Fictitious Truths - Barbara Lane

There are those who are passionate about their calling, and Dr. John DeGarmo is one.  Dr. DeGarmo is THE foster care expert to turn to for answers to your questions or to find support for your efforts in helping abused and neglected children.Dr. DeGarmo is the  founder of The Foster Care Institute, is an  International Speaker and Author.  Dr. DeGarmo uses all of his talents to educate you and to enhance your understanding of the crisis surrounding the foster care system.Find out what you can do as a lay person to help children who find themselves within the system.You can learn more about this amazing man on his website. I dare you not to cry when you listen to his TedTalk.http://drjohndegarmofostercare.com

There are many ways children get abused. Some are readily understood while others are harder to see.  Parental Alienation is a type of abuse that might be hard to grasp. It occurs when one parent alienates another from their children through manipulation.If you have been alienated from your children, or want to learn more about this particular type of abuse, you will want to listen to today's show where Fictitious Truths shares an interview with Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro.  Dr. Foderaro is a highly celebrated author, speaker and educator, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. You can read Dr Foderaro's bio at www.godcametomygaragesale.com In addition to her expertise in the field discussed, Marni also brings her own experiences of parental alienation into our discussion and shares with us what this particular type of child abuse is and how it effects the lives of all involved.Speaking from her heart, Marni offers hope and help to others who are struggling with issues of parental alienation. To that end she has written a total of 6 books, one a 5-books series where she addresses issues Marni has written a total of 6 books, one including a five-book series providing an opportunity for self-discovery regarding issues of domestic violence narcissist abuse and intergenerational trauma. You can find Marni's books on Amazon.com or on her website: http://godcametomygaragesale.com

It's a topic that is tough to discuss: the abuse of children by clergy. How can a man of God abuse the very child that is calling him "father?" We turn to our religion, our church, our synagogue for comfort, direction and support. What happens to faith when a child's very soul has been betrayed?Listen in as attorney Mark Bello informs us of his experiences while defending in court two young boys abused by a priest . You will want to know just how it all went down, how the Church fought the suit and what eventually happened in this case of child abuse by a clergy member.Mark Bello is also the author of some great novels, each dealing with timely issues of social justice. In "Betrayal of Faith," author Bello writes a realistic legal fiction surrounding the issue of clergy abuse of children. You can buy Mark's books on Amazon.com. You can also get to know more about this remarkable man at markmbello.com  You will enjoy his page-turning novels while gaining a deeper understanding of the issues we are facing in society today.

Here are some startling statistics. According to Fosteron.com 23,000 kids age out of the US foster care system every year. Of those kids, over 20% become homeless, under 60% will graduate from high school, 71% of young women will be pregnant by age 21, 25% will be involved in the justice system within 2 years of leaving foster care, under 3% will earn a college degree, 50% are unemployed by the age of 21 and 60% of sex trafficked youth came from foster care.In this podcast, we have been learning a lot about the plight of abused children, foster care and the social services system. This summer I have lined up some special guests willing to share their stories, as well as social workers and foster parents as they weigh in to help us understand the process of growing up as an abused child.

Did you know that a report of child abuse occurs every 10 seconds in the United States alone? According to Statista Research Department, there were 618,399 victims of child abuse in the United States in 2020. Of those, 136,000 victims were under one year of age and 150,673 between the ages of two and five. In keeping with those numbers, Fictitious Truths recaps Lucy's story, one beginning when she was five years old, as she watched violent fighting between her parents. She cried out for her mother when she walked out the door, never to look back and leaving her daughter with Glitch, her father.Lucy's story takes a turn for the worse when she and her father move into a one-room apartment. Her father is an alcoholic and Lucy tries to survive the bitter cold winter in a filthy apartment with little heat, no warm clothes, no food and only cold water running from the faucets. Meantime, Glitch, needing beer and cigarettes, decides to rob the neighborhood market. The clerk, Charlie, shoots Glitch in self-defense. Yet, Charlie is a kind and gentle man who feels awful that he had shot someone. He visits Glitch in the hospital and agrees to drop charges, as long as Glitch attends AA meetings, church on Sundays and works in the market for his room and board.Glitch isn't even aware that Lucy had run away to a big blue trash ben where she could hide and search the trash for food. Luckily, before she froze to death, she was found by an elderly woman who brought her home and cares for her. The problem? The elderly woman decides Lucy is the perfect candidate to replace her dead child, Bess and so she doesn't report Lucy to the authorities.Lucy is too young to understand what is occurring and learns to love Em (the elderly lady) and her puppy, Riley. Months pass before Glitch, Lucy's father, realizes that he doesn't even know where Lucy is. With Charlie's help, he files a missing child report.Shortly, Em's scheme is discovered by a neighbor and Lucy is removed to an emergency shelter. Em is placed on house arrest for kidnapping while Lucy grieves the loss of Em and the puppy. She doesn't understand why she can't return to live with Em.Within days, Lucy is placed in an emergency foster home where the foster mom, Mrs. Garrison, becomes captivated by the little girl. She applies to foster Lucy for an extended period of time, rather than a short emergency stay, and little by little she wins the small girl over as their relationship deepens. Lucy refers to Mrs. Garrison as Mrs. G and begins to feel safe in her presence, until she learns that the court has ordered her to visit with her father, Glitch. Remaining ever fearful of her father, Lucy must now face her deepest fear and go with her social worker for a supervised visit with the father she ran away from. We pick up Lucy's story the morning of her visit with her father. 

Season Two – Episode ThirteenThe Children of Ukraine This is Barbara Lane. I know I told you I would release the next episode of Lucy's Story, but today I think the events of the world require me to shift focus, just a bit, and speak to the needs of the children of war. I am specifically, today, speaking about the children of Ukraine. I, as many, am morally outraged.Let's talk about this for a moment. Childhood trauma comes in many ways: abandonment, loss, separation, hunger, thirst, cold, abuse... all of these things are happening to the children in Ukraine. My intent is not to take focus off of the abused and neglected children that Lucy's story represents, because the types of experiences Lucy's story details are going on right this moment, as we speak. My intent is to take an even wider lens and shed some light on the pain and suffering children experience during war.Evil has no need for a reason to spread its darkness. There is no empathy found in darkness. There is no love, except for the self, which, of course, could not be loving in any way, shape or form.How evil it is to cause 1 million or more children to flee from Ukraine into neighboring countries, often alone, without their parents who stay behind to fight? How do they deal with separation and anxiety? Coming to terms with their loss will take a life-time, if it happens at all.How dark can it be to reportedly strike a children's hospital in Ukraine, despite a ceasefire, that buried children under the debris? Call evil what it is when children suffering from cancer need to be relocated perhaps to have their treatments disrupted—perhaps nonexistent. And who can excuse striking a maternity ward?What happens to a child who is fearful of the next missile, unable to sleep, fleeing from their home, their playgrounds, their schools and their schoolmates with nothing but a backpack? Now, I'm not a reporter, and get my information the same way you do. But I am a human being, with a heart, as are you, and it aches for these children and their families.I ask myself what can I do to help? I ask you, what can you do to help?First, we can pray, and at the end of this short podcast, I will lead us in prayer for the people of Ukraine—and their children. No matter your faith, creed or belief, join me in uniting our voices in prayer.Secondly, we can contribute to organizations that send support directly to the children and families of Ukraine. Beware of scams.  It's shameless that we have to watch out for these types of crimes, and, they are crimes, crimes against children and their families.I would refer you to a website, listed below in the description. Go to https://www.today.com/news/news/5-verified-charities-working-help-ukrainians-invasion-rcna17590 to find a list of 5 verified charities working to help ukranianas. Do your research. Make sure your contribution goes where it will truly be of help.And now, for prayer.Please take a moment of silence to settle yourself and to find that place of peace and calm that is deep within you. In our mind's eye, may we envision joining together, hand in hand, to send our prayers up to the heavens. Dear Holy One, Our Father, The Christ, The Ultimate:We join together, hearts and souls, different but the same, with a common prayer, asking that our fellow brothers and sisters in Ukraine be aware of your ever-present comfort, support and love. Help us all to remember that the dark shadows cast upon the world can never hide the light of your love—that no matter what occurs, nothing can change the truth that we are one with you. Where life and death are at stake, may we focus on our life-everlasting—our eternal spirits, and their true and, undefeatable  existence found surrounded by your love a

Hats off to all the social workers out there. March is social worker month and I want to send a thank you to each and every one of you who work so hard to help out abused and neglected children!I remember the social worker assigned to my case when I was just a little thing. As a matter of fact, I mention her in my upcoming memoir. Here's what I wrote: “If I closed my eyes and thought about her, I could still see the kind face of that social worker: soft brown eyes and brown hair turned up in a flip, so common in those days.” Anyway, although I can't remember her name, I will never forget her face. That social worker was always kind and patient with me. She made an impact on me at a time when such an influence was very important to my wellbeing. Just to give you some insights into what social workers are up against, I'd like to share with you some information to think about.Did you know that the average number of cases social workers are expected to manage tend to be anywhere from 20 on up? Now, this is cases, not number of individuals a social worker must interact with.In the United States, social workers working in child welfare are required to prepare a case plan for each child that includes, when at all possible, efforts to move toward family reunification. This means extensive work within the family and possibly siblings, which means that numbers of children involved may grow even larger.This month, I plan to host an interview with a social worker who works on the frontlines of child welfare. I'll keep you posted on when the interview will be available. I'm sure we will all find it very informative and interesting.In today's episode of Lucy's Story, we are going to see how one social worker attempts to help improve the life of our sweet Lucy.We begin our story with Lucy in the care of Mrs. Garrison, an emergency foster care mom. Lucy's story, begins now.

What would you say is the biggest contributing factor to the continuation of child abuse? Would your answer be addictions, poverty, family structures or belief systems that are either too rigid or too permissive? You would be correct in your answers, but during my graduate studies, I determined one common and powerful factor that we all need to think about.Listen in to this discourse as well as Episode 11 of Lucy's story.Thanks for listening!!

Here is a simple prayer I send your way to help heal your heart and soul.  May you find peace.

As a gift to you, I offer a free download of my newly released manuscript: Living Beyond Childhood Pain-Learning to Live in the In-Between Space.You deserve to live a life free of the pain you carry from your childhood. Letting go of the experience of childhood abuse and neglect is never easy. Sometimes, it is helpful to have a structure to follow in order to find your way from sadness to living a joyful and fulfilling life.In this episode, I introduce my manuscript and speak with you about Chapter One which covers, what I believe, to be the most important and yet most difficult step to take toward healing:  Acceptance.Please take advantage of my free offer to you, downloadable only from my website. Visit barbaralane.info and visit my store to get your instant download.

Entering foster care is a trauma in and of itself. Lucy, now six has found herself placed in an emergency foster home. Mrs. Garrison, her foster mother, is highly trained and knowledgable as to what abused and neglected children need. Listen in as Mrs. Garrison advocates for Lucy who is frightened of her upcoming visit with her father while her heart aches for Miss Maudie.Next week I will provide you with the link needed to obtain a free download of "Living Beyond Childhood Pain," my newly released healing workbook. In next week's  episode, I will go through the first chapter with you to help you use the workbook, and the exercises it contains as a springboard toward your own recovery from trauma.There is no charge for the workbook. My wish is that it helps you find some direction in your own healing, as healing should be available to all who seek it. 

This podcast is full of of information. As promised, I provide you with a reading from my memoir, expressing what I experienced in my first day in foster care, at the age of three. Secondly, I present my interview with a courageous woman, Holly, who shares with us her path toward healing childhood sexual abuse by forgiving her abuser. 

The first day of foster care is never easy. Listen in as you learn how the first day in emergency care progresses for our Lucy. Next episode will provide an interview with Holly, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Learn how she frees herself from her burdens by the act of forgiveness.Also, watch for upcoming release of workbook "Living Beyond Childhood Pain." I will inform you as to how to obtain your free download. You will be invited to work through the program on your own, join me on you tube, or register for a group experience.Be sure to subscribe if you wish to receive updated information on what is coming your way in 2022.

There are those who take the darkness and bend it into light. Kelvin Pierce is one such person.  This interview will inspire you with awe as you witness the resilience of the human spirit and the power of unconditional love. Author, Kelvin Pierce shares his story as told in his book: "Sins of My Father: Growing Up with America's Most Dangerous White Supremacist," available on Amazon.Raised by his father, William Luther Pierce III, founder of the National Alliance and author of The Turner Diaries, Kelvin was taught to be a hard-line racist. Watch as Kelvin details how he found purpose in his abusive childhood and the power to chose love over hate.

Ushering in the New Year with hope and optimism is a hopeful and optimistic way of viewing the current world conditions. Still, that is what I am planning to do with Fictitious Truths. I have received many emails and messages in which my listeners have expressed the emotional difficulty they find in listening to Lucy's sad story. I came to realize that thus far I have not offered an equal and opposite force of hopefulness and optimism. So, I will be providing for you, my listener, interviews with childhood abuse survivors: individuals who have taken the darkness of their childhoods and transformed it into a light to shine into the world.My first interview will be conducted on January 4 with my dear friend, Kelvin Pierce. Kelvin is an author and philanthropist who has transformed his hurts and trauma into action--actions of love and light.Don't miss his upcoming interview because it will warm your heart, bring you strength and help you initiate and support your own healing process.

Lucy, now removed from Miss Maudie's care, finds herself in the system. After spending a night in an emergency shelter for children she is next dropped off at an emergency foster home. Find out what happens to Miss Maudie, Riley the puppy and Lucy.Next episode to be launched on December 28 and will include an interview with author Kelvin Pierce Sins of My Father. Listen in to hear a story of survival and inspiration as Kelvin shares his story and the purpose he has fulfilled through his childhood trauma.

How many children experience the same event--spending a night in a emergency shelter only to be picked up by a social worker and delivered to an emergency foster home the very next morning.Our Lucy has no idea what is happening to her and by watching her story, you quickly learn how children become behavioral problems and develop obsessions and compulsions as coping mechanisms.Find out what happens to Glitch, Lucy's father, Miss Maudie, Riley the puppy and Lucy by listening to her story on Fictitious Truths.

Fictitious Truths, Barbara Lane,  Thanks for following Lucy's Story into season two. This episode begins with Lucy, Miss Maudie, Riley and Glitch waking up the morning after Lucy is removed from Miss Maudie's care. What Lucy experiences is very much the same as many children experienced when removed from their homes. Each character in Lucy's life impacts her development. She misses Riley, the fluffy puppy and has no understanding as to what really has taken place.Join Lucy as she finds herself in emergency foster care. Learn how such experiences impact the lives of abused and neglected children. I will inform you, briefly, of the theories surrounding  attachment and bonding and how they apply to children such as Lucy.This podcast will be beneficial for adults abused as children as well as students of human behavior and social work.

Welcome  back to Fictitious Truths! Thank you for returning for Season Two of Lucy's Story - A Voice for Abused Children.This podcast updates you as to what Fictitious Truths is going to offer in the area of child abuse awareness during Season Two. To prepare, I have recorded a recap of season one so that you will know what each character has experienced as the new episodes begin. Thank you to everyone who has downloaded last season's podcast. I would be delighted to hear from you and receive your input.  Looking ahead, I am in the process of completing a workbook: "Living Beyond Childhood Pain." This will be a free download on my website barbaralane.info  To augment the process, I will be recording youtube videos to help you go through the workbook and to answer any questions that you might have.I am currently scheduling  healing workshops for the year 2022 to be offered over Zoom regarding a variety of healing and spiritual topics.Once again, that you for listening!!

While initially well-intentioned, Miss Maudie has broken the law. An Amber alert is out for Lucy. Find out what happens when a kindly neighbor connects the dots.

Daddy wakes up in the hospital. The authorities become aware that Lucy is missing. An Amber alert motivates a neighbor to ask Bess a few questions. Find out what happens next when Bess answers to the name Lucy when her neighbor calls out to her.

Month's pass. Spring is in the air, but can Miss Maudie, now lovingly referred to as Em, keep the young girl she found in the dumpster hidden from the outside world?

Narrated storytelling reveals events that occur in  the lives of abused and neglected children. Lucy's Story will capture your heart and urge you to watch over all of God's children and even find a way to be of service.Lucy finds herself living with what once was a stranger--an elderly lady who found her hiding in a blue dumpster on a freezing day in January.  Refusing to report Lucy to the authorities, Lucy finds a new home and hope, but is it all it appears to be? And will Daddy recover from the gun shot wound he suffered while committing a robbery?

Is Miss Maudie magical as Lucy thinks? Or, is she trying to heal her broken heart through Lucy's presence.  And, why is Charlie so interested in Glitch? Find out what happens next in Lucy's Story, Episode Eleven. Lucy - A Voice for Abused Children.

Listen to an overview of Lucy's Story thus far followed by an overview of the National CASA organization - Court Appointed Special Advocates .Learn more about what a CASA's role is, how you can become involved, how to contact them for more information in addition to how you can be a great support to their important work in the area of child abuse and neglect.

As we have discussed, there are all types of child abuse. Not everything is as it seems. In this episode, we begin to wonder about another form of child abuse--psychological. Listen in as we find Miss Maudie falling deeper into deluding herself and bring Lucy along with her.

All humans have a biological need to attach and bond. When nurturing bonding takes place during early childhood, a trajectory is set toward healthy relationship formation. Children in foster care often have multiple placements which hinder their ability to form strong emotional attachments.As we follow Lucy's story, we will learn how broken attachments effect human development. You might even relate to her story, yourself. If so, I'm listening for your story as well.

In just a few days time, Lucy is learning to trust Miss Maudie. But, are Miss Maudie's intentions all that they seem to be?

Five fantastic investigative journalist reveal the extent that child abuse occurs in the foster care system in the state of Florida. You can read their reporting at https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2021/03/18/foster-care-children-starved-beaten-molested-florida-reports-show/6782615002/

Everything that is occurring in Lucy's life actually occurred to children, She is the representation of the many stories of abused and neglected children that go untold.In Episode Seven, we find Lucy still staying with Miss Maudie, even though it is mandated that Lucy's situation be reported to the authorities.And Daddy. Well, find out what is happening to him, not even knowing Lucy is missing out of a one-room apartment!

She may remind you of yourself when you were a child. Perhaps that is why you found your way to this Podcast. Either way, she represents the many abused children like her.In Episode Six, we find out what's up with Daddy as Lucy is missing and staying with Miss Maudie. We learn more about Miss Maudie; what her motives are and if, in fact, she has the best interest of the child in mind.

The kindness of an older woman is capable of changing a small girl's life in  ways that can only increase her potential and opportunity to live a fulfilling life. But, what restrictions does Miss Maudie come up against in her attempts to take  care of 5-year-old Lucy? And what unresolved issues are really motivating Miss Lucy?A powerful story of a little girl's hope to survive child neglect and abuse. The character "Lucy" is comprised of the many children the author has worked with over the course of her career.  

Fictitious Truths serves as a voice for abused children through the writing and telling of Lucy's Story. In Episode Four, Lucy is found by a kind elderly lady who brings her home to her house. Find out what happens next to Lucy when Miss Maudie can't decide if she should call the authorities or not.

In episode three, Lucy again runs away to the blue trash bin so that she can hide from her Daddy. In this episode, Lucy demonstrates how neglect and physical abuse are often intertwined.Find out what happens to Lucy next, who she meets by chance and where she finds herself.

We find Lucy sitting on the bare, worn wooden floor,  just wondering what Daddy will do next. She is hungry. She is cold, She is thin. She is five-years-old. She is symbolic of the many children who begin their mornings the same way Lucy does in this riveting tale.Did you know that nearly 700,000 children are abused, annually, in the United States alone? Listen to "Lucy's Story." Several future episodes provide interviews with professionals who work in the field of child abuse and neglect and they will offer you insights as well as provide you with opportunities to be of help to abused and neglected children.barbaralane.info

Stories are powerful. With this podcast, I am going to tell you powerful stories; stories of heartbreak and of hope.  In Episode One, I introduce you to "Lucy," a character I created based upon the lives of the abused and neglected children I have worked with over the years in addition to my own life and that of my ten biological sisters.Fictitious Truths presents beguiling tales created to speak for the voice of abused children, stories that should be told, but often cannot. Timely interview segments with professionals in the field of child welfare will be presented to raise awareness and provide opportunities for listeners to be of service to children in need. barbaralane.info

 Stories are powerful. They stir our emotions and effect our behaviors. Fictitious Truths presents captivating stories to catch your ear, stir your emotions and encourage you to act. Beginning with Lucy's Story, characters are created from the collective lives of the abused and neglected children I have worked with in addition to the true life stories of myself and my ten biological sisters. Each episode with beguile you. You will wait with bated breath for the next one to be released, including a listen-in to interviews with professionals working on the front lines with abused and neglected children, offering a way for you to be of help. Coming February 16 wherever you get your podcast. Barbara Lane