Bonus Babies
The Anthem Award winning BONUS BABIES podcast is the only one of its kind that features the compelling true-life hard-hitting stories of those with a lived foster care experience and the people who care for them––all via the unique 360* lens of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. Through raw first-hand accounts, BONUS BABIES reveals the daunting complexity of the foster care world while documenting the challenges, failures and successes of the system as well as the people and the agencies involved. The creator and host, Jayne Amelia Larson, is a CASA - a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer for youth in foster care. In the same way a CASA works, she explores all things in the foster care maze by talking to kids, parents, caregivers, attorneys, social workers, therapists, adoptees, adoptive parents, members of community and social programs...anybody and everybody who will speak to her to keep the conversation open and the information flowing about all things CASA––to give a forum to help people understand what it's like to have a lived foster care experience. Original music by Christina Apostolopoulos. Emma Karpman is our Social Media Manager. Audio engineering and mixing by Adam "Yukon" Harr of Blue Oak Mastering. Executive Producer is Jake Eberle. Cover art by John Crowther.
Episodes
92 episodes
Greg Rosenmerkel: Based On Our Life Experience We Tend To Think What The Necessary Elements Are For A Child's Physical and Emotional Safety, And They're Not The Same
Jayne Amelia talks with Colonel (Retired) Gregory J. Rosenmerkel who is a new CASA in Colorado and about to start his CASA training. Rosie grew up in Waukesha, WI and earned his commission and degree in Civil Engineering from the U...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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31:03
Christine Goddard: I Now Realize Why You Were There Always In My Life
Jayne Amelia speaks with CASA Christine Goddard shortly after the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles took the foster home of her CASA kiddo as well as her bio family's home.Christine Goddard, has been a Court Appointment Special Advocate (...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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47:29
Danisha Keating: What Purpose Do You Have, What Passions Do You Have That We Can Encourage
Jayne Amelia speaks with former foster youth and now child advocate Dr. Danisha Keating. In this conversation, Danisha shares her challenging journey from being a child in the foster care system to earning her PhD. She discusses the sign...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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1:02:31
Jeanette Yoffe: You Need To Go Into The Grief, Into The Loss, Into The Trauma To Heal
Jayne Amelia speaks with Jeanette Yoffe, M.A., M.F.T., who is a therapist specializing in adoption and foster care and the Director and Founder of Celia Center, the non-profit she named after her first mother, Celia. *In thi...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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1:06:35
Glenda Wright: I Don't Match A Stereotype
Jayne Amelia speaks with former foster youth, advocate and attorney Glenda Wright. Glenda recently graduated from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law, where she received her Juris Doctorate in May 2022. Glenda has also earned her Bachelor...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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59:49
Dr. Bruce Sogolow: Children Do Everything They Do To Try To Meet A Need
Jayne Amelia speaks with therapist Dr. Bruce Sogolow. Dr. Bruce has been a psychotherapist for nearly 40 years. He relates that “There was a kind of inevitability that led to my practice of specializing in ‘walking along side’ of f...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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57:02
Warren Press: Elizabeth And I Are The Ones Who Are Unbelievably Lucky To Get To Be Their Parents
Jayne Amelia speaks with her friend and (very loving and proud) adoptive parent, Warren Press. Warren lives in Los Angeles with his wife Elizabeth Mestnik and their 14-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter. Their journey to parenthood wa...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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1:05:21
Rachel Elovitz: I Am Going To Do A Damn Good Job Because I Genuinely Care
Jayne Amelia speaks with guardian ad litem and child advocate/attorney, Rachel Aliza Elovitz. Rachel has worked as a family law attorney for more than 27 years. In that capacity, she has represented fathers seeking to legitim...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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55:00
Tige Charity: There's No Greater Agony Than Bearing An Untold Story Inside You
Jayne Amelia speaks with the powerhouse founder of Kids in The Spotlight, Tige Charity. In Tige's words: As a visionary with a strong faith & a passion for serving others, I have devoted my career to empowering young peop...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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49:05
Romi Lassaly and Pat McCabe : One Caring Person Can Make All The Difference
Jayne Amelia speaks with Romi Lassally and Patrick McCabe, co-founders of Ready To Succeed which has supported college bound students impacted by foster care or “scholars” (as they call them which is fantastic!) by helping them get...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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52:29
Chrisie Morris: I Will Not Let The Darkness Change My Heart
Jayne Amelia speaks with artist and animator, and former foster youth Chrisie Morris. Chrisie is a junior at Cal State University Long Beach pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration for Pre-Production. She’s currently ...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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58:15
Gavin Glynn: You Have Get Them To Trust
Jayne Amelia speaks with single foster dad and entertainment producer Gavin Glynn. Gavin and his then partner fostered to adopt a young boy, then Gavin went on to foster a foursome sibling set when he was a single dad. In ord...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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56:58
Elizabeth Garcia Herrera: I've Got To Do My Part Of Not Repeating The Same Mistakes As My Family
Jayne Amelia speaks with foster alum Elizabeth Garcia Herrera. Liz and her sisters (America's story is Episode 16 of Season 3) were placed in foster care when their mother could no longer look after them. Liz was 17 and spent sever...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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55:55
America Gutierrez: I Am Not Going To Be Silenced Anymore
Jayne Amelia speaks with foster care alum America Gutierrez. America is a passionate advocate for mental health, firmly guided by the belief that our voices are our most potent tools. With unwavering determination, she fearle...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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45:45
Georgette Todd: That's When Everything Changed
Jayne Amelia speaks with former foster youth and now child advocate Georgette Todd. Georgette is a speaker, author, and a foster care and child abuse prevention advocate. Georgette spent her teenage years bouncing around from home ...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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48:14
Ron Jenkins: One Of The Reason Kids Don't Get Help Is Because They Don't Learn How To Trust Again
Jayne Amelia speaks with child advocate and mentor Ron Jenkins. Ron is a former foster youth who along with his siblings was placed in foster care after his mother died of cancer when he was two years old. He bounced around in foster car...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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52:57
Lorry Leigh Belhumeur: What's Happened To You, How Can I Help?
Jayne Amelia speaks with Dr. Lorry Leigh Belhumeur, a renowned leader in the field of mental health and wellness, with over 30 years of experience serving children and their families. Dr. Lorry’s unwavering commitment to empowering...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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50:19
Paul Freese: Who Are You, Why Are You Here, What Will Become Of You, What Impact Will You Have?
Jayne Amelia speaks with advocate Paul L. Freese, Jr. Paul has worked as a public interest attorney for more than 25 years and provides consulting on holistic innovations and solutions to poverty, with special focus upon traumatized popu...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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55:29
Jeremy Buchanan: I Was Thirsty. I Think Anybody Who Wants To Make It... Be Thirsty.
Jayne Amelia speaks with creative and foster care alumni Jeremy Buchanan. Jeremy was raised in Illinois, Georgia, and California. He moved around a lot as a kid and attended more elementary schools than he can even count. He was fi...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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59:21
Barbara Lane: They Did Everything They Could To Break My Bonds To My Sisters But It Didn't Work
Jayne Amelia speaks with Reverand Barbara Lane. Rev. Lane is the author of
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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56:15
Charity Chandler-Cole: I Am Capable Of Achieving Whatever I Want To Achieve
Jayne Amelia speaks with Charity Chandler-Cole. Charity is an author, scholar and activist and "... the CEO of CASA of Los Angeles, Court Appointed Special Advocates for youth impacted by the Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Systems. Bor...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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48:35
Mike Wiskar: Music Saved My Life As A Kid, Teenager, Adult...Totally
Jayne Amelia speaks with award-winning musician and adoptee Mike Wiskar. Mike is a Leo-nominated composer, songwriter, independent music producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. He was also adopted as a baby and raised in a caring ...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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53:53
Peter Mutabazi: My Role As A Dad...I Can Do As Much As Momma Can Do
Jayne Amelia speaks with adoptive dad to one and foster dad to many Peter Mutabazi. "As a child I ran away from an abusive home and was helped by the kindness of strangers. As an adult I found myself in a position of being able to help f...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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46:08
Steve Pemberton: You Need To Speak To Them In The Language Of Their Dreams
Jayne Amelia speaks with foster care alumnus Steve Pemberton. Steve is a best selling author, philanthropist, businessman and acclaimed speaker. Steve's "story is about defying seemingly insurmountable odds to become a trail-blazing corp...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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1:02:18
Noah Nash: We All Are Special In Our Own Ways
Jayne Amelia speaks with Dr. Noah Nash. Noah is a foster care alumnus from very early childhood, as well as an educator and creative web designer-developer who is amplifying stories, products and projects with people, for people — as he ...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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54:36