The Aging Out Podcast

In this January 2026 episode, MSS intern Cheri Mitchell interviews Zach Blend, Chief Executive Officer of the Goshen Valley Foundation located in Cherokee County, GA. Zach shares his child welfare wisdom and experiences caring for youth in foster care as they prepare to age out of the system. Goshen New Beginnings, an independent living program on Goshen Valley’s campus, plays an integral part in this transition to adulthood. The program enables young people to continue their time in care until age 21, helps them develop relational confidence to connect with adult supports in a healthy and trustworthy way, and provides opportunities to learn the skills of daily living.

In this December 2025 episode, MSSP intern Saadhya Bahudodda interviews Alyssa Dennison-Glasgow, regional program director at Olive Crest in Las Vegas. Alyssa discusses how her early experiences working in juvenile justice and child advocacy shaped her commitment to supporting youth and families and ultimately led her to Olive Crest. She highlights the organization’s Teen and Young Adult Independent Living Program, which won the 2024 Aging Out Institute’s Small Program award. This unique program provides housing, life-skills coaching, and savings-building opportunities for young people aging out of foster care. Throughout the conversation, Alyssa emphasizes the importance of external mentorship, consistent community partnerships, and individualized support, demonstrating that effective aging-out programs rely on strong, collaborative networks to help young people thrive.

In this November 2025 episode, MSW intern Jasleen Virk interviews Jamie Bennett, co-founder and executive director of Cetera. Jamie shares her personal foster care journey and how it fueled her passion to advocate for young people in foster care. She believes that relationship building is a cornerstone to supporting youths’ well-being and highlights the importance of connections with consistent and trustworthy adults. Jamie also discusses the Fostering Success Coaching Institute, an innovative person-centered service that incorporates youth voice and evidence-based research to train professionals working with youth in foster care. Jamie is dedicated to supporting young people nationwide by increasing their visibility and meaningfully incorporating their voices where it matters.

In this October 2025 episode, MSS intern Cheri Mitchell interviews Sarah Pauter, Executive Director of John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY). Sarah shares how her lived experience in foster care motivated her to become an outspoken advocate for extending the age of foster care emancipation to twenty-one. She passionately advocated for the passing of Assembly Bill 12 (AB 12) which became law in 2010, creating California’s Extended Foster Care (EFC) Program. At JBAY, Sarah continued her advocacy by establishing support programs for students with foster care experience on every public post-secondary campus in the state of California. To date, JBAY has championed over fifty-five legislative reforms and secured $3.6 billion in new state and federal investments for youth in foster care or experiencing homelessness.

In this September 2025 episode, Associate Director Sarah Wasch interviews David Meyers, Director, and Lori Tiller, Director of Research & Evaluation, of Embark Georgia. Together, they share their professional journeys that led them to the University of Georgia where they now lead a statewide initiative aiming to increase college access and retention for youth who have experienced foster care or homelessness. David and Lori discuss the critical “handoff gap” that impacts student success when they transition from K-12 education to higher education, often without resources and support. Finally, they remind professionals that everyone can make an impact by finding collaborators, starting small, and listening to individuals with lived experience.

In this August 2025 episode, MSS intern Hannah Bennett interviews Liz Northcutt, Executive Director and Founder of City Living NY. Liz shares her inspiring journey - from social policy intern to CASA Borough Coordinator to forensic social worker - leading to the creation of City Living NY. Moved by the barriers youth face as they age out of foster care, Liz teamed up with fellow social workers to build an organization grounded in dignity, trust, and practical support. She also reflects on how City Living’s comprehensive services took shape - starting with housing and growing to include parenting support and other critical resources that support young people build stable lives following foster care.

In this July 2025 episode, MSSP intern Liya Cha interviews Fritzie Saintoiry, the CEO and President of Genesis Hopeful Haven in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Fritzie shares her personal story, turning her grief over losing her son into a life-giving force for youth in foster care. Genesis Hopeful Haven works to prepare youth to successfully transition from the foster care system to a purpose-driven adulthood by engaging them with diverse programs based on their age and need. Ongoing relational support is a key component to help youth thrive at Genesis Hopeful Haven.

In this June 2025 episode, MSW intern Sabrina Vargas talks with Gianna Mulkay, Executive Director of Foster Love, to discuss the organization’s incredible journey from its roots on a college campus to the impactful nonprofit it is today. Gianna shares her personal story, insights into the mission of Foster Love, and the specific programs making a difference for youth currently or formerly in foster care in California and across the nation. Guided by a belief in the power of love and generosity, Foster Love is transforming the lives of youth in foster care across America and giving them a brighter, more hopeful, future.

In this May 2025 episode, the inaugural episode following the transition of the podcast from the Aging Out Institute to the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research at the University of Pennsylvania, MSW Intern Kate Greco interviews Lynn Tonini, Founder and former Executive Director of the Aging Out Institute. Lynn spoke about her journey working with professionals and organizations involved in the child welfare system, as well as how her lived experience in foster care as a teenager played a role in inspiring her future work. At the Aging Out Institute, Lynn focused on improving national outcomes for youth aging out of foster care through a variety of programs and beneficial resources.

In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Gretchen Dupps, the Founder and Executive Director of Cleveland Angels located in Cleveland, Ohio. Gretchen shared her own exposure to the foster care system in her own family, who took in foster youth. She also described the purpose and services of Cleveland Angels, which is a chapter of the National Angels program based in Texas. Cleveland Angels supports all ages of youth in foster care, and even the families who take them in. She focused on the Dare to Dream program, which offers supportive relationships through mentors for older youth in care up to age 22. We ended with a discussion about strategies that the foster care system can put into place to help improve outcomes of youth who age out of care.