Podcasts about dcfs

     Slam The Gavel welcomes new guest, Attorney Brendan Burns from Chicago, IL. Attorney Burns has been an attorney for the last 23+ years. He is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois, practicing in civil litigation, estate planning, family law, corporate law, residential real estate and mainly focused on the people that he has been honored to represent.      Today we discussed the aspects of divorce and how his divorce has been going on year 15, followed by the effects of Parental Alienation on his two children. Parental Alienation/Child Psychological Abuze is alive and well as judges allow ex's to destroy what precious thread of a relationship the other parent has with their beloved child. Attorney Brendan encourages other parents in stating, "you are not alone."To Reach Attorney Brendan Burns: brendanlaw1@hotmail.comSupportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)Maryann Petri: dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.comhttps://www.tiktok.com/@maryannpetriFacebook:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guitarpeace/Pinterest: Slam The Gavel Podcast/@guitarpeaceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryann-petri-62a46b1ab/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536  Twitter https://x.com/PetriMaryannEzlegalsuit.com   https://ko-fi.com/maryannpetrihttps://www.zazzle.com/store/slam_the_gavel/about*DISCLAIMER* The use of this information is at the viewer/user's own risk. Not financial, medical nor legal advice as the content on this podcast does not constitute legal, financial, medical or any other professional advice. Viewer/user's should consult with the relevant professionals. Reproduction, distribution, performing, publicly displaying and making a derivative of the work is explicitly prohibited without permission from content creator. Podcast is protected by owner. The content creator maintains the exclusive right and any unauthorized copyright.Support the showSupportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)http://www.dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.com/

Peggi Hattaway (@CoachPeggi) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has spent her career helping the most vulnerable, including time spent working with children through DCFS. She didn't intentionally seek out to work with women in DV situations when she pursued her love for psychology, but it ended up changing her life in more ways than one. By recognizing parallels between her work & life, as well as patterns popping up from her childhood; Peggi began to accept that she was in an abusive relationship. In this episode of Oversharing Peggi walks us through her realizations, how her marriage ended and where she is today. As a therapist and a patient, she has a lot to share about how even those who are trained to recognize red flags can still fall victim to someone waving them.Find Oversharing on InstagramFind Peggi on Instagram

In this episode of The Virtual Curbside, host Paul Wirkus, MD, FAAP, is joined by Kyla Clark, Strengthening Families Program Administrator, provides an inside look at how the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) works to protect children and support families. She explains the different types of foster care placements, the circumstances under which children may be removed from their homes, and the efforts made to reunify families whenever possible. This conversation helps listeners understand the purpose of child welfare, the goals of DCFS, and how the system strives to balance child safety with family preservation. Have a question? Email questions@vcurb.com. For more information about available credit, visit vCurb.com.ACCME Accreditation StatementThis activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Colorado Medical Society through the joint providership of Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics and Utah Chapter, AAP.  Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics is accredited by the Colorado Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians. AMA Credit Designation StatementKansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

In this episode of Fostering Conversations, host Amy Smith welcomes Utah's First Lady Abby Cox to announce the statewide launch of the Care Communities program. After a successful two-year pilot with Utah Foster Care, Care Communities are expanding across the state to provide essential support for foster families and children in care. Abby shares how this initiative was born out of a desire to strengthen foster care in Utah and ensure that every child has a safe and supportive environment. The Care Communities model surrounds each foster family with 8–10 trained volunteers who provide emotional support, physical assistance, and trauma-informed care. This helps foster parents feel less isolated and ensures children in care have healthy, lasting connections with caring adults. Key highlights from this episode: Statewide Care Communities launch – a first-of-its-kind effort in Utah. The top three benefits foster families experience: emotional support, physical help, and positive impact on children. How Care Communities prevent burnout and keep families fostering longer. Success stories from the pilot program, including mentorship moments, adoption celebrations, and lifelong community bonds. Practical ways listeners can get involved, even if they aren't able to foster themselves. Abby emphasizes that Care Communities not only support foster families but also give children the community connections they desperately need. This initiative is backed by faith organizations, nonprofits, local businesses, and state agencies—all working together to improve outcomes for Utah's most vulnerable kids.  Learn more or sign up at utahcarecommunities.org  Explore Utah Foster Care programs at utahfostercare.org Transcript Fostering Conversations Podcast Episode 64: Building Care Communities Amy: Thanks for joining us for Fostering Conversations. I’m your host, Amy Smith, and today we have our amazing guest and First Lady Abby Cox. Thanks for joining us, Abby. Abby: Thanks so much for having me. Amy: So we are excited. Today is a special episode because, there is an exciting announcement that Abby is going to share with us. So go ahead and share that with us and we’ll dive in. Abby: we are super excited to announce that we are having a statewide launch of our Care Communities program. So we have been doing a two year pilot, around this Care Communities program. We’ve had. Great successes. We’ve had some incredible stories. we are thrilled with the outcomes, frankly, of what we’ve been seeing, and we are ready to launch statewide, which is very exciting. Amy: It is so exciting and honestly for me as a former employee, this is flown by, so I can’t believe it’s already out of the two year pilot and ready to go, so that’s exciting. So would you just tell us a little bit about why you started the Care Communities program, why you joined up with Utah Foster Care to create this specific program? Abby: Yeah, so when I got into this position,and wanted to see where in child welfare, really didn’t know that much about it, but knew that I wanted to, see if there was. Somewhere that I could have an impact or that my team could really maybe help in ways that, that some of the other organizations needed. And so for us, it was, it really was a learning thing. and the more I got into it, and the more I started learning about it, the more, I learned great organizations like Utah Foster Care and others throughout the state that are doing the really tough work of, Helping to minimize the trauma that’s experienced when a child enters, the child welfare system and all the touchpoint that come. I often hear as I go throughout this work is, the system’s broken. And I always say to people, no, the system is not broken. The system is complex. It’s very complex, and people are doing their best in most cases, to find ways to help, children who have been, hurt in some way and need our help and that are the most vulnerable in our state. so on the out, I started to learn and meet people, families. Current and former children in care, just incredible people that are doing this work together. And I realized , there was maybe one place , that our team could really have an impact. And that is making sure that we have enough. trained quality foster families that are diverse enough for the population of our kiddos and that we can have a safe place for these kids to land. and we see it across the nation. We are woefully short of foster families. and it’s because it’s hard work, as you know. and it’s, beautiful work, but it’s also anything that is worth doing is also gonna be really hard. and so a lot of these families that, that, are in foster care or have a license, they usually give up their license within a year. Again, as we. what’s hard is that, if we don’t have a place for these kiddos who have been abused and neglected to have a safe place and a loving and place where they belong, and they can feel that, that sense of safety, then,we’re in trouble as a state. We’re in trouble if we don’t take care of the most vulnerable among us. So I had heard about this idea of care communities. I’d seen it in different places in the country where they’re doing little pockets of this, mostly in christian congregations in the South, and I thought, is it possible that we could do this here in the state and do it statewide and have a real concerted effort to make this happen? And through our partnership with Utah Foster Care, through amazing partnerships with interfaith, groups across the state, again, we’re where we are right now, and it’s an opportunity for us to surround these foster families and take care of their needs as they do the really important work. Amy: One of my favorite parts about care communities is that not everyone can be a foster family. I personally was a foster family for four years, and then our family grew unexpectedly, permanently, and it was like, we can’t foster anymore, right? Because. We’re ca, we’re tapped out at this point. but Care Communities gives everyone an opportunity to give back and to help with this child welfare system. So that’s one of my favorite parts about it, is that not everyone can foster. I totally get that. But there are ways that you can give back big or small, through this care community program. Abby: That’s exactly right. And Amy, what, first of all, I wanna thank you for showing out. You’ve been so amazing. You’ve been outspoken and helping people to understand not only the really tough parts of being a foster family, but really the joyful parts. You and I have had conversations about, people. Scared to,have teenagers in their home. they have a preconceived notion of what that looks like or what that means. And you’ve combated some of those fears , but also not sugarcoated things and you’ve been really real, which is what we need. We absolutely need that. We need both. We need to understand that these issues are not just our, foster families, that are doing this work, but it’s all of us as a community that can come together and help out. So to me, the idea of a care community where, through a congregation or a business or a neighborhood, we can have eight to 10 families surrounding these foster families that help take care of their emotional, their physical, and any other needs that family has. Especially making connections with those kids in care sometimes, it’s just as simple as a child needs a positive role model in their life. And for them, this just couldn’t be better, to make sure that they have just a whole network of people that are in their corner. Wanting them to succeed, and they can feel that. To me, that’s the Utah way. that’s Utah in a nutshell. We want the help and that’s the other, you said, no, not every family gonna be foster. Amy: Almost every family that I know of that I talk to says I wanna help in some way, and I wanna volunteer in a way that is impactful. Abby: And so to me it’s like it’s a no-brainer that this is an incredible program that people in our state are hungry for. They wanna be helpful, and now we’re giving them the perfect way. To step in a meaningful way that is, that has all the protections that has the training. this isn’t just, grandma down the street telling you how to be a better parent. It is. I’ve been trained on what these kids have gone through and the best ways to interact with them. And the best way is to keep them safe and make them feel like they belong. Amy: Yeah. I love that this program provides , that safety net. Like you say, it’s not just, okay, let’s just rally around and hope this works out. It’s no, let’s be trauma informed. Let’s help these individuals support this child and foster family in the best way possible. one of my favorite. a personal thing is that one of my teens, who we had in care and she aged out, she’s having a baby and it was so fun to throw a shower for her and to have her tell me who she wanted to invite. And it was so neat to see that she wanted to invite the adult women on our street. And even some of those women were like, wow, that was so thoughtful that you invited me thinking me, Amy invited them and I said, no. She invited you, she gave me your name, and I just think that’s what a care community is, right? That was an unofficial one for us. but that’s what a care community is having. Strong, good adults that are there for your big moments to come to your baby shower and to be there. And the amount of things that she got from these women, just she wasn’t gonna be able to go get all of those things. And so the tangible goods, but also just knowing, hey, there’s a group of women that’s gonna come to my baby shower. That is amazing. Abby: Yeah. I just think that’s the beauty of this program. again, it’s gonna be a little more organized than your unofficial one. and it’s gonna help people to understand, like I said, like I didn’t know that much about foster care until a couple of friends of mine in my own congregation, began to be foster parents. and to me it is it was eye-opening. there’s a lot of just don’t say that kind of things that we can learn. Amy: Totally. Abby: there’s some things that, you’ve endured some, and it’s a way for all of us. We all wanna be supportive. I think all of us don’t want to say anything terrible. I think we all have good intentions and wanna be the best support, but also, you know what? the idea that these foster families can also have, the parents can have their emotional needs met. We had an experience in our, one of our pilots where, one of the foster moms just said, you know what I really need? I need a walking buddy. Amy: Yeah. Abby: I need somebody just to go on a walk with me every day. And to me, like, how beautiful is that? it’s so great. And there, there’s a dozen of like a million other stories I could tell. we had a single mom who was fostering teenagers. And again, the challenges and the things that go on with teenagers that are, my own teenagers, it’s and they didn’t have that, the background of some intense trauma and, And honestly, like she had her care community come in and instead of just coming in and mowing the lawn, which is great, would’ve been awesome. She needed that lawn mode. They came in, a couple of the male members of this care community, they came in and taught the teenagers how to mow the law. And again, that, that was a relationship that, that these, there was a teenage, one of the teenage boys that I had never had. A real positive interaction with a male adult. Amy: Yeah. Abby: and to have that sort of mentor and then to go out in the world and have this incredible network like you’re talking about,to say, maybe I can have a job opportunity with somebody in my care community. Maybe i. To go visit ’em on a holiday or they get invited to my big events and my special moments. it’s just, there’s just to me, this is Utah, this is us. Supporting each other and doing it in a way that is organized and keeping kids safe from more trauma, keeping them safe from, any kind of harm that would come to them through all the protections that we’re putting in place. By doing it in a really organized and thoughtful and, with the support of our. Public entities, our DCFS, the H-H-S-D-H-H-S folks, our agencies, as well as the legislature. we got some funding for this from the legislature. We’ve had amazing private donations and helping get this pilot off the ground. We’ve had incredible philanthropists that have been supportive of this. We’ve been, had people throughout the state that are excited. To see this be successful and especially our faith organizations, our first Presbyterian churches who’ve been a part of our pilot as well as the LDS church and businesses that have been a part of our pilot. and to me it’s just everybody wants to be a part of the solution on this and I think this is a huge way to do that. Amy: Yeah, I love that it literally can include everybody. That is amazing. Something that when I started foster care, it, this should be obvious, but it’s not, and it became very obvious to me once I became a foster parent. Kids come into your home a stranger because there is nobody that they know that is safe for them to be with and that Is horrifying to me, right? If my kids were to be removed from me, do you know how long my list is of people they could go to? and kids in foster care don’t have that list. They have no one that is safe enough for them to live with. And if that doesn’t tell you that they need a community, I don’t know what will, like these kids need healthy. Community. And so I think this care community program, yes, it supports the foster families, but it’s also giving these kids a safe community. And that is worth a lot. Abby: you’re exactly right. and Utah has been recognized, throughout the country the state that has the most social capital. So if you think about this, that means that, yeah. I had the same conversation with my daughter. We were talking about this. I said, can you imagine that you had literally nobody? I told her like, I mean, Spencer and I both come from huge families and huge, amazing support, supportive, wonderful families, and I told her, I said, there are hundreds. Amy: Yeah. Abby: People that if we weren’t able to take care of you, that would take you today yet, like right now. I told her, can you imagine that same scenario where these children that come into care have zero. There’s literally no one. they have to be, taken in by a stranger, which again, we’re so grateful for and grateful that we have those safe places. But Utah, again, we have that most of us, and we are the lowest in the nation for poverty. so I feel like it’s such a doable. thing for us to tackle that, that we do have this, like every state we have our struggles with kids who have had to be removed for abuse and neglect, but. we can be that caring community for them. we are a state of people who want to give, who want to be a part of the solution. and these kiddos that come into care become the most vulnerable people in our state. Period. These are kids that are the highest risk for incarceration at highest risk for, addiction, at highest risk for homelessness, at highest risk for, Suicide, suicide, you know,all the really terrible things. They are like literally at the top of the list, on all those stats,for risk. and to me that it’s just unacceptable in Utah. I don’t think we would accept that. I don’t think anybody in the state is ready to accept the fact that, there are kids that, that don’t have a place to go and don’t have a loving connection and community that’s ready to. To help them. So to me, this is just accessing what Utah already does well and making it, accessible for everyone. to be a part of a care community and foster parents that need that is just a great, little matchmaking of the people that wanna help and the people who need it. Amy: Yeah, absolutely. Let’s talk a little bit about, statistical outcomes for kids in care, of what the Care Communities program is doing. Can you tell us a little bit about like how many kids have been affected so far? I just think it’s really fascinating for people to actually have a tangible number and understand what this is actually looking like, not just, yeah, it’s helping people. Abby: Yeah. So we talked about the pilot when you are asking people to help fund a program, to me it can’t just be, oh, we think it’s doing great. We think it’s helping. So I knew that in order for us to be successful in this pilot and as we scale it statewide, we had to make sure that we were tracking impact, that we were doing this right. So we had an incredible, in kind donation as well as, our philanthropists donating the, impact study. So company. So it really is that we did this in a really strategic way. It wasn’t just a feel good way. so to your point, we do have some great stats and some great impact report from Sorenson that shows that what, what’s been happening, and we use that as went along in the. Make changes along the way. we made big changes, and that’s what a pilot does. Like you’re learning what’s working, you’re learning what’s what you need to change. You’re learning about who, who wants to be involved and how best for them to be involved and to. To be able to do this. so we measured everything and we measured,outcomes and we’re measuring like how this is working out. And then we also have all the anecdotal data. We have the empirical data that is helping us to understand not only numbers and how the outcomes. Again, this is not gonna be a super longitudinal study because it’s been two years, so we’re not gonna be able to say that these kiddos, long term down the road. But we do know some of that, those studies from other places where when they have the supports, when those outcomes are really, are, much, much better. But I will just as far as the actual pilot, we did a two year pilot. We had, We had 26 total care communities and 13 of those are still active. And what happens is sometimes that we get that, that family, they get stabilized, they get the help they need in the moment they get, it’s. Six months, maybe six, eight months. And then the family’s like, yeah, we’re really cooking now. We’re doing really well. And of course that community is not like disappearing, but maybe the needs aren’t quite as intense and that care community can actually move on and maybe help, another family. So that’s why that number and then we plan to do, We hope in the next year to add 60 new care communities, and by the end of the next three years, I hope the stated goal has always been it that every foster family that wants a care community will have one. And I think we’re getting there. We really are. So to add another 60 this next year, and again, just keep adding those care communities and, again, the outcomes that we have a great, impact study, like I said, that we can share, but we’re seeing just huge impacts on these families. one. Again, I always love the stories ’cause numbers are great, but, the actual impact comes in when you actually see what the impact is on the families and the kiddos. One of my favorites is there was a, their care community that had been surrounding this family for a number of months. The placement turned into a permanency, which means that, they actually had the opportunity to adopt this child. And the family, the care community went to. adoption to the court for the adoption. tears, all the things. And then it was just beautiful. And then as they left the courthouse, the one of the care community members said, got concerned and said, Does that mean we can’t be their care community anymore? And of course, of course those connections are there and of course they’re gonna stay forever for that child. And again, in a time when we need to think about our neighbors, we need to look outside of ourselves. We need to love each other in a better way. We need to see people and show up for people. No matter who they are, and especially people that are struggling, this to me shows the beauty of humanity and what we could be as people if we really come together and focus on the good and helping others. Amy: Yeah. Some of the things that I think are important for listeners to hear is, Tammy, who’s over the program at Utah Foster Care sent the three, most positive impacts on foster families, and it was emotional support. foster families felt that they were seen and less alone, but also they felt like care communities. their specific teams were less judgmental than their personal family or friends. And I think that’s really important. Family and friends aren’t always trained and aren’t always. 100% informed of why the heck we’re doing this. So I think that, these care teams are educated and so I thought that was really neat just to have, just having that emotional support because there are days I was a foster family where you think, why in the world am I doing this? This was the dumbest idea I ever had in my life. So having people say, no, this was a good idea. This moment’s really hard, but you can keep doing it, is very invaluable. Abby: Yeah. And and you say you talked about the, that impact and really the impact on everyone. to one of the numbers that, and I’m not sure, I hate to quote numbers ’cause I think we’re always changing and I’m not sure exactly where we are right now, but the last I checked we were about 200. 50 people that had been trauma trained throughout the state, and I know it’s bigger than that right now. But what happens is, to your point, is that every one of those people in that care community and in that congregation who’ve been involved in that, or the business or neighborhood, they are being trauma trained. They are knowing the best ways to support that family and support that child knowing, not how not to. Re-traumatize or even cause just, some uncomfortableness around, you know what to say. And then a lot of us are like, oh gosh, I know they’ve been through a lot. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to interact. and this just really helps people to be trauma informed, to understand the impacts of trauma. And like I said, I always joke that, ’cause I guess I think. Most parents have had that experience where either a family member or somebody you know, or somebody you’re in congregation in your neighborhood, like tries to tell you what you’re doing wrong as a parent. And first of all, it’s never great, so just like maybe don’t ever do that. But also there’s, sometimes people don’t realize the way children who have experienced trauma. Behave sometimes in certain ways. and so you know, that regular oh, just, buck up kid and do the kind of regular parenting that you did, years ago, and it maybe doesn’t work when a child has had, those kinds of experiences. And so we do have to parent in a different ways, foster parents,parenting in loving ways. and we do have to figure out as community members the best way to support and interact with those. Amy: Yeah, absolutely. the two other things that were mentioned as the, in the top three most impactful things about the care communities were the physical support, which we talked about, right? Teaching these kids how to mow a lawn, going on a walk, like actually being there, showing up. and then the positive impacts of that. The care community has on the children in care, which we also touched on a lot, creating this hopefully lifetime healthy community for kids that haven’t had that. So I think those are really important to remember. Just, these care communities are invaluable to not only the foster family, but also the child in care. Abby: and the care community members, I’m telling you like the stories we get from the care community members, they’re, they are having beautiful experiences in, in, anytime you are serving or giving or you’re actually end up, better off than you started. And so I think that’s a huge impact as well. Amy: Yeah, I love that. so we al already have to wrap up, which it always goes by so fast because there’s always a million things that you can just keep sharing and talking about. And this is such, I feel such an impactful opportunity for the state of Utah to be involved. It is a tangible way to give back. so maybe let’s just talk about, how do you, how do we get involved? What do we actually do to. Become a care community. Be part of a care community, and maybe just share one of your favorite things that you’ve heard that relates to care communities. Abby: Yeah, the beautiful thing about this program is, again, not everybody can be a foster parent, although we do need those and this, there’s a secondary thing where people who are part of a care community all of a sudden either maybe they had a license and are ready to get back in and say okay, if I had a care community, like I could definitely do this. So obviously that’s great. Or somebody’s learning about foster care for the first time and saying, you know what? I actually am at a point in my life where this could be something that. That I could consider. And so of course we want that outcome as well. We wanna keep our great families and we wanna add more to them so that helps as well. Be watching for us. We’ll be in your congregation, in your neighborhood, in your region, but also you can go to Utah care communities.org. great information on that site to help you understand how to get involved, what it entails, how to get your own congregation to, to get involved, how to support foster families in your area. So that’s a big way to get involved. And then there’s a million stories. one of the beautiful things about the pilot was that my former director of First Lady initiatives after she left me to go be home again with her kiddos. She. She became, like totally unexpectedly, she became a foster parent and their family became foster family and they were fostering this beautiful little 3-year-old. And, so I asked her, of course, to be a part of the pilot, and she was a part of that pilot, and I can’t tell you, it was so valuable to, to get her feedback. And she just kept telling me like over and over again, I don’t know how people do this without a care community. And so she just, she got help with. Helping with her own kids when she had to take kiddos to therapy. you see this, there’s just a court date that’s gonna be really hard and a lot of our folks just maybe I just need a diet co swig on my, when I get back from this really. Sub court date or I just need to debrief and have somebody to talk to. And that’s what we’ve seen over and over again in these, in this pilot. And as we move forward with these care communities, we see just this overwhelming sense of I’m being supported. I can handle this now because I’ve, have this help. And again, the care community members are just finding so much joy in, in serving and connecting and making a difference. Amy: Yeah, I love that and I could not agree more. I thought there was a really good quote from a foster parent. it says, all of a sudden there was this group of people that just wanted to help. I just knew in that moment I wasn’t alone. That’s what I needed. They’ve just been able to do so many things I wouldn’t be able to do myself. And just as a former foster parent, that really strikes a chord with me just because There are moments where you feel really alone and you feel really overwhelmed and to take care of your own children and the children that you have agreed to bring into your home and care for. And so I just think that, this care community program really is invaluable and is such a beautiful opportunity to, to the members of our community to serve, but also for our foster families and the kids in care to receive such kind and loving support. Abby: Yeah, I love it. I love it. if I could just wrap every foster family in my arms and say, you’re not alone. I think that’s what care communities is are doing, and every, not everybody’s gonna foster, but every. Child can have the beauty of a care community around them. Amy: Yeah. thank you Abby, so much for your time today on the podcast and for all that you do for the state of Utah, and especially for the welfare system, the most vulnerable kids in our state, it really is making an impact and it’s changing the trajectory of children’s lives. So thank you so much for all that you do. Abby: Thank you, Amy. It’s been fun to be with you. Amy: Yes, you too. If you wanna learn more, you can go to Utah foster care.org and learn how you can get involved. Thanks for joining us.

Gary and Shannon lead off with breaking news after Councilman Curren Price was rushed from an event for a health emergency, though reports suggest he seemed to be joking and in good spirits with Mayor Bass by his side. The pair then turn to the haunting case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez and its eerie ties to singer D4vd. From there, it's a whirlwind of stories: the bizarre crackdown on “illegal” breast implants in North Korea, the end of HOV lane privileges for solo EV drivers, and fresh listener reactions to Secretary Hegseth's military meeting. Later, they break down LA County's $20 million settlement in the tragic murder of 4-year-old Noah Cuatro, with Shannon sharply criticizing DCFS for repeated failures. The hour closes on a lighter note with animal time, discussing “Chunk” being crowned the Fat Bear Contest champion, and updates on SoFi's missing hawks, and more.

In this episode of Bitcoin For Corporations, host Pierre Rochard sits down with Christian Lopez, Managing Director at Cohen and Company Capital Markets, to explore the future of bitcoin treasury companies. Lopez explains why NOT holding bitcoin is becoming “irresponsible” for corporate treasurers, how inflation erodes fiat reserves, and why Strategy's 'strategy' has reshaped the corporate finance playbook.

In this episode of Fostering Conversations, guest host Liz Rivera guides a powerful dialogue with Native leaders and advocates about the importance of culture, tradition, and belonging for Native children in foster care. You'll hear from: James Toledo (Utah Division of Indian Affairs) on how culture provides a foundation for resilience. Stephanie Benally (Native American Specialist, Utah Foster Care) on supporting Native children's traditions in foster homes. Craig Sandoval (Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake) on creating culturally responsive models for Native youth and families in urban Utah. Together, they reflect on the sacred role of clans, ceremonies, and language, as well as the ongoing significance of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in preserving tribal sovereignty and protecting children's cultural identity. Listeners will learn why everyday practices—from observing ceremonies to speaking Native languages—help children thrive, and how foster parents can honor and support these connections, even outside of tribal communities. Transcript: Liz: [00:00:00] On today’s episode, you’ll hear how cultural traditions give Native children strength and belonging, and why the Indian Child Welfare Act or ICWA is so critical , in protecting those connections for children in foster care. Welcome to Fostering Conversations. I’m your host, Liz Rivera, filling in for Amy Smith. We have a special episode for you today. We’re weaving together conversations with several native leaders and advocates here in Utah. Liz: Let’s begin with introductions in Navajo culture, introductions are not just about your name, they’re about where you come from, your clans, your language, and [00:01:00] lineage. First, we’ll hear from James Toledo from the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, followed by Stephanie Benally, the Native American specialist from Utah Foster Care, and finally, from Craig Sandoval from the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake. James: [Navajo Introduction] James Toledo James: and, and again. Thank you. I, I’m a member of the Navajo Nation and we introduce ourselves, sharing our clans. So as we probably will talk about this later in the program, our clans are a way to identify our family relationships, connections with others within our community. Stephanie: Hello. Thank you. I am a citizen of Navajo Nation. My clans are Red Streak people born for Bitter Water. My maternal grandfather is Mexican People clan, and my paternal grandfather is Red House. Thank you very much for the opportunity to participate on the podcast. Craig: Hello everybody, and wanted [00:02:00] to introduce myself and my native language. First [Navajo introduction]. Craig: So I introduced myself in my native Navajo language. Just wanted to reintroduce myself in English for all the non Navajo speakers. Good day to everybody. My name is Craig Sandoval, and I’m originally from New Mexico in a small community named Pueblo Pintado, New Mexico. So it’s [00:03:00] just west of Albuquerque, made about two hours. Craig: And my clans are Near the Water People. I’m born for the Mexican clan. My maternal grandparents are the Red Paint People, and my paternal grandparents are the Towering House People. And so that’s who I am, and that’s where I come from. And then now I’m here in Salt Lake working to provide a culturally responsive clinical model for our community here to bring the reservation teachings and bring them here into the valley so that there’s still a connection. I came to Utah about two years ago working with the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake. Liz: As Craig shares, , staying connected to traditions and language is essential for native children. Even here in urban areas of Utah where families may live far from their tribal homelands. James adds that culture, gives children a foundation to thrive. While [00:04:00] Stephanie reminds us how important it is for foster parents to support native traditions, sometimes through simple everyday practices. Craig: The Urban Indian center, the goal is to connect our community members and our families to. Our tradition and our heritage back home. And that includes providing dancers, providing teachings, providing a class to where they can feel home, they can feel at home.For me, it’s the language, making sure that I can continually speak my language. So with the Navajo language classes, it does bridge that. When we think about Utah Foster Care and our Native kids that are in foster care here in Utah, how do we continue to bring them to connecting with their tradition and culture? And that’s also our goal. Several months ago, the Navajo Nation did a resource fair and one of the division directors, Mr.Thomas, [00:05:00] Cody. Who worked very well with Utah Foster Care really emphasized that there should always be a connection to our Navajo language, to our Navajo culture, to our Navajo environment, to our Navajo values, even though we live in the urban area. Craig: That is absolutely true., And that’s how we’ll stay strong. And so during Mr. Cody’s speech, he asked those that have our children and Navajo, our children in their custody to reconnect in any way they can . That’s where the strength is there. And so we want to, as the Urban Indian Center, while we provide a lot of these events, demonstration classes on Navajo history, Navajo language, Navajo culture, Navajo dances, we want them to connect with our traditional ways in that way. Craig: And so that’s the goal what providing all [00:06:00] the classes that we do at the Urban Indian Center. Craig: It is very important to keep the culture whether something small as a bracelet, a necklace, that means a lot to a native child. growing up in a native home, there’s so many milestones and so many traditions that are celebrated. I wanna give a little bit of background on myself too, as well. I am Navajo, however, I do have heritage and lineage into the Hopi and San Domingos communities, and each one is very different. And I’m gonna give you a great example on this side. Craig: As Navajo, we are born into our mother’s clan. I believe that’s number one. When it comes to really being, I guess it’s a. Coming to the earth is that you’re given your first clan, you’re you. You hear your first clan and as a baby they tell you that your first clan is this. Your second clan is [00:07:00] this. And that’s the introduction to the land. Craig: That’s the introduction to the air, the waters, the clouds, the beings that are on earth. Your introduction. When I look into our Hopi side, we have a child is born and kept in a dark room until a certain number of days have come. They prepare, and within this preparation they do a hair washing and they wash the hair and say, you’re able to come to this land in this world. Craig: And then they go out early in the morning and they introduce the child to the sun And when this happens, they tell the child that, here’s the sun The sun will be with you throughout from day one to the day of your death. They’ll watch over you. They’ll look over you, and there’s that introduction to the sun. Craig: And those are some of the main milestones. And you have Santo Domingo who also wash your hair and receive into the world the [00:08:00] child. So those are your milestones. And when you look into Navajo specific, you then can go into, for example, everybody knows the first laugh You know when a child laughs it means that there is laughter in the world. Craig: There’s happiness in the world, and you might think about it as a child has no worries in the world, but that one laugh has given the world what we call, or what we would call happiness. That child brings that, and they want that happiness to continue within the family, within the world. Craig: And so those are some of the important milestones. And then you get to puberty, the milestones of the women going through the puberty ceremony cannot the the men going through the Sweat Lodge ceremony on that side. Craig: Those are milestones that you have. And then overall you have the weddings, and then you have other things that happen [00:09:00] and they’re all different. When our children go through these rites of passages, there’s other small ones in between, for example, piercing the ears. Craig: When we pierce our ears, it’s that now that the gods can hear us through that, we can hear them too as well. And so that happens at a young age, washing of the hair with different herbs so that we prevent sickness and illness and so that our bodies are strong. Craig: Being a parent of a native child and a foster care parent, these are questions that you can ask like, how can I support? And I know on the reservations there are families willing to guide. There are connections that say we can help with that because they wanna keep the child aligned. They wanna keep the child connected to the traditional ways of life. James: Culture sets a foundation really for any individual. I think looking at a [00:10:00] broader picture, we all were raised in certain cultures, whether that’s within a religious environment, whether that’s with our traditional teachings as indigenous peoples, or whether that’s just your own family traditions that we have. James: So when a child is raised with that culture intact, it sets them up with a strong foundation. So as they. Get older and they start navigating and, and experiencing life. What helps to give them some guidance as they are learning about how to be an adult and to different situations that you encounter. And because when we encounter difficult situations, you immediately go back to Those core teachings. So I think that’s the importance of culture in the context that I was using it, is trying to broaden that perspective to help listeners try to understand why Indigenous families want to maintain that cultural connection. Stephanie: So a lot of our native kids are being placed in non-native homes, and [00:11:00] providing that education for all foster parents is important. So they are aware of some do’s and don’ts, like for example. We had an eclipse and I shared the protocol what Navajos do for our foster families to ensure that the Navajo children followed what needed to be done during the eclipse. Stephanie: It’s just also providing that information, so if they’re caring for a Navajo infant, that they’re able to do a first laugh ceremony or get more information to be able to do that. I’ve had a foster parent reach out before and wanted to know what needed to get done and. Directed her to a Native Elder in the community who was able to help her with that. Stephanie: And so it’s just making sure that even though the Native kids are not in Native homes, they’re still being provided that cultural connection, even though it’s very limited. my hope is that sharing the cultural information, the foster parents will then share that with the Native children that are in their [00:12:00] home. Because it’s not just taking a child to a powwow or reading a book, but it’s the everyday living. Stephanie: It’s a discussion around the table. It’s going to an event with the family and seeing other people. Stephanie: One family was taking care of siblings from the Hopi tribe, and I was able to connect the family with resources so they would be able to go over the information with the children in their home. So hoping that will bring some connection while they’re placed in that non-native home. Liz: I think even the foster parents recognizing the importance of it. Liz: I mean, cutting over to what James said, I think the culture’s that it’s just like in our bones, it’s just how we live, and it’s so hard to. Apply that if it’s not really a part of you, but a foster parent who isn’t native, if they’re at least reaching out and they’re at least trying, that really does show that they honor where these children come from. Liz: In 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act, known as ICWA [00:13:00] became law after decades of Native children being removed from their families and tribes at alarming rates. Here’s Stephanie and James explaining the history and purpose of ICWA and why it continues to matter here in Utah. Stephanie: Prior to 1978 and ICWA there was a 25 to 35% removal of Native children from their homes, and 85 to 90% of those children were placed in Non-native and non-relative homes. And so over that 10 year span, Congress studied the removal of Native children. Found that there was a need for the federal law based on the study and the testimonies from the families. Stephanie: The Indian Child Welfare Act is a federal law. It is the core of ICWA to recognize tribal sovereignty. It also recognizes the important roles that the tribes play, protecting the wellbeing of Native children. It also protects the children and parents’ constitutional rights. Stephanie: ICWA applies to children under the age of [00:14:00] 18. The child can either be a member of a federally recognized tribe or eligible for enrollment. Eligible for enrollment means that one of the birth parents is an enrolled member with a federally recognized tribe. Stephanie: Federally recognized tribe is a Native American or an Alaska native tribe entity that recognizes as having a government to government relationship with the United States. If the child is a part of a state tribe, they would not fall under the ICWA law. James: Well, as you know, with history of Native Americans, with our government, hasn’t been the best ’cause. James: You can go back to the boarding school era where children were forced to attend federally managed boarding schools. And the intent at that time was to destroy the culture, destroy the connection to culture, and so as kids were going through these various boarding schools, they were taught a different way of life and removed from their family and and [00:15:00] cultural settings. James: I mean, that’s a really brief summary. This could be an entire podcast series if we really wanted to dive into that history. But to go back to your point when it comes to the foster care system or why ICWA was created, as Stephanie had mentioned, there was a history of state child welfare agencies where Natives children were being forcefully taken from their families. James: In some instances, it was minor infractions. For whatever reason, these children were removed and placed into foster care. Some of them were put in through the adoption system. Hence, this was an ongoing challenge that many Native communities were experiencing and it, it caught the attention of Congress and there was a series of public hearings that Congress put on, and so this was an opportunity for those families to share their experiences and the challenges and obstacles that they were experiencing. James: Those testimonies are what led to the creation of ICWA ICWA [00:16:00] Was created to try to help to preserve that and to ensure that those cultural teachings would be able to be shared with future generations and to ensure that we as Indigenous people are still here. Liz: Almost two years ago, they tried to codify ICWA into state law and tell us a little bit about why they thought that was necessary. James: So Representative Watkins at the time was the lead sponsor of the state bill, and the reason this was being pushed forward by the tribes in Utah was because at the time there was a case that was going before the US Supreme Court. James: That was on ICWA So there was a potential that if the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in this case, then they would have overturned the law. And those protections that are part of that statute would have gone away. And so there was an effort at the state level to codify the spirit of the [00:17:00] law, so to speak, and make sure that is preserved care at the state of Utah. James: There was a lot of support for the bill. We went through several revisions. The tribes were heavily involved throughout that process, but unfortunately it still ran into resistant in the legislature. James: It did not pass. I think the tribes are talking about reintroducing the law again, presently, the Supreme Court has ruled and they basically upheld. James: I think there’s a desire to learn. It’s a complex issue, and as you talk with people, you’re going to have to approach that in unique ways because it is a complex topic and it’s not a one size fits all, or my perspective isn’t the be all perspective out there. And so I think as, um, people are curious, I would encourage people to read up more about the history behind the law, why it became a law. James: Also, if they have further questions, if they [00:18:00] have indigenous friends or connections to that way, then I think it would be appropriate to have those conversations or try to educate themselves as as best as they can, and maybe contacting Stephanie at a public event or. There are ways to continue to learn and try to understand the purpose of the law and why many indigenous communities are fighting to preserve this legislation. Liz: Does the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, do they ever get involved in foster care cases? James: Good question. So my office, we are not involved in the child welfare process at all. We do get phone calls from community members inquiring, but we refer those inquiries to, uh, DCFS. So within DCFS, there is a, ICWA coordinator who works directly on these matters in these cases, and so. James: We would refer them to contact DCFS to speak with that ICWA administrator who can guide them through the process. [00:19:00] We do try to give them as much information as we can. We do share resources, Utah Foster Care and other legal services generally that provide legal assistance or can answer some of those legal questions. Liz: Of course, even with protections in place, the realities aren’t always easy. Many families, even in Salt Lake, may not have the resources to be near or return to their ancestral homes in traditions. And though ICWA cases can be complex, the goal is always to place Native children with family first or in Native homes whenever possible. Stephanie: Any time there is reason to believe that there is a native child when the investigation is happening and someone says, I believe my grandmother is a Native American, even with that reason to believe they need to treat the. Stephanie: Case as an ICWA case, so DCFS notifications will then go out to the tribe and then it will be the tribe who will then to determine if the child is a member [00:20:00] or eligible for enrollment. While that’s taking place, the state will then try to find a native home for the native children. So under ICWA there is a foster placement preference, and it would be family first, and then it would be with, um, foster parent of the same tribe. And then the third one would be from a different tribe. And then the last placement would be to any open foster home that’s available. Craig: there’s Craig: multiple reservations in the United States. And one that is particularly for the Navajo reservation. . So the Navajo people were put on this land, on our homeland, and it goes back to the history of how we have our ancestral homeland. Craig: Where we emerged, we came to our mother earth, and the deities at that time said, this will be where you will live. This will be your homeland. So our ancestral homeland became the boundaries, became the four sacred mountains. So we have to keep that in [00:21:00] mind. Craig: Before lines were made by the US government, there was our ancestral homeland, and the boundaries were created with four sacred mountains and with two mountains in the middle that serve as our central location. ? So that’s our ancestral homeland. However, during the 1860s, we were removed from our land and put onto a different reservation in New Mexico. , We were released due to whatever political reasons that was, and a treaty was formed. And with that treaty, what a struck of a pin, we were given four diagonal lines and said, this is your reservation. And throughout the next couple of years. With new presidents coming in and out of office with executive orders, our reservation grew, but it still stayed inside our ancestral homeland boundaries, and I think we’re grateful for that. Craig: Yeah, other tribe have different experiences. Some [00:22:00] did stay on their ancestral land, some did leave their ancestral land and put onto reservations. However, as the Navajo people we’re very fortunate to have returned and the government really accept that we return to our ancestral lands, we’re very thankful for that, that we return to our ancestral lands. Craig: So when I say reservations, and when I say on our ancestral lands, it’s where we call home. The land that we call home. The land that times the Navajo names. For example, our four sacred mountain. Craig: When we hear that, we hear home. A lot of our urban community members here in Salt Lake don’t have the resources at times, the needs or even the transportation to go home. Because you look at it, the Navajo nation as the almost from eight to 10 hours away, depending on where you live, and maybe even more. Craig: And our community members do want to keep that [00:23:00] connection. And the Urban Indian Center understands that. And I understand it because I was raised on the reservation and I, I moved to an urban area to where I don’t have the connection. Liz: The good news is there are resources right here in Utah for Native children. The Urban Indian Center in Salt Lake City offers language classes, cultural events, and outreach to help children and families stay connected. Utah Foster Care also provides similar opportunities from cultural education to community events like the Indigenous Foster Care Fashion Show and the Moccasin Run-in White Mesa. Stephanie: As I mentioned before, there is a shortage of native foster homes. Stephanie: Being very present in the community is important. Being at the table when it comes to policy making, meeting with the tribes and making those connections with the community is important. Stephanie: So they are aware that there is a need that. If they’re not able to foster, then there’s other ways to support our Native kids through the Cedar Project or provide [00:24:00] support to our foster families. And again, it’s just coming up with unique ideas of recruitment. We collaborated with James’ office in Ute Mountain Ute years ago and have an Annual Moccasin Run that we hold in White Mesa, Utah every year to bring awareness. Stephanie: And just coming up with different types of events who bring the community together to make sure that our Native kids have that cultural connection. And that’s why it’s important to be considered a, a kinship placement or a foster placement. Craig: With families that don’t have that tie. First of all, you have resources in your state, and some of these resources are at the state level. Craig: I know Utah. Does have the eight tribes in Utah. However, there are also the urban areas. For example, one can start from the State Department of Indian Affairs, and then Indian Affairs can guide you to other resources in the areas such as the Urban Indian Center. The Urban Indian [00:25:00] Center can provide many of those resources to as well. Craig: They can provide, this is what this tribe is, what this other tribe is, and how they’re unique from one another. What the Urban Indian Center and how it’s unique too, is also that they have employees that are employed from different tribes, so the navigation there also can span out even more. Sure. But. Craig: Another area is that each of the tribes have their own program. The social services programs, the tribal historic preservation offices, those are areas to where they like to connect the vital records departments. They will connect their, and we ensure that the Native children are connected to their native heritage and their native ways. Craig: At the beginning when a family is navigating these, it might seem like a very scary thing to do, but overall, the community the Urban Indian Center, they’re [00:26:00] open to it. They’re open. Which way do we go? How do we navigate it? Craig: And if we don’t know anybody there, you know, that will help you navigate. There’s always somebody that they will connect you. So I would really let the families. That have native children in their care to always reach out, Stephanie Benally is a great resource and she’ll connect you with any resources that you may have. And they’re always open to whether non-native, whether non Navajo. But they still have a Navajo child in their home. We encourage them to bring the Navajo child, their child, our child, to our home, their Indian center, and learn from us too as well, so they understand the importance of our Navajo culture. Craig: We have our main location, which is on 120 West, 1300 South in Salt Lake City, hours from eight to five. Our phone number is (801) 486-4877. And we do have a [00:27:00] team there. So if you have a question. Reach out and you can ask for me, Craig Sandoval. Craig: Or you can ask for our outreach department, Rhonda Duval heads that department. Everybody knows Rhonda. . We know her as Honey, but she’s a great resource too as well. Feel free to reach out to us so we can make some of those connections for you and support you as a parent, support you as one of our family members too. Liz: These are all ways foster families can support Native youth in care. As we close, our guests reflect on the great work of families that foster Native children, keeping Indigenous people and culture strong, and underscore the urgent need for more native foster homes in Utah. Craig: Thank you for the Utah foster care. Thank you to your team and also thank you to. Foster parents out there taking a new child, a Navajo child can have its challenges. It’s a beautiful thing too, as well. Craig: And we wanna thank you. I personally wanna thank you. We wanna thank you [00:28:00] and always remember that the Urban Indian Center is a resource. You can come see us at any time. James: I just appreciate having this conversation. I think it’s good to help your listeners understand this complex law, and hopefully this conversation today will give some insight and encourage listeners to learn a little bit more about this history and to try to better understand why ICWA was created and why many Indigenous communities around the country are working very hard to preserve this federal legislation. Liz: We hope today’s episode has shed some light on ICWA and the importance of culture and connection for Native children in foster care. To learn more about Native services at Utah foster care, visit Utah foster care.org. You can also connect with the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake, or the Utah Division of Indian Affairs for resources and support. Liz: Thank you for joining us for Fostering Conversations. Together we can ensure every [00:29:00] child in Utah grows up connected to the rich heritage of their roots.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savana) joins Patrick to discuss the redistricting controversy, DCFS, and the struggles facing the Illinois GOPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) joins Patrick to discuss DCFS failures in the death of Mackenzi Felmlee and what should be done to reform the agency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Capitol News Illinois reporter Beth Hundsdorfer joins Patrick to discuss her reporting on failures at DCFS and what lawmakers may do to reform the agency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you lead when everything feels uncertain? Carina Santa Maria, CEO of Shelter Youth and Family Services, shared a bold, forward-thinking approach to nonprofit leadership in challenging times. From weathering funding impasses and the pandemic to rethinking donor relationships and pioneering new models of care, Carina proves that crisis can be a catalyst for transformation.Shelter-Inc.org, based outside Chicago, has served vulnerable youth and families for 50 years. Yet Carina candidly shares that despite its legacy, the organization has had to reinvent itself multiple times. Whether navigating Illinois' state budget freeze or pivoting during COVID-19, the common thread has been resilience backed by strategy. “We had to pivot and find the resources to make sure those services were delivered,” Carina says.But this conversation is about more than survival—it's about rising. Carina reveals how she and her team moved away from event-based fundraising and focused on cultivating deep donor relationships. The result? A record-setting $1.8 million raised in one year—without galas or trivia nights. This change didn't come easy, but it paid off with greater mission alignment and long-term investment from supporters.Carina also discusses the organization's next bold chapter: building Illinois' first DCFS-approved group home for child victims of human trafficking. What began as a donor's $50,000 trust experiment has blossomed into a $5 million initiative. “He told me, ‘I don't care if it works. I just want to see you think outside the box,'” Carina shares. It's a stunning example of what's possible when leaders are trusted and supported to innovate.The episode touches on advocacy, trauma-informed storytelling, and building credibility through impact rather than sentiment. Carina makes a compelling case for nonprofit leaders to demand their place at decision-making tables and challenge outdated narratives that nonprofits are less strategic than their corporate counterparts.For nonprofit professionals, this conversation is both a challenge and a blueprint. Carina reminds us that strategy, communication, and vision can carry organizations through uncertainty—not just intact, but stronger. 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:27 What Shelter Youth and Family Services does 00:02:37 Navigating 24/7 operations and community needs 00:03:50 Impact of state and federal policy on services 00:04:44 Surviving Illinois' budget impasse and COVID 00:06:38 Managing donor fatigue and funding volatility 00:07:53 The importance of donor communication 00:09:43 Leveraging board and stakeholders as advocates 00:11:26 Advocacy and public perception of trafficking 00:12:59 Systems change as financial strategy 00:13:53 Transitioning from events to major gifts 00:17:08 Donor trust leading to bold innovation 00:20:25 Trauma-informed storytelling vs. strategic impact 00:24:10 Educating partners and demanding a seat at the table 00:26:20 Saying no and owning nonprofit leadership Find us Live daily on YouTube!Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.comVisit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Chicago Tribune reporter Jeremy Gorner joins Patrick to discuss failures at DCFS, gun legislation, and if any serious Republicans are planning to jump into statewide races. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Reeder of the Illinois Times joins Patrick to discuss failures at DCFS, the future of downtown Springfield, and why the GOP is becoming irrelevant in Illinois. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) joins Patrick to discuss Governor Pritzker's redistricting comments and why politicians aren't serious about reforming DCFS. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beth Hundsdorfer of Capitol News Illinois joins Patrick to discuss repeated failures by DCFS and why politicians aren't doing anything to reform the troubled agency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover Lafayette: Senator Brach Myers on Public Service, Family, and Revitalizing the Oil Center of Lafayette Louisiana State Senator Brach Myers, who began serving Senate District 23 in March 2025 after representing House District 45, joined Discover Lafayette to reflect on his deep-rooted commitment to public service, his childhood journey, and his ongoing mission to uplift Lafayette and the state of Louisiana. A Lafayette transplant by way of Palmetto and New Iberia, Brach shared, “Lafayette was always the big city to us. I joked and said that many days in the back of a hatchback car ride in the back to Lafayette.” He shared his love of Lafayette: “Lafayette has unmatched culture. You can see the most beautiful parts of the U.S., but there's nothing like coming home.” His upbringing was a blend of blue-collar life and entrepreneurial ambition, split between a trailer park in New Iberia and the early days of LHC Group, the home health care giant his father and stepmother, Ginger and Keith Myers, started in Palmetto, Louisiana. “My mom worked at the General Mill. She was a seamstress. My stepfather was a railroad engineer. She still is a hard worker. She owns a small embroidery business here in Lafayette.” Brach moved to Lafayette in 1999 to attend UL, where he met his wife Carly. They were married just six months into dating. “She's my absolute soul mate… We're residents of Bendel Gardens right here by the Oil Center.” Brach's day job is as Senior VP of Corporate Development at LHC Group, which provides care in over 40 states and employs more than 30,000 people. A humble public servant, he brings his business acumen, heart for his fellow man, and a drive to make things better in his position as State Senator. His son, Emile, shares the family's spirit of service. After seeing the mob of traffic each year at their neighbor's “Christmas Light House" (owned by Dr. Andy Blalock), Emile started selling hot chocolate to people stuck in line, to benefit local nonprofits. “He raised over $2,000 in one night the first year. Last year, he raised over $30,000.” It's now a full-scale community event with music, food trucks, and hundreds of visitors to Bendel Gardens. “He chooses a different charity every year. It's all on him.” Emile Myer's hot cocoa fundraiser has grown into quite a success over the years! Sen. Myers indicated that Emile will probably pass the baton soon to a younger entrepreneur who can carry on the fun event which benefits local charities. Brach brings a deeply thoughtful and humble approach to public service. “I never thought I'd be in the legislature… but I felt called to do it.” Inspired by conversations with his wife during long walks, he felt compelled to act: “I can sit on the sideline and complain about it, or I can roll up my sleeves and jump into the pit.” His campaign mantra has been to lead with transparency and openness. “I said, I'm going to contact everybody back. I'm going to give everybody a fair ear, even if we vehemently disagree.” His legislative office “looks more like a counseling office… People can come and sit down.” As a Senator, Brach now represents three times the constituents he did as a State Senator and works with six mayors instead of one. “It's a lot busier...but I don't take it lightly.” One of his legislative focuses has been health care, drawing from best practices across the nation. His H.E.R.O. (Healthcare Employment Reinvestment Opportunity) Healthcare Workforce bill, modeled after Kentucky and Florida legislation, aimed to reverse Louisiana's healthcare staffing crisis by broadening the program's scope and provide educational grants to reach as many people and institutions as possible. “We picked the things that worked and got rid of the things that didn't.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geae0oiLHMw He's also worked to streamline access to services through a “one door” policy for DCFS and Department of Health programs.

Are you unintentionally sabotaging your custody case by involving child welfare services the wrong way?Navigating divorce is already complex, but when DCFS or CPS enters the picture, things can quickly spiral. In this episode, Heather Quick and Robin Sax unpack the legal and emotional landmines parents face when reporting abuse or neglect, often without realizing the long-term consequences. Whether you're trying to protect your child or just survive a high-conflict co-parenting dynamic, understanding how to interact with these agencies is crucial.Discover the most common communication mistakes that escalate legal battles.Learn why threatening to report abuse can damage your credibility and your case.Understand when and how to seek legal guidance to protect your family the smart way.Press play to learn how to navigate child welfare involvement with strategy—not fear—and protect your parenting rights.Join us on our podcast as we navigate the complexities of marriage, divorce, separation, and all related legal and emotional aspects, including adultery, alimony, child support, spousal support, timesharing, custody battles, and the financial impact of dissolution of marriage.Interested in working with us? Fill out this form here to get started. Not quite ready? Interact with us on socials! Linktree: https://linktr.ee/FloridaWomensLawGroup Florida Women's Law Group Website: https://www.floridawomenslawgroup.com/Robin Sax's Links:Official Website: https://www.robinsax.com/ Dear Co-Parent Website: https://www.dearcoparent.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinsax Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not an advertisement for legal services. The information provided on this podcast is not intended to be legal advice. You should not rely on what you hear on this podcast as legal advice. If you have a legal issue, please contact a lawyer. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are solely those of the individuals and do not represent the views or opinions of the firms or organizations with which they are affiliated or the views or opinions of this podcast's advertisers. This podcast is available for private, non-commercial use only. Any editing, reproduction, or redistribution of this podcast for commercial use or monetary gain without the expressed, written consent of the podcast's creator is prohibited.Thank you for listening, please leave us a review and share the podcast with your friends and colleagues. Send your questions, comments, and feedback to marketing@4womenlaw.com.

How do you pivot from a 2.8 first-year engineering GPA to winning a coveted Scotiabank investment-banking internship? Aditya Mishra breaks it all down—raising his GPA to 3.4, mastering Excel and DCFs with WSO Academy's courses, logging weekly coffee chats, and nailing super-day tech/behavioral rounds thanks to relentless mock interviews. Hear the strategies that turned a non-finance background into a Toronto IB success story. Perfect for STEM majors eyeing Wall Street (or Bay Street) without a traditional profile. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Susan McConnell, founder of Let It Be Us, joins Lisa Dent to discuss Let It Be Us and their effort to help get children-in-waiting adopted by families. McConnell shares some information about adoption in Illinois and how people who are looking to adopt can help connect a child with a family.

You'll never ever get a chicken in your whole entire life but you can have the only episode we have gotten time to record in 2 months! We hate that new boyfriend so bad and we simply can't stop hating you can't make us. Fiona is trying to be a business owner and Debbie is trying to get DCFS off her back while Lip steps up in his "not a relationship" Check out our website linked below to get yourself a tshirt! Don't Forget to Rate, Review and Subscribe! The Luck We Had - Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok @luckwehadpod Lena - Instagram @cojackk Twitter @dersholmvik Evan- Instagram @unevantful TikTok @evanBlmao Twitter @evanBlmao Amanda - Instagram @abnormalamanda18 Twitter @abnormalamanda Tik Tok @abnormalamanda_18 Gmail - luckwehadpod@gmail.com Website - theluckwehad.carrd.co/# Cover Art by Zoe Instagram @burden.on.society

In this highly requested video, I'll show you how to easily tell if a stock is expensive or cheap using a Discounted Cash Flow, or DCF, analysis. You'll learn why knowing a stock's true value matters if you're aiming for better returns, and I'll clear up the difference between price and value. I'll walk you through when DCFs make sense—and when they don't—plus share key tips and common mistakes to watch out for. I'll also explain why waiting to buy a stock when it's cheap (or sell when it's overpriced) isn't the same thing as trying to time the market. Finally, I'll show my favorite online tool that can visually show you if a stock is expensive or cheap, saving you a lot of time that manual DCFs can take, though I still encourage you to learn how to do them. Join the world's largest free Dividend Discord ➜ https://discord.gg/kkSr5FY Join my channel membership as a GenEx Partner to access new perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOS-UH_s4KGhArN6HdRB0Q/join Seeking Alpha Affiliate Referral Link ➜ https://www.sahg6dtr.com/2352ZCK/R74QP/ Click my FAST Graphs Link (Use coupon code AFFILIATE25 to get 25% off your 1st payment) ➜ https://fastgraphs.com/?ref=GenExDividendInvestor Please use my Amazon Affiliates Link ➜ https://amzn.to/2YLxsiW Thanks! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Support me & get Patreon perks ➜ https://www.patreon.com/join/genexdividendinvestor Use my Financial Modeling Prep affiliate link for awesome stock API data (up to a 25% discount) ➡️ https://site.financialmodelingprep.com/pricing-plans?couponCode=genex25

   Slam the Gavel welcomes Marineka Bowman to the podcast. Marineka was last on Season 3, Episodes 104, 131, 159, 160, 174 and 184, Season 4, Episodes 22, 48 and 61, Season 5, Episodes 149, 210 and 238.       Marineka came on to the podcast to update her case and explaining that there are false allegations made upon her friend that lives with her at her apartment by Attorney Laura Brooks and the court, who now wants proof that he no longer resides there. The father made false allegations of child abuse (when he hadn't been in the child's life for four years) against her friend with no investigation done by police and DCFS. Apparently, Laura Brooks is not fact checking her client? However, family court always has allowed lies.     Marineka wants others to know that God is using her case to shed light on what is going on in the family court system and the way He is using Marineka will not be in vain. Marineka advises to try to work things out with your ex, "because family court will make a mess of your life, and at the end of the day, your child will suffer the most."To Contact Marineka Bowman: dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.com***** Supportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)Maryann Petri: dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.comhttps://www.tiktok.com/@maryannpetriFacebook:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guitarpeace/Pinterest: Slam The Gavel Podcast/@guitarpeaceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryann-petri-62a46b1ab/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536  Twitter https://x.com/PetriMaryannEzlegalsuit.comhttps://ko-fi.com/maryannpetri*DISCLAIMER* The use of this information is at the viewer/user's own risk. Not financial, medical nor legal advice as the content on this podcast does not constitute legal, financial, medical or any other professional advice. Viewer/user's should consult with the relevant professionals. Reproduction, distribution, performing, publicly displaying and making a derivative of the work is explicitly prohibited without permission from content creator. Podcast is protected by owner. The content creator maintains the exclusive right and any unauthorized copyright infringement is subject to legal prosecution. Support the showSupportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)http://www.dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.com/

   Slam the Gavel welcomes Marineka Bowman to the podcast. Marineka was last on Season 3, Episodes 104, 131, 159, 160, 174 and 184, Season 4, Episodes 22, 48 and 61, Season 5, Episodes 149 and 210. Today we talked about constant Custodial Interference in keeping a mother from her daughter, favoritism with the father from staff and religious discrimination by staff at a Child Inc. Visitation Center in Philadelphia.     The father blew off the child's first four years of her life and was then given custody. Marineka has been battling it out in the courts since. Apparently the father has now missed 15 visits, not letting Marineka see her daughter while disregarding Judge Natalie Haskin's orders. However, the father is not the judge. DCFS (CPS) has come up with some wild narratives as well which was discussed in the podcast. Attorney Laura Brooks is still defending the father?To Reach Marineka Bowman: dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.com****** Supportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)Maryann Petri: dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.comhttps://www.tiktok.com/@maryannpetriFacebook:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guitarpeace/Pinterest: Slam The Gavel Podcast/@guitarpeaceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryann-petri-62a46b1ab/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536  Twitter https://x.com/PetriMaryann*DISCLAIMER* The use of this information is at the viewer/user's own risk. Not financial, medical nor legal advice as the content on this podcast does not constitute legal, financial, medical or any other professional advice. Viewer/user's should consult with the relevant professionals. Reproduction, distribution, performing, publicly displaying and making a derivative of the work is explicitly prohibited without permission from content creator. Podcast is protected by owner. The content creator maintains the exclusive right and any unauthorized copyright infringement is subject to legal prosecution.Support the showSupportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)http://www.dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.com/

A recent incident in St. Clair County has rekindled efforts to pass legislation aimed at protecting DCFS and Adult Protective Services workers. Last week, a Bellville resident disarmed and fired an officer's gun during an investigation, though no injuries were reported. This has prompted House Minority Leader Tony McCombie to push for her 2018 bill, inspired by the tragic deaths of DCFS workers Pam Knight and Deidre Silas, to become law. The proposed "Knight-Silas Act" would mandate a three-year minimum sentence for attacks on these workers, paralleling penalties for assaults on teachers and firefighters, despite previous opposition.

Mariska and I were overjoyed to have Team Maigler Hall of Famer DaMonique back on the show. She works for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services in helping to connect children and families with resources. This was a really enlightening conversation about the help DCFS can provide as opposed to the negative cliches that people think of when they hear about Child Protective Services.

In this episode Mariska and I cover some of the ethical challenges a therapist faces when deciding whether or not to report a case to DCFS. I review a situation a young therapist I am supervising shared with me.

This week on The Message of Hope Podcast Kountry John comes on to share his story of growing up with parents who were addicts and later experiencing addiction himself. He goes on to share with us about coming into recovery because of a DCFS case and finding recovery in NA. He has since gotten custody of his twin nieces and has been given an opportunity to raise them. Please share this with anyone who needs to hear Kountry Johns story.

In NASW's latest episode of Social Work Talks, sponsored by Illinois Department of DCFS, we converse with the Maryland Office of Public Defenders about their Office of Reentry Services. With the help of social workers on staff, it focuses on helping incarcerated individuals re-enter society—and provides them with resources so they can get a fresh start in becoming productive members of their communities. This is thanks to the help of the Second Chance Act. Tune in, learn, and share.

#191: Securing the Public Cloud: How Seattle & LA County DCFS Are Transforming CybersecurityFrom Asset Management to AI: Building Modern Security for Vulnerable CommunitiesFeaturing:Greg Smith, Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Security & Infrastructure, City of Seattle ITAllen Ohanian, Chief Information Security Officer, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family ServicesBrent Byrnes, Account Executive SLED, WizIn this episode, you'll learn:How Seattle's risk-based approach is transforming traditional government cybersecurityLA County DCFS's strategy for securing the nation's largest welfare agency's sensitive data in the cloudWhy emerging IoT devices and cloud assets are creating new visibility challenges for government infrastructureThe role of cloud visibility and democratized security in modern government environmentsReal-world lessons from Seattle's cross-agency incident response and recovery strategiesTimestamps(00:00) Introduction and Guest Backgrounds (03:14) Seattle's Evolution to Risk-Based Security (04:52) Securing LA County DCFS's Cloud Environment (07:38) Cloud Visibility in Government (09:22) Asset Management Challenges in Modern Infrastructure (12:45) Cross-Agency Incident Response: Seattle Library Case Study (16:33) Crisis Communication Strategies (22:18) AI Implementation and Security Threats (27:42) Managing Modern Security Vendors (31:15) Future of Government Cloud Security To hear more, visit www.techtables.com

Charlie takes questions from Charlie Kirk Exclusive subscribers, including: -Is it child abuse if you let your child become obese? -What should America have done after 9/11, rather than nation-building in Iraq and Afganistan? -Are state child protective services departments abusive and hostile to parents? Become an Exclusives subscriber and ask Charlie a question on-air by going to members.charliekirk.com.Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts: Adam Gardiner and Leah Murray  The Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) came under quite a bit of scrutiny in 2024, following several public incidents involving child abuse and death. In many cases, DCFS says its hands were tied due to legal restrictions. Now, the Utah Legislature may make some changes to the law that would give DCFS more flexibility and power. State House Representative Christine Watkins calls into Inside Sources to explain a few of her bills on the subject.  

Hosts: Adam Gardiner and Leah Murray  The impact and legacy of the late President Jimmy Carter  The country’s longest-living president has passed away at 100 years old. President Jimmy Carter only served one term roughly 50 years ago, but his impact and legacy have been long-lasting. Inside Sources hosts Leah Murray and Adam Gardiner share their thoughts on President Carter’s policies and post-presidency actions. They also discuss the overall roll of former presidents on humanitarian efforts and foreign policy.    On the Hill 2025: Previewing legislation on ballot propositions  When a citizen initiative reaches the ballot in Utah, who writes the proposition that voters will ultimately vote on? In the past, the Legislative General Counsel would write the prop, but that changed in recent years; the House Speaker and Senate President could write it instead. Now, there looks to be efforts to change the process back to how it used to be. State House Representative Angela Romero joins the program to talk about a bill she’s working on to address this.    Fighting between DOGE and Trump supporters over visas for workers  In the last week, a new rift has emerged between leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency – Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy – and loyal supporters of President-elect Donald Trump. It comes as Musk and Ramaswamy voice their support for H-1B visas for foreign tech workers. Inside Sources breaks down the situation and what the incoming president has to say about it.    Sen.-elect Curtis says he won’t be a ‘rubber stamp’ for Donald Trump  In an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” Utah Senator-elect John Curtis said he wouldn’t be a rubber stamp for President-elect Trump’s agenda. Instead, Curtis says he’ll be a stamp for the state of Utah and its people. Corey Norman, Chief of Staff for Senator-elect Curtis’ Office joins the show to explain the Senator-elect's stance and what it could mean for Utah’s relationship with the incoming administration.    On the Hill 2025: Previewing legislation on child welfare  The Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) came under quite a bit of scrutiny in 2024, following several public incidents involving child abuse and death. In many cases, DCFS says its hands were tied due to legal restrictions. Now, the Utah Legislature may make some changes to the law that would give DCFS more flexibility and power. State House Representative Christine Watkins calls into Inside Sources to explain a few of her bills on the subject.     What happens when a legislator leaves the state legislature?  As the Utah Legislature prepares to begin a new session in just a few weeks, several sitting legislators are wrapping things up, preparing to leave office. When a legislator leaves office, what happens to bills or initiatives they were working on? Is someone else forced to carry the bill, or could things simply end? Former legislator Adam Gardiner shares some insights as we discussed other legislators on their way out the door.    The Twelve Days of Christmas  You’ve all heard the song, but have you ever wondered what actually are the Twelve Days of Christmas? Along the same vein, how late do you keep your Christmas decorations up? The hosts finish Inside Sources discussing post-Christmas traditions.     

Charlie takes questions from Charlie Kirk Exclusive subscribers, including: -Is it child abuse if you let your child become obese? -What should America have done after 9/11, rather than nation-building in Iraq and Afganistan? -Are state child protective services departments abusive and hostile to parents? Become an Exclusives subscriber and ask Charlie a question on-air by going to members.charliekirk.com.Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's deep dive, we'll listen to a conversation with the head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services about the department's progress and future changes. 

Ronald Miller and Lori Johnson of Rockford, IL had a daughter, G.M., in 2010. In 2015, several days after an argument between Johnson and Miller in which Miller threatened to sue Johnson for full custody, Johnson reported Miller to DCFS. Shortly after, she obtained an order of protection which ended all contact between Miller and his daughter. Johnson claimed G.M. had told her that Miller touched her inappropriately and proceeded to bring her daughter to Carrie Lynn Children's Center to record a video accusing her father of sexual abuse. Before the trial, G.M. took back her accusation, telling her mother, her therapist, and the trial prosecutors that the abuse never happened. The trial proceeded anyway, and this information was not shared with the jury.  The prosecutors presented the testimony of a pediatric nurse admitted as an “expert in the field of child abuse.” Trial counsel called no experts for the defense, and Miller testified in his own defense. He was convicted by the jury on all three counts and sentenced to twenty years.  To learn more and get involved, visit:https://www.lengoodmanlawoffice.com/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 In this episode of Louisiana Unfiltered, Kiran Chawla and Daniel Brown delve into the tragic case of a child who died from a fentanyl overdose, exploring the systemic failures of the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and the legal ramifications for the mother involved.  Timestamps04:44 Systematic Failures in Child Protection10:28 The Role of DCFS and Legislative Hearings13:24 Chronological Breakdown of Events19:13 Investigation Insights and Family Dynamics24:05 The Impact of Fentanyl on Young Lives27:22 Understanding Fentanyl's Impact28:56 The Investigation Unfolds31:00 Failures of the System34:38 The Timeline of Tragedy38:31 Legal Consequences and AccountabilityLocal Sponsors:   Neighbors Federal Credit Union:  Neighbors FCU is a community chartered Baton Rouge credit union that has served the community for over 60 years.For more information visit them by Clicking Here     Another Chance Bail Bonds  Their goal at Another Chance Bail Bonds is to reunite families and reconnect friends.  They accomplish this goal by providing many services which aide in the bonding process.You can learn more by visiting them Here       Jingle Jeepin Parade and Market  Jingle Jeepin' Parade & Market will take place Saturday December 7, 2024.To register a booth or to register your jeep downloadable forms can be accessed HereVideo, Sound and Editing for this podcast by the podcast experts at Envision Podcast Studios in Denham Springs, LA.

    Slam the Gavel welcomes Michele Dalton to the podcast. Michele is a working mom who has had her children wrongfully removed from her by CPS in Utah.      Michele's children were left in the hands of a man who had stabbed her 29 times, left her for dead and then tried to kill her an additional 8 to 10 times. She had met this man at a Christian Singles evening at the church, also this man had served 23 years in prison prior.    This individual has emotionally, physically and SA'd her small children. Michele has now been repeatedly punished for trying to protect them from the abuser. CPS continues to say that she coached her children and has supported this man's abuse.    Due to an investigation into the allegations by an outside source, justice may finally prevail. After over two years of being left with the abuser, her children were finally removed from him.    Currently, the children are in foster care for the past month awaiting kinship approval. Michele has yet to be vindicated and her children continue to be abused by this corrupt system by being kept away from their mother. Now they expect her to pay child support.To Reach Michele Dalton: Facebook: Making a Change in Utah CPS, DCFS, DHHS and sweetheart4god@outlook.comMichele's Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/da0cbde1******** Supportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)Maryann Petri: dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.comhttps://www.tiktok.com/@maryannpetriFacebook:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guitarpeace/Pinterest: Slam The Gavel Podcast/@guitarpeaceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryann-petri-62a46b1ab/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@slamthegavelpodcasthostmar5536  Twitter https://x.com/PetriMaryann*DISCLAIMER* The use of this information is at the viewer/user's own risk. Not financial, medical nor legal advice as the content on this podcast does not constitute legal, financial, medical or any other professional advice. Viewer/user's should consult with the relevant professionals.Support the showSupportshow(https://www.buymeacoffee.com/maryannpetri)http://www.dismantlingfamilycourtcorruption.com/

Hosts: Adam Gardiner & Greg Skordas The Division of Child and Family Services has come under fire over the past few months following the death of 12-year-old Gavin Peterson. Yesterday, a panel of lawmakers heard testimony from DCFS leaders who walked legislators through the timeline before Peterson’s death. At the same time, Kevin Franke, the father of children previously abused by their mother, called for additional changes to the laws and processes around child welfare. KSL NewsRadio reporter Hugo Rikard-Bell has been following this story, and joins KSL at Night to share updates.

Hosts: Adam Gardiner & Greg Skordas Road rage incidents and laws in UtahSeveral recent road rage incidents have turned deadly here in the Beehive State, prompting a conversation about road rage laws. It’s also brought up questions about why road rage is so bad right now. KSL at Night discusses some of the recent incidents and walk listeners through the current laws regarding road rage. DCFS testifies on child homicide case; what are the child welfare laws in Utah?The Division of Child and Family Services has come under fire over the past few months following the death of 12-year-old Gavin Peterson. Yesterday, a panel of lawmakers heard testimony from DCFS leaders who walked legislators through the timeline before Peterson’s death. At the same time, Kevin Franke, the father of children previously abused by their mother, called for additional changes to the laws and processes around child welfare. KSL NewsRadio reporter Hugo Rikard-Bell has been following this story, and joins KSL at Night to share updates. Calls for societal changes for survivors of domestic violenceOctober is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time set aside to highlight the programs created to decrease the prevalence of intimate partner violence. This year, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has announced a new partnership with West Valley City police and the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault to provide more support for survivors of domestic violence. We break down this partnership and its overall goal. Meet the candidate: Erin Rider for Salt Lake County MayorThis election cycle, Salt Lake County residents have the opportunity to pick their next mayor. On KSL at Night, we’re interviewing the candidates to get their takes on topics like housing, homelessness, budgets, and more. Erin Rider, Republican candidate for Salt Lake County Mayor joins the show to walk listeners through her campaign and where she stands on the important issues. New group aims to support rising conservative political candidatesA new group is launching in Utah with the goal of helping identify, develop, support, and train rising conservatives. Utah is a deeply red state with a majority of its residents being more conservative. In that kind of an environment, what does supporting conservatives look like? Jason Sanders, CEO of Utah Governing Conservatives joins the program to talk about the mission of this group. Discussing franked mail for federal vs. state and local politiciansFranked Mail, or Congressional Mail, is official mail that’s sent without postage prepayment and is funded through taxpayer dollars. This kind of mail comes with quite a few stipulations, including that it cannot be sent out 60 days before a general election. This federal law, however, doesn’t apply to local and state government officials. With that in mind, we discuss a recent situation in Salt Lake County that caught our attention. Congressional peacemakers and dividers ranked in new listPeacemaking and unifying or attacking and dividing – the United States Congress is full of people on both sides. This week, a new list launched called “Builders Power Ranking.” It ranks congressmen and women as builders or dividers based on their actions over the past week. KSL at Night hosts Greg Skordas and Adam Gardiner finish the week going through some of the folks on the list.

The phone is a lifeline in cases of domestic violence -- but what happens if you have a difficult time keeping your phone number and separating your line from an abuser? Courtney Johns, KSL Investigative Reporter, looked into a new law that supports survivors in this situation, and if phone providers are following it.   Domestic violence resources If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available. • The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). • Resources are also available online at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition website. https://udvc.org/ Utah Domestic Violence Coalition End domestic violence in Utah through advocacy, education, collaboration, and leadership. We connect survivors to resources 24/7: 1-800-897-LINK (5465). udvc.org   • YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600 • Utah’s statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Jon Hansen, host of Let's Get Legal, is joined by attorney Audrey Anderson to discuss what to do if The Department of Children and Family Services shows up to your house. Does it always mean that you have done something wrong? Listen to learn more. For more information, visit andersonaa.com or call 630-877-5800.

DCFS, police investigating child abuse allegations of Montessori school; Pizza delivery driver killed on the job near Illinois-Indiana border; Bally's Chicago to host job fair and more.

Also in the news: Federal lawsuit alleged 7-month-old boy ripped from parents by DCFS; Hundreds gathered in Skokie to remember man killed by Hamas; Chicago gang leader seeking freedom from incarceration and more.

Tonight we are joined by Miranda, a mother whose son, Prince, has been missing since May of this year. The situation has been incredibly painful for her, as the child's father has denied her any contact with him. When she sought answers, he claimed that the Department of Children and Family Services had taken custody of Prince. However, upon reaching out to DCFS, Miranda discovered that they had no record of her son. This shocking revelation has left her heartbroken and filled with anxiety, as she desperately wonders about the fate of her beloved baby Prince --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/locatingthelost/support

Tonight we are joined by Miranda, a mother whose son, Prince, has been missing since May of this year. The situation has been incredibly painful for her, as the child's father has denied her any contact with him. When she sought answers, he claimed that the Department of Children and Family Services had taken custody of Prince. However, upon reaching out to DCFS, Miranda discovered that they had no record of her son. This shocking revelation has left her heartbroken and filled with anxiety, as she desperately wonders about the fate of her beloved baby Prince --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/locatingthelost/support

Jessica Grundie describes her young life as “typical to me”. It was however, anything but functional. Domestic violence, drugs and alcohol were all around her daily home life so much so that at 11, DCFS came knocking and she went to live with an Aunt and Uncle for a time. Rather than, as so many kids do, look to drugs and alcohol to hide her pain, she turned to anger. Fights and juvenile detention were a constant part of her young life until one day, at 15 years of age, while trying to escape from a detention facility, she stabs a worker. Sentenced to 5 years to life in the state prison, she sends her first 5 years in max; 23 hour lockdown. Her story is heartbreaking yet her outcome is glorious. Join me as she tells her story losing the anger and finding peace. Sponsors & Partners The Other Side Academy (TOSA) - theothersideacademy.com My Story Matters / Captain Your Story - mystorymatters.org 00:00:00 - Jessica Grundie 00:01:42 - The Other Side Academy (TOSA) 00:01:57 - My Story Matters / Captain Your Story 00:02:47 - Her Young Life 00:05:25 - DFS Intervention 00:13:25 - Grand Theft Auto @ 12 years old 00:16:15 - Learning to Prefer Incarceration 00:27:15 - That Escalated Quickly 00:35:30 - They Loved Me The Way They Knew How 00:38:25 - Prison Summary, from 15 to 27 00:47:40 - Graduating Odyssey House  00:52:15 - “Talk to Somebody”

This week, Drewby and Yergy head back over to Indiana to discuss the case of Dakota Levi Stevens, a little boy who was so loved by everyone that knew him. Dakota had a very supportive and loving extended family and foster family. However, like many children that we cover on this show, DCFS just couldn't be bothered with keeping this sweet boy in a home where he was safe and loved. No. Instead, he was placed in the home of Jennifer Wilson, and her husband, Robert. On April 25th, 2024 - 20 days after being placed in the Wilson's Valparaiso home, Dakota tried to escape and ask for help. Enraged, Jennifer pinned the 91 pound boy beneath her 340 pound frame, where he slowly suffocated to death over the course of 7 minutes. After realizing what she had done, emergency services were contacted and Dakota was rushed to the hospital. Two days later, on April 27th, Dakota was taken off life support and was pronounced dead shortly after.  Support Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 Instagram: miserymachinepodcast Twitter: misery_podcast Discord: https://discord.gg/kCCzjZM #themiserymachine #podcast #truecrime Source Material: https://fox59.com/indiana-news/questions-arise-following-death-of-10-year-old-indiana-boy-in-foster-care/ https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1449678 https://wgntv.com/northwest-indiana/he-was-always-loved-former-foster-parent-seeks-answers-following-death-of-10-year-old-indiana-boy/ https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/05/06/mourners-remember-dakota-levi-stevens-for-his-smile-creativity/ https://www.facebook.com/regionnewssource/photos/porter-county-foster-mother-charged-in-death-of-10-year-old-dakota-levi-stevens-/1289490855529748/ https://www.whitefuneralhomeofgriffith.com/obituary/Dakota-Stevens https://wgntv.com/northwest-indiana/brought-a-lot-of-joy-10-year-old-northwest-indiana-boys-death-ruled-homicide-while-in-foster-care/ https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2024/07/12/dakota-levi-stevens-foster-system-dcs-jennifer-wilson-child-abuse-indiana-valparaiso-porter-county/74386145007/ https://www.chestertontribune.com/articles/community-mourns-for-dakota/ https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/dakota-levi-stephens-charges-filed-jennifer-wilson-northwest-indiana/3488021/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13637963/Foster-child-dead-neighbor-adopt-abusive-mom.html https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/05/06/mourners-remember-dakota-levi-stevens-for-his-smile-creativity/ https://abc7chicago.com/post/police-porter-county-issue-arrest-warrant-jennifer-wilson/15055414/ https://www.change.org/p/upgrade-jennifer-lee-wilson-s-charges-from-reckless-homicide-to-manslaughter-murder https://www.yahoo.com/news/liberty-township-subdivision-remembers-dakota-201500510.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAK799Yx8GRiANYVKzmEwnS1SfWhvtTc_g0ld-TtPJN-mmQNw6JyIco02jLNplAmmp5z4fNJkBZIYXOpHnt0TBMf8Lb1ZXL3gAlkxyJKV-8BHcGX5ow46glP-V6NXaRp81wfhgcPCcyKdQDIloYzKD6dVO7wQUg0ysXdTHanEuxp7 https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/heartbreaking-last-words-boy-10-602526 https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/340lb-michigan-mom-crushed-foster-600513 https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/justicefordakotalevi https://www.geisenfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Dakota-Levi-Stevens?obId=31397283 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122142886676252480&set=a.122118927242252480 https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/05/02/monday-candlelight-vigil-planned-to-remember-dakota-levi-stevens/ https://lawandcrime.com/crime/i-was-laying-on-him-and-he-was-acting-bad-foster-mom-killed-10-year-old-by-lying-on-him-for-several-minutes-police-say/ https://regionnewssource.org/porter-county-foster-mother-charged-in-death-of-10-year-old-dakota-levi-stevens/ https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/nw-indiana-woman-accused-of-reckless-homicide-in-10-year-old-sons-death-arrested-in-michigan/3489297/ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1291808625297971&id=100034065376827&set=a.962393871572783 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=949318550329359&set=a.543528914241660 https://www.facebook.com/518276322/videos/1003467258237223/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/39537128749151121 https://www.facebook.com/groups/3953712874915112/user/518276322 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005218698316 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2455087624675170&set=pcb.2455090351341564 https://www.facebook.com/groups/3953712874915112/user/100071474108079/ https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10162740094246323&set=gm.3973971096222623&idorvanity=3953712874915112

Bridget Dansie grew up in Lehi UT back when it was a rural farming community. In many ways she had a normal, healthy life. However behind her endearing personality and desire to please was a secret that was the catalyst that created a need, as she describes “I was always hustling for my worth”. She moves out of her house at 18 and set out to prove she had worth. For many years she lived as a functional addict until one day her 3 children were taken by DCFS and she along with her husband went into a tail spin. In and out of jail 22 times in a year, her last visit brought her in contact with three very influential people and the Captain Your Story model. Listen in as she describes that emotional experience and her description of how life has been on the upswing ever since. Sponsors & Partners The Other Side Academy - theothersideacademy.com My Story Matters / Captain Your Story - mystorymatters.org 00:00:00 Bridget Dansie 00:01:01 Sponsors 00:02:15 Bridget's Story 00:11:50 Early Abuse 00:14:50 Substance Abuse & Finding Independence 00:28:10 Injury -> Opium -> Nosedive 00:36:00 Losing the Kids 00:42:20 My Story Matters 00:54:40 Final Piece of Advice

Illinois' Department of Children and Family Services has faced challenges and reports of dysfunction for years – from failing to report cases of abuse in schools to reports of improper use of funds. But the department has just come under new leadership, and could see its focus—and efficacy—change. Reset checks in with the new leader of the embattled DCFS for how she plans to right the ship. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

After an eight-day pro-Palestinian protest at University of Chicago, police cleared the encampment on early Tuesday. Invisible Institute's Trina Reynolds-Tyler and City Bureau's Sarah Conway are here with the latest. Plus, we discuss the new director of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, celebrate Chicago's 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners, and send some Mother's Day love. Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about our sponsors: Hubbard Street Dance Aligner Experts Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices