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.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 50 minutes
- Episodes
- 100
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Megan Elizabeth Ward: Reunification Is The Priority, However There Comes A Time When Permanency Needs To Outweigh Reunification
Jayne Amelia talks with Megan Elizabeth Ward. Megan and her wife, Amanda McMillan, started fostering in the Fall of 2017 as a kinship family via ICPC. Following a successful reunifica…
Zaid Gayle: They Treat Us Like We're Broken
Jayne Amelia talks with Peace4kids.org Co-Founder and Executive Director Zaid Gayle.
During his tenure at Peace4Kids, Zaid has had the opportunity to blend his experience in the film ind…
David Hudson: She Says Keep Driving If You Want To Meet Your Father
Jayne Amelia Larson talks with Dave Hudson who was born in Watts and adopted at birth. Later as an adult, with the help pf Pam Slaton, he met his biological father and siblings but unf…
Gay Courter: We Sued The State Of Florida For Improperly Caring For A Child
Jayne Amelia talks with amazing, astounding and ever persistent Gay Courter.
Gay Courter is the author of 7 bestselling novels with over three million copies in print worldwide including…
Nia Garcia: To Me... That Is Not A Mom
Jayne Amelia talks with Nia Garcia. The smart and lovely Nia Garcia is a former foster youth who was abused by her drug addicted mother and stepfather who then threw out of her family h…
Debbie Dullabaun: I Stayed WIth Him, And It Was The Best Thing Ever
Jayne Amelia speaks with CASA Debbie Dullabaun who has been of service to her community for close to 30 years.
In 1998 after the death of her six year old son, Dale Lee Dullabaun III, De…
Kanesha Allison: Her Presence Was Very Strong Because She Was There Everyday
Kanesha and her five siblings were taken into kinship care with her grandmother when she was a little girl until eventual…
Johna Rivers: Hold On And Be Strong
Jayne Amelia speaks with powerhouse foster care alumnus, performance artist, and founder of Reel to Reel Global Youth Film Festival, Johna Rivers.
Johna Rivers is a 28 year old trailbla…
Dennis Rosenbaum : I Am Talking About Resilience
Jayne Amelia speaks with Dennis Rosenbaum who was a school psychologist for 38 years and then became a CASA.
"I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I grew up in a middle-class Jewi…
Rob Rodriguez: I Take All Of My Trauma, Flip That Around And Create Triumph
Jayne Amelia speaks with former foster youth and LGBTQIA+ advocate Rob Rodriguez.
Rob Rodriguez is a proud gay, nonbinary, Latino, born and raised in New York City. Currently residing i…
Leslie Nolan: It's Healing When You Connect
Jayne Amelia speaks with the powerhouse Leslie Nolan who was trafficked at a young age after fleeing an abusive family; she eventually put her father in jail for his sexual abuse to pre…
Melanie Velasquez: Okay Let's Take This Bastard to Jail
Jayne Amelia talks with Melanie Velasquez.
Melanie is a former foster youth from the San Fernando Valley who was abused by her own family at a very young age, and then as a young adult …
Deena Murray: It Does Break Your Heart
Jayne Amelia speaks with foster mom and adoptive mom Deena Murray.
Deena serves as a consultant to Million Kids for Development, Events and assisting with Operations. She is the Directo…
Daron Bennett: Become The Good
Jayne Amelia talks with crypto kid Daron Bennett. In this episode we discuss his journey from generational poverty to inspiring others. Daron is a foster care alumnus who grew up on the…
Cody Renegar: Changing The Stars
Jayne Amelia speaks with foster care alumnus Cody Renegar who is a hairstylist and fine artist, and author of the memoir "Changing the Stars" (2021). We thank him for his frankness, co…
Holiday Bonus Episode: Become The Good
BONUS BABIES producer Jake Eberle introduces this between seasons bonus episode which includes special moments from Season 1 with Teena Festa (#17), Howie Cohen (#21), and Venus Manuel …
Angelo Melendez: I'm Not Going To Gangbang, I'm Never Going To Be A Gangbanger
Jayne Amelia talks with former foster youth Angelo Melendez. When Angelo was orphaned at the age of 2, he was sent to live in foster care in an all boys group home. Luckily he soon wen…
Alexis Obinna: My Business Is Me. That's My Number One Priority
Jayne Amelia talks with former foster youth and advocate Alexis Obinna. Alexis is one of the founders and a current member of the Los Angeles Reproductive Health Equity Project Youth Ad…
Howie Cohen: May Not Have My Blood, But We Have The Same Heart
Jayne Amelia talks with former foster parent, Howie Cohen. The LA Times dubbed him “A Real-Life Don Draper.” In an advertising career that spanned five decades, Howie Cohen wrote the im…
Kylie : Just Us Listening, Actually Listening
Jayne Amelia talks with a devoted and talented child therapist, Kylie. Kylie is a School Therapist working for a non-profit organization providing therapy to students ages 5-22 who live…