Foster care is a temporary arrangement that gives youth a safe place to live when their parents or family of origin are unable to safely care for them. The ultimate goal is to safely reunite a child with their family and to make a positive, long-lasting change in their lives. When parents and/or children with a developmental disability enter the foster care system, both placement and reunification can be challenging. This mini-documentary storytelling podcast features various perspectives of those with backgrounds in the foster care system including disability advocacy, child welfare, disability services, foster family recruitment and retention, and a lived experience.

Why you should listen:
-Understand that we are facing a shortage of foster families and resources nationwide and that the deficit is even greater for adolescents with disabilities who need placement.
-Learn about how you can make an impact in your community to support children with developmental disabilities who are facing out-of-home placement.
-Introduce yourself to disability prejudgment of parents who have developmental disabilities.
-Discover that there are resources and organizations that have a goal to reunify a child with their family while ensuring safety.

Who should listen:
-Parents of children with developmental disabilities;
-Families who may have children in the foster care system or are at risk of entering the foster care system,
-Individuals interested in becoming a foster parent;
-Child protection entities;
-Professionals that support people with disabilities;
-Advocacy organizations; and
-Disability organizations.

This TALKS podcast series was made possible through support from arc Thrift Stores, Colorado Access, Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, Developmental Pathways, and The Arc of Aurora.

To watch the videos of this podcast, visit: https://thinkchange.training/developmental-disabilities-foster-care/