out without any family to call home.

Learn more at JustAsSpecial.com.

Longtime foster parent and foster parent trainer, Kaleo George, opens up about the messiness of foster care.

In opening up about her personal experiences as a foster mom, Kaleo also paints a picture of how to navigate foster parenting in a way that honors both the complexities and families involved — and the beauty that arises when you show up to stand alongside someone in the messiness of life.

Topics covered include:

• Placement disruptions
• Attachment difficulties
• Grief after placements end
• Savior complex
• Tensions inherent to the foster care system
• Relationships with bio parents

We loved our time with Kaleo (she had so many mic drop moments we lost track) and hope you do too!

To see photos of Kaleo and her family, visit JustAsSpecial.com.