Fostering Futures℠
The California Association of Health and Education Linked Professions is excited to introduce you to Fostering Futures℠ a podcast that brings you high-quality, research-based content designed to inspire and educate. Each episode is crafted with care, drawing on the knowledge of credible experts, parents, and community members to ensure both trustworthiness and depth.
Our mission is to engage and expand our audience by delivering thought-provoking material that focuses on key areas crucial to the development and well-being of all youth. Through our discussions, we aim to provide insights that are not only relevant but also transformative.
Join us as we explore innovative approaches in special education, Social Emotional Well-Being, and Community. Be ready to be apart of a community committed to making a positive impact.
Visit us at www.cahelp.org
Episodes
27 episodes
Episode 18 - What Happens to Speech Services at Age Three?
In this episode, Pam Bender fills in as host and is joined by Iván Campos, Program Specialist at CAHELP, for an in‑depth conversation about speech and language services from an educational lens.Iván brings his experience as a bili...
Foster Youth EP 6 - Supporting Foster Families Beyond Placement with Tawnie Rice From On the Rise
In this episode of Fostering Futures with CAHELP, Athena Cordero speaks with Tawnie Rice, Administrator at On the Rise Foster Agency in Barstow, California. Tawnie shares her unique perspective as both a former foster you...
Foster Youth EP 5 - From Foster Care to Leadership: Paul Durham and the SBCSS Foster Youth Program
In this episode, Athena Cordero sits down with Paul Durham, Program Coordinator for the Children Deserve Success Team at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS), to explore what it truly takes to support foster youth thro...
Episode 17 - When the World Isn’t Built for You: Neurodiversity & Mental Health
In this episode, Athena Cordero sits down with Jennifer Cork, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Doctor of Social Work, author, and keynote speaker who is also as autistic. Jennifer brings both professional expertise and lived experience...
Episode 16 - Understanding the Spectrum: Navigating Autism with CAHELP Experts
In this episode of Fostering Futures, host Athena Cordero welcomes Jennifer Rountree, a Program Specialist, and Melissa de Silva, an Intervention Specialist, both from the California Association of Health and Education Linked and Profess...
Foster Youth Series EP 4 - Beyond the District Office: A Superintendents Story of Foster Care and Adoption
In this episode, Athena Cordero sits down with Derrik Delton, former Superintendent of the Oro Grande School District, to discuss the unique intersection of educational leadership and foster parenting. With 30 years of experience in educ...
Foster Youth Series EP 3 - From Grief to Grace: A Foster Parent’s Calling
In this episode, Athena Cordero sits down with Maria Bamba, a foster parent whose journey began through a family crisis and evolved into a lifelong calling. What started as stepping in to care for her nieces during an emergency became a ...
Episode 15 - Resolving Conflict Without Losing Control: A Parent’s Guide to ADR
In this episode, Athena Cordero welcomes mediator, law professor, and conflict‑resolution expert David Dowling for a thoughtful conversation about Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and how families and schools can navigate conf...
Foster Youth Series EP 2 - Three to Nine Overnight: One Foster Parent’s Journey
In this episode, Amanda Gingerich and Maurica Manibusan welcome Maria Guzman, a foster parent whose journey began overnight when she was asked to take in six young girls ranging in age from newborn to eleven years old. What started as a ...
Foster Youth Series EP 1 - Breaking Cycles: Lived Experience, Hope, and Healing
In this episode, Athena sits down with Daysi Silvas Ramirez and Zach Perez, two peer support associates with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) who use their lived experience in foster care and homelessness to inspir...
New Foster Youth Series Teaser
In this powerful new series, we take an honest, unfiltered look into the foster care system and its challenges, its heart, and the people who make a difference every day.Through real conversations with foster youth, foster parents, and t...
Episode 14 - Quiet Isn’t Always Calm: Misconceptions About Infant Behavior
In this episode, Athena Cordero sits down with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Behavioral Health Counselor Supervisor, Lina Myrvold, to unpack what infant mental health really means and why it matters far earlier than...
Episode 13 - Inside the IEP Process: Through the Eyes of Parents Part 2
In this episode, Iván Campos and Monica Rodriguez return to Fostering Futures but this time, they lead the conversation. Both longtime parents of children with unique learning needs, they open up about the day‑to‑day realities b...
Episode 12 - Inside the IEP Process: Through the Eyes of Parents
In this episode, Athena Cordero sits down with Monica Rodriguez and Iván Campos to unpack the realities of navigating the IEP (Individualized Education Program) process as parents and professionals. They share candid stories about early ...
Episode 11 - Helping Every Child Read: Early Signs, Support, and the Science Behind Dyslexia
In this episode, Iván sits down with Dr. Karina Quezada to unpack what dyslexia is and what it isn’t. They walk through how the brain learns to read, the early signs families and educators can watch for, and why early, explicit instruction matt...
Episode 10 - From Red to Green: How Emotional Intelligence Shapes How We Show Up
In this insightful and practical episode, host Athena Cordero welcomes Tarron Riley, longtime supervisor and clinician at Desert Mountain Children’s Center (DMCC), for a deep dive into emotional intelligence (EI). What it is, why ...
Episode 9 - From Paraeducator to Superintendent: Leading a School District in the Mountains
In this candid and uplifting conversation, host Athena Cordero sits down with Manny Marquez, Superintendent of Bear Valley Unified School District, to explore what servant leadership looks like in a close-knit mountain community. ...
Episode 8 - Beyond the Numbers: How PBIS & MTSS Help Schools Thrive
In this candid, practical episode, host Athena Cordero sits down with Dr. Kent McIntosh (University of Oregon; Co-Director, National Center on PBIS) and Angie Mgbeke (Project Manager, Prevention & Intervention at CAHELP) to ta...
Episode 7 - The Superintendent’s Perspective: Serving Military Families with Care and Courage
In this inspiring, people-first episode, host Athena Cordero welcomes Jesse Nájera, Superintendent of Silver Valley Unified School District, for an open, practical conversation about leading a small, military-connected district wi...
Episode 6 - Supporting Students Beyond the Stall: Rethinking Bathroom Breaks in School
In this insightful and heartfelt episode, host Athena Cordero is joined by Crystal Kudrle, Occupational Therapist at Desert Mountain SELPA, for an open and practical conversation about a surprisingly overlooked topic in education ...
Episode 5 - Emotional and Mental Load Athletes Carry While Juggling School
In this powerful episode host Athena Cordero is joined by Naomi Hill, Intervention Specialist at Desert Mountain Children’s Center, for an open and moving conversation about the mental health needs of youth athletes. Through humor, heart, and r...
Episode 4 - Demystifying Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
In this heartfelt episode of Fostering Futures with CAHELP, host Athena Cordero is joined by Scott Heitman, Executive Director of Special Services at Oro Grande School District, for an honest and insightful conversation about Social Em...
Episode 3 - Raising Resilience: The Power of Positive Parenting and Social-Emotional Development
Dr. Maria Jesus Ampuero is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Ph.D. in Psychology. She currently has been providing Mental Health Services for the past 24 years and has been working at the Desert Mountain Children Center (DMCC) for...
Episode 2 - Talk to Me: "Little Words, Big Steps - Helping Kids Find Their Voice"
Anne Smolenski, M.S., CCC-SLP, currently works at CAHELP as a Program Specialist in Communication Disorders. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from California State University, Sacramento, and her Mas...
Episode 1 - Potty Talk: "What Kids Wish We Knew About Pelvic Health"
Crystal Aden has been an Occupational Therapist for over ten years. She started her education locally at Victor Valley College (VVC) before then transferring to Loma Linda University where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree and Master of Occupa...