Change It Up Radio

In this episode of Change It Up Radio, Paula Shaw is joined by Jenna Mendez, a foster youth counselor, licensed professional counselor, nationally board-certified counselor, school counselor, and adjunct professor at Chapman University, to discuss the unique challenges that foster youth are faced with, and the support systems in place to help them succeed.   Jenna provides insight on the trauma that these children experience when they're removed from their homes, and the efforts made to place them in safe living arrangements. She describes the various ways children can enter the foster care system, including being born into it in certain scenarios, the reality of abuse within the foster care system, and the role of group homes for children with more severe situations.   We discuss the difficulties in finding suitable foster homes for children, as well as the importance of keeping them in their school of origin whenever possible, the court-ordered requirements for parents to regain custody of their children