When Friendship Meets Fostering: The Power of Having Someone Who Gets It

Behind the Curtain: Honest Conversations about Foster Care and Adoption

The Jantoyas, Elizabeth Janssen and Lisa Montoya, share their journey as best friends, foster and adoptive moms, and tireless advocates for children in the foster care system. They discuss how their friendship formed over fostering challenges and evolved into a community-building partnership that supports other foster families while creating meaningful change.
• Elizabeth has 14 children (5 biological, 9 from foster care with 8 adopted)
• Lisa has 5 children (2 biological, 3 adopted - 2 from foster care, 1 private adoption)
• They met through a "blind date" set up by someone in the foster care system
• Their friendship extends to their husbands, creating crucial support for the whole family
• They formalized as "the Jantoyas" to share resources and support other foster families
• They provide food and support to vulnerable communities beyond their own homes
• They share expert strategies for navigating school IEPs and accommodations
• They developed a system for kids to create self-advocacy pamphlets for teachers
• They discuss the difference between trauma-aware and trauma-informed approaches
• They emphasize the importance of community in sustaining foster care journeys

فصول

1. Meet the Jantoyas: Dynamic Foster Mom Duo (00:00:00)

2. Building Friendship Through Foster Care Challenges (00:09:48)

3. Serving Beyond Their Homes (00:18:21)

4. Advocating for Kids in School (00:28:38)

5. Creating Custom IEP Accommodations (00:43:35)

6. Empowering Kids to Self-Advocate (00:54:04)

7. Finding Joy in Foster Parenting (01:01:38)