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
Greg Brake: Foster Warriors 24-Hour Challenge
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Jayne Amelia speaks with Greg Brake, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Foster Warriors. Greg has built companies including a 200+ person legal & technology team that have handled some of the nation's most critical matters such as the World Trade Center disaster. He created the initial model to determine the value of a life lost in 9/11 and handled numerous regulatory inquiries which include but are not limited to: NYSE & Archipelago, Oracle & Peoplesoft, Harrah's & Ceasars. He built global litigation systems, cyber security, and data breach response and remediation solutions Greg loves solving complex problems that others don't want to tackle.
In 2019, he reached out to his longtime friend and former business partner Chuck Rubac, former US Navy SEAL, to help him build a program to change foster children's lives and create a positive way forward for great Americans who served this country. The underlying mission is suicide prevention but Greg and Chuck wanted to focus on the opposite framework of Veterans having a mission and purpose in life to materially change the lives of a forgotten population, foster youth that have aged out of the system. Foster Warriors held its 1st 24-hour challenge in September 2023 and it was a resounding success. Greg most enjoys spending time with his family and coaching youth lacrosse.
Foster Warriors - Bringing Navy Seals and their allies together to mentor Foster Youth
See bonusbabies.org to learn more about what we are doing and please donate to support us by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES TO RECORDING AND PLATFORMING THESE STORIES. Yeah!
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