Mending Families is hosted by Melissa Pemberton and she brings you weekly content that is a mix of trauma aware interviews, parenting tips for those caring for kids from adversity, and stories from people just like you as they share their beautiful messy moments. Melissa hopes that when you listen each week, you will feel encouraged, inspired and take a little something away to help you and your family move from broken to mended.

On today’s episode, Mara shares about being a child advocate and how that led her and her husband to being a kinship care provider for a teenage girl. We talk briefly about group homes and the “wish list” Mara has for the future of group homes. She gives us good things to think about when it comes to being involved in the lives of children in foster care, and provides us with resources, thoughts, and insights that are helpful to everyone!

Mara Shorr is a highly regarded national consultant, speaker, and writer, as well as a former foster parent and current volunteer advocate for children through the guardian ad litem program in Orange County, FL.

You can find more information about Mara on her Instagram or shoot her email if you just want someone to talk to about your own journey as a foster parent or kinship caregiver.

A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays!

Topics Mara mentions:

*To learn more about Adverse Childhood Experiences, you can listen to episode #45 of Mending Families

*You can support foster children without being a foster parent locally in Eastern Washington by contacting Embrace Washington or Spokane Angels

*Foundation for Foster Children in Florida

*Consider becoming a Child Appointed Special Advocate

*Contact Kids and Teen Closet, Vanessa Behan or Maddie’s Place to inquire about volunteer opportunities

*If you are a small business and can hire foster teens to help them start learning more about responsibility and earning for their future, consider doing this!

*Mara recommends following @fearless_fostering and @fostertheteens on Instagram

Where to find Mending Families:

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Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa

YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594