Let It Be Us: A Foster Care & Adoption Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Susan McConnell, Founder & Executive Director of Let It Be Us, offers an honest look at the realities of foster care – both the challenges and the deep rewards. Through her personal experiences, she reflects on what it means to open your home, support children through uncertainty, and grow as a family along the way. A thoughtful conversation for anyone considering foster care or wanting a deeper understanding of it.Learn more at letitbeus.org.

Go behind the scenes of the foster care system with leaders from Let It Be Us and Shelter Youth & Family Services. This episode explores how agencies work together to support children and families, respond to urgent placement needs, and create better outcomes across the system. It’s an inside look at the collaboration and commitment it takes to care for youth in foster care.Learn more at letitbeus.org.

What starts as a simple way to give back turns into a life-changing journey. In this episode, Richard shares how he became involved in foster care, the relationships that reshaped his perspective, and why advocacy for children in care has become such an important part of his life. This episode is a powerful reminder that one decision can make a lasting impact.Learn more at letitbeus.org.

Cathy Newbury, Director of Foster Home Recruitment, and Erica Sherer, Foster Home Recruiter, walk listeners through the foster care and adoption journey from a supportive, behind-the-scenes perspective. They discuss how they guide families through the process, the questions and concerns they hear most often, and the meaningful moments that make their work so impactful. A helpful episode for anyone exploring foster care or adoption.Learn more at letitbeus.org.

Carina Santa Maria, Executive Director of Shelter Youth & Family Services, shares her experience leading an organization that serves hundreds of youth in foster care each year. From navigating complex systems to building programs that truly support children and families, she offers insight into what effective, compassionate leadership looks like in this space – and why the work matters now more than ever.Learn more at letitbeus.org. 

Aaron didn’t expect to find himself in the world of foster care – but his story shows how powerful unexpected paths can be. In this episode, he shares what led him to get involved, what he’s learned along the way, and how stepping outside of his comfort zone changed his perspective on family, responsibility, and impact.Learn more at letitbeus.org. 

Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) includes children and young people in foster care that  are in extreme risk. While poorly defined legally, the impact upon this population is immense. Two Child Welfare Agency Executive Directors involved in research and programming to serve this population speak on our podcast about their experience and  potential opportunities. Hear from Susan McConnell, Executive Director of Let It Be Us and Carina Santa Maria, Executive Director of Shelter, Inc. McConnell is involved in program design and implementation perspective as a Doctorate in Social Work candidate at the University of Southern California.  Santa Maria is an adjunct professor at Dominican University’s School of Social Work, where she teaches a graduate level human trafficking course. In addition, she has spent 10+ years working in the anti-trafficking field, specifically with survivors and program implementation and evaluation.  Learn more about Let It Be Us at letitbeus.org.

The team comes together to give tips and advice for how to navigate the first time a child is placed in your home - or any time they come!  Learn from Let It Be Us Founder and Executive Director Susan McConnell, MBA, Let It Be Us Directors Vanessa Baie, LCSW, and Karron Shaw, MJ, as well as seasoned foster parent and Foster Parent Licensing Coach, Cathy Newbury about what to do when a child arrives and how to navigate that important relationship. To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org

Parenting is a long road no matter how you do it. This mini-episode explores tips and advice on how to support yourself as a foster parent, adoptive parent, and ways to ensure you have what you need to care for children throughout their lives. Let It Be Us Director Karron Shaw, MJ, and Foster Parent Licensing Coach Cathy Newbury give advice and suggestions in this chat. To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org

The path of foster care that leads to adoption is often long and complicated, with legal jargon like “TPR” (termination of parental rights), but Let It Be Us Director Karron Shaw, MJ, and Foster Parent Licensing Coach Cathy Newbury - who has also adopted from foster care! - are here to explain it to you. To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org

Feeling open to having a relationship with the biological family is the first step, in this mini-episode, Alex Montgomery, JD, Deputy Director at Let It Be Us and mother through adoption, and Rachel Hoyt, seasoned foster parent, talk about the concrete steps they’ve both taken to open the door to relationships with the biological family. To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org

While children in foster care have experienced difficult situations with their biological families, many children still feel a strong bond with them, and many of them will return to their families of origin. Alex Montgomery, JD, Deputy Director at Let It Be Us and mother through adoption, talks about how she developed a relationship with the birth mother of her daughter, while Rachel Hoyt, seasoned foster parent, talks about how she has successfully opened the door to ongoing relationships with biological families that have continued even after the children reunified with their families of origin. To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org

In this special mini-episode, Cathy Newbury, Foster Parent Licensing Coach and seasoned foster parent, talks about how she ensures the children in her care receive all the support they need, while Dr. Heather Risser from our partner Northwestern University Family Care Parenting Lab talks from a therapeutic perspective about how to support the children. As mentioned in this episode, one way to find supports through DCFS is through Spider: https://spider.dcfs.illinois.gov/. To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org

Children who have experienced foster care, or other kinds of difficult life experiences, may have a hard time adjusting - or may have mental or behavioral challenges that have never been diagnosed. Cathy Newbury, Foster Parent Licensing Coach and seasoned foster parent, chats with Dr. Heather Risser from our partner Northwestern University Family Care Parenting Lab about what children in foster care experience and how to understand what they need. To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org. To learn more about the Family Care Parenting Lab, visit sites.northwestern.edu/familycareparentinglab  

Susan McConnell, MBA, founded Let It Be Us after seeing many children in foster care wait for years to be adopted. She designed programs based on her recruiting and human resources backgrounds, using technology to help waiting children in foster care. To learn more about Let It Be Us, and connect with Susan, find us at www.letitbeus.org.

Two experts walk us through what permanency means to children in foster care and the importance of stability and consistency in the development of children. Join us as Let It Be Us Director Vanessa Baie and Heather Risser from our partner Northwestern University Family Care Parenting Lab talk about the importance of connection for children in foster care.  To learn more about becoming a foster parent or joining our database of licensed homes find us at www.letitbeus.org

At Let It Be Us, we believe that the path to foster care begins with education, and the best way to educate is to reach people where they are which is why we started the Let It Be Us Foster Care and Adoption podcast where we dive deep into topics related to fostering children, foster care in Illinois, as well as adoption. We hope you enjoy, learn something and perhaps decide to become a foster parent yourself!Season Two of the Let It Be Us: A Foster Care and Adoption Podcast was launched in November 2022 by the Illinois nonprofit organization Let It Be Us. Foster Care professionals and parents speak on issues important to the journey of foster care and adoption. If you live in the State of Illinois and want to become a foster parent or learn about waiting children, go to www.letitbeus.org

The issues facing the foster care system and the children in care are big, but the solution is simple: stable families for every child. In the season finale of our very first podcast series, Susan McConnell, the Founder of Let It Be Us, talks about the importance of placing children in care in a home that best fits their needs and can support them for as long or as little as they need it. To learn more about Let It Be Us and our programs, go to www.letitbeus.org

The licensing process can be confusing, but Let It Be Us Director of Licensing Coaching and Placement Support Vanessa Baie has got you covered!  Listen to get an overview of what you can expect in the licensing process. If you are ready to get licensed, join our FREE Licensing Coaching Program to get any last lingering questions answered and help finding the right licensing agency for you. You can find the form at www.letitbeus.org

Many people fear teens, whether in foster care or not, but Elizabeth and Chris don’t. It may not always be easy, but the journey with teens is definitely rewarding and Elizabeth and Chris go into all the details. If you are interested in fostering teens, learn more about our Springboard to Adulthood Program at www.letitbeus.org

Breanna and Maxwell talk about their experience as foster parents of teens, those who identify LGBTQIA+ and everything in between. Their biggest takeaway?  It’s easier than you think.  Learn more about how to become foster parents by joining one of our free webinars at www.letitbeus.org

Susan McConnell is a mother through adoption, a photographer, and a recruiter. She used all of that to found Let It Be Us in 2014 with the goal of transforming the child welfare system in Illinois. Learn more about everything we do at www.letitbeus.org

Carolyne and her husband have fostered dozens of children over the many years they have been foster parents. Some children have returned to their biological families, and others have been adopted by the Osterhues family. All of them hold a place in Carolyne’s heart. To learn more about becoming a foster parent, attend a free webinar at www.letitbeus.org

Adoptive Mom and Let It Be Us Deputy Director Alex Montgomery talks about adopting as a single mom and the importance of the relationship she has with her daughter’s birth family and why acknowledging and including a child’s biological family when possible is important in foster care. To learn more about foster care in Illinois, go to www.letitbeus.org

Lindsay and Scottie made the big decision to become foster parents after Lindsay supported students in her classroom who experienced foster care. They’ll talk about what it’s like to be foster parents and how to navigate the relationship with the biological family while fostering. To learn more about what it’s like to be a foster parent, attend a free webinar at www.letitbeus.org

A conversation with Vanessa Baie, leader of Let It Be Us’ efforts to educate and support people interested in becoming foster parents, who talks about her journey to become a fierce advocate for children and also delve into the world of foster care. To learn more, or connect directly with Vanessa, find us at www.letitbeus.org

At Let It Be Us, we believe that the path to foster care begins with education, and the best way to educate is to reach people where they are which is why we started the Let It Be Us Foster Care and Adoption podcast where we dive deep into topics related to fostering children, foster care in Illinois, as well as adoption. We hope you enjoy, learn something and perhaps decide to become a foster parent yourself!Let It Be Us: A Foster Care and Adoption Podcast was launched in 2022 by the Illinois nonprofit organization Let It Be Us. Foster Care professionals and parents speak on issues important to the journey of foster care and adoption. If you live in the State of Illinois and want to become a foster parent or learn about waiting children, go to www.letitbeus.org