Bonus Babies
The Anthem Awards-winning BONUS BABIES podcast is the only series of its kind to explore the foster care system through the immersive, 360-degree perspective of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. Through powerful firsthand accounts from foster youth, former foster children, caregivers, attorneys, social workers, therapists, adoptees, foster and adoptive parents, and community advocates, the podcast delivers an unflinching look at the realities of life within the child welfare system.
Hosted and created by Jayne Amelia Larson, a CASA volunteer herself, BONUS BABIES examines the foster care “maze” in much the same way a CASA approaches a case: by listening to every voice, seeking out every perspective, and ensuring that the experiences of vulnerable children are seen, heard, and understood. The series documents both the heartbreaking failures and inspiring successes of the system while fostering open, honest conversations about trauma, resilience, advocacy, and belonging.
By blending investigative curiosity with compassionate storytelling, BONUS BABIES creates a platform that educates audiences, amplifies lived experience, and encourages meaningful social engagement. The podcast has resonated with listeners around the world for its emotional depth, cinematic production quality, and commitment to illuminating stories that are too often overlooked.
Original music is composed by Christina Apostolopoulos. Audio engineering and mixing are provided by Adam Harr of Blue Oak Mastering. Cover art is by John Crowther, and the Executive Producer is Jake Eberle.
Bonus Babies
Megan Elizabeth Ward: Reunification Is The Priority, However There Comes A Time When Permanency Needs To Outweigh Reunification
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Jayne Amelia talks with Megan Elizabeth Ward. Megan and her wife, Amanda McMillan, started fostering in the Fall of 2017 as a kinship family via ICPC. Following a successful reunification, Amanda and Megan transitioned to a DFCS partnership home and haven’t looked back since. Fast forward almost 5 years and 40+ placements, Amanda and Megan have provided a loving home to kiddos of all ages, backgrounds, and needs – sometimes for just a few hours and sometimes for many years. They have been most dedicated to a sibling set of toddlers and a sibling set of teenagers that have been with them long-term and who will always fill their hearts – even when they no longer fill their home. Amanda and Megan believe in the importance of reunification and partnership parenting and build incredibly strong bonds with the biological families.
The Region 5 Foster Care Community is incredibly important to Amanda and Megan and so they have recently joined forces with other local families to launch The Five Hive – a partnership initiative with DFCS. The Five Hive aims to establish a peer support network for foster families and a swarm of support for the entire Region 5 Foster Care community. Long-term, Amanda and Megan hope to not only impact the lives of the children in their care but also find ways to strengthen the Foster Care community throughout the state of Georgia.
"Originally from Jupiter, Florida, Megan fled the gator state to be a double-dawg, earning both her Bachelors and Masters in Public Relations from Grady College at the University of Georgia. A New Media Institute alumna herself, Megan has worked with the NMI since 2011 and has served in a variety of capacities. Currently, Megan serves as the Administrative Director of the NMI, overseeing all daily operations for the largest undergraduate certificate at UGA. She also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses for both the NMI and the Emerging Media Master’s concentration. As TEDxUGA licensee, Megan has served as mama to all things TED on the UGA campus since 2013. Megan leads all organization and curation efforts for the annual TEDxUGA event in March."
Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)
The Five Hive on Facebook
Want to learn about becoming a foster parent? - click here
National Foster Parent Association
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