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.
Bonus Babies
Traci Gurley-Tomashosky: You Just Have To Be Consistent
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Jayne Amelia speaks with child advocate and executive director of CASA of the Ninth in Colorado, Traci Gurley-Tomashosky. Traci is a distinguished educational leader and advocate with over 22 years of experience dedicated to the development and success of children and youth. Currently serving as the Executive Director for CASA of the Ninth, Traci combines a deep clinical background in special education with a visionary approach to community-based advocacy. Her career is defined by the unwavering conviction that every young person, regardless of their starting point, can achieve significant growth when met with evidence-based support and authentic human connection. She also recently became a CASA as well, and has gained a better understanding of what it means to advocate for a children in need.
Traci’s professional foundation is built upon academic training and a multidisciplinary suite of licensures including a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology (2007), Specialist Endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education (2012), and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences (2005). As well as professional licensure as an Elementary and Early Childhood Educator, Special Educator, and Speech-Language Pathology Assistant, providing her with a holistic understanding of the developmental spectrum from infancy through adolescence.
Throughout her 18-year tenure as a Director and Special Educator, Traci has mastered the complexities special education and trauma informed educational practices. Additionally, she ensures that the organizations she leads remain in strict compliance with evaluative timelines and documentation standards, while never losing sight of the individual child.
Traci's vision for community impact and leadership philosophy is rooted in transparency, authenticity, and cultural humility. She actively fosters environments that celebrate diversity and invite family partnership, believing that learning is most impactful when it is centered on the student’s unique interests and lived experiences. Under her direction, the focus of CASA of the Ninth is on building robust, trusting relationships—not only with the families served but across multidisciplinary teams—to ensure that the systems supporting our youth are as resilient and compassionate as the children themselves.
https://www.ileadwithlove.org/care-for-the-caregivers-program
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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