• Josie Mae Wells Part 2: Being Who Kids Need, Building Support Systems, and Going One Step Back To Go Two Steps Forward
    Oct 14 2025

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    “I’m struggling as I parent my foster kids, I feel at a loss and overwhelmed.” “I feel all alone, how can I build a support system?” “Am I being the parent my kid needs me to be?” — We heard from Josie Mae Wells in part one of this series two weeks ago, when we discussed her story, vocational development, and community support system. If you missed that one, be sure to check it out! Today, we hear part two of Benoit Harpey’s interview with Josie Mae Wells, Public Relations Coordinator at Friends of Foster Children. In this episode, Josie shares how important it is to adapt to your kid’s needs; the deeper lessons of hope, resilience, and patience she learned through helping raise her sisters; and how vital it is to build a good support system with community, friends, and mentorship. Additionally, she says something we all need to hear: sometimes growth isn’t linear; you need to take one step back to take two steps forward. There will be struggles, but there are ways to work through them. Tune in today to get practical tips, tools, and strategies from an expert in foster care who hopes to help you in your parenting journey!

    💬Get In Touch:

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    🧑Connect With Josie Mae Wells:

    👉 Website: www.friendsoffosterchildren.com

    👉 Socials: @friendsof_fosterchildren

    @FFCPBC (FaceBook)

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    #FosterCareSupport #TraumaInformedParenting #BuildingTrust #FriendsOfFosterChildren #ResilientFamilies #KinshipCare #PatienceInParenting #CommunityMatters #FosterCareJourney #ChildhoodTraumaAwareness #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids



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    21 min
  • Josie Mae Wells Part 1: Unexpected Support Through the Struggles of Raising Foster Children
    Sep 30 2025

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    “How can I support my child who has developmental delays?” “What role does community play in foster care success?” “How can I find support for my family as we foster children?” — There are hundreds of challenges that parents, especially those raising foster children or vulnerable children face. Thankfully, there’s a solution to every challenge and today, Benoit Harpey sits down with Josie Mae Wells, Public Relations Coordinator at Friends of Foster Children. When Josie Mae was in her teens, her parents felt called to step into the role of foster parenting and on a fateful night in 2017 got a call that there were twin sisters who needed a home. The family faced many challenges as they were raising these two little girls, but they powered through all of them and the twins are now thriving! Josie Mae shares her family’s story as kinship caregivers, how her scenario revealed her vocation, tips that helped them, and how community and support played a vital role in their success in raising vulnerable youth.

    This is only part one of Josie Mae’s story and advice; in part two, we’ll reflect on lessons Josie Mae learned while helping raise her sisters, speak more about the importance of a support system, and talk about the role Friends of Foster Children plays in the lives of foster parents.

    💬Get In Touch:

    • Send Us A Text
    • parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    🚨Need More Resources?

    👉Visit Our Website

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    👉Are You Local To Palm Beach? See Our Events Page!

    👉Need More? Our Programs

    🧑Connect With Josie Mae Wells:

    👉 Website: www.friendsoffosterchildren.com

    👉 Socials: @friendsof_fosterchildren

    @FFCPBC (FaceBook)

    🎙️Want To Be Featured?

    👉 Email Us: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org


    #FosterCareSupport #TraumaInformedParenting #BuildingTrust #FriendsOfFosterChildren #ResilientFamilies #KinshipCare #PatienceInParenting #CommunityMatters #FosterCareJourney #ChildhoodTraumaAwareness #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids



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    21 min
  • You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup — Mindset, Resilience, and Self-Care in Parenting with Debi Borger
    Sep 16 2025

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    “I feel overwhelmed and unsupported as a parent.” “Is prioritizing me time selfish?” “How can I break the cycles of trauma and pain in my family?” — As parents, we can often feel torn between caring for our children and caring for ourselves. Both are crucial, and if you don’t balance both, you’ll feel overwhelmed, helpless, and crushed by an unbearable weight. Thankfully, that balance isn’t hard to find, it just takes a little effort. Today, Sophia Mills and Benoit Harpey sit down with Debi Borger, a strength and mindset coach, single mom, and foster parent. Debi shares with us her story of overcoming trauma and building resilience while parenting foster children. She emphasizes the value of self-care, mindset, and community support; reminding us that self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential. You won’t want to miss this one, so tune in for valuable tips, advice, and learn the key to filling up your cup so you can pour into others’.

    💬Get In Touch:

    • Send Us A Text
    • parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

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    👉Are You Local To Palm Beach? See Our Events Page!

    👉Need More? Our Programs

    🧑Connect With Debi Borger:

    👉 Website: www.dbwellbeing.com

    👉 Socials: @dbwellbeing

    👉 Email: debi@dbwellbeing.com

    👉 The E3 Method

    🎙️Want To Be Featured?

    👉 Email Us: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    #ParentingWithPurpose #ResilientFamilies #MindsetMatters #SelfCareForParents #ChildhoodTraumaAwareness #ParentSupport #FosterCareSupport #BuildingResilience #TraumaHealing #ParentingJourney #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids


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    23 min
  • Good Lifestyle, Consistent Structure, and Positive Words: Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids with Randall Strain
    Sep 2 2025

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    “Is there a secret to curing ADHD?” “How can we better support our children through their challenges?” “What am I doing wrong, why isn’t my kid listening?” — ADHD, OCD, ADD. They’re all terms used to define your children as neurodivergent, but often, these occur due to poor lifestyle habits and can easily be resolved. Today, Benoit Harpey sits down with Randall Strain, Air Force veteran and accidental author of “Grumpy Home.” Randall tells us about his own experience parenting children with ADHD, and how he was able to significantly improve their situations by reducing the amount of processed foods in their diets, increasing the amount of time spent outside, and using positive words to help them understand why a healthy lifestyle is important. Tune in today to get useful parenting, nutrition, and lifestyle tips from someone with first hand experience!

    💬Get In Touch:

    • Send Us A Text
    • parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    🚨Need More Resources?

    👉Visit Our Website

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    👉Are You Local To Palm Beach? See Our Events Page!

    👉Need More? Our Programs

    🧑Connect With Randall Strain:

    👉 Website: neilmariepublishing.com

    👉 Get the book!

    👉 Socials: @neilmariepublishing

    🎙️Want To Be Featured?

    👉 Email Us: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    #ParentingPodcast #HealthyHabitsForKids #RandallStrain #AccidentalAuthor #GrumpyHome #ParentingTips #FosterCareSupport #PositiveParenting #ChildWellness #HealingHeartsPodcast #ParentingWithPurpose #ParentingCommunity #NutritionForKids #ParentingStruggles #SelfCareForKids

    #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids



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    20 min
  • Balancing Parenting and Family Time with Career Growth with Evan Sophir
    Aug 19 2025

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    “My family and my career are both growing, and I’m having trouble balancing the two.” “Am I messing up my kid’s life by working too much?” “How can I regain time with my family, despite the amount of time I need to spend working?” — Work-life balance. A true struggle, especially when you’ve recently become a parent, and you need to reassess your priorities. You’re not alone in your struggles; in fact, today Sophia Mills speaks with Evan Sophir on this very topic. Evan is a top-rated Florida Realtor and TV Host, but also a husband and, more recently, a father. In addition to all this, he is committed to advocating for foster youth and vulnerable children. When his family began to grow, he had to look at all the things going on in his life, and figure out which were most important to him. He shares with us meaningful moments that taught him important lessons about this careful balance, tells us why advocacy has become such an integral part of his work, and leaves us with some extremely valuable tips for creating a balance that works perfectly for you. Whether you’re a foster parent, caregiver, young parent, or just need help balancing your work and life, this episode is perfect for you. Just remember, it isn’t always perfection that counts; often taking the first step is most crucial.

    💬Get In Touch:

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    • parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    🚨Need More Resources?

    👉Visit Our Website

    👉Check Out Our Socials: @speakupforkids

    👉Are You Local To Palm Beach? See Our Events Page!

    👉Need More? Our Programs

    🧑Connect With Evan Sophir:

    👉 Website: www.evansophir.com

    👉 Socials: Instagram: @evansophir

    Facebook: Evan Sophir

    🎙️Want To Be Featured?

    👉 Email Us: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org


    #EvanSophir #SpeakUpForKidsPBC #BalancingFatherhoodAndCareer #ParentingWithPurpose #CommunityAdvocacy #WorkLifeRhythm #ParentingPodcast #RealEstateAndAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #FloridaParents #MakeADifference #FamilyAndCareer #ParentLife #ParentingTips #ChildAdvocacy #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids


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    19 min
  • Empowering the Lives of Youth Beyond the System with Michael Williams, SMART DREAMS CEO
    Aug 5 2025

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    “How do I build trust with a child who’s learned not to trust adults?” “What is my child’s behavior trying to communicate?” “Am I seeing my child’s pain and fear, or just their actions?” — Parenting is hard, parenting foster youth is even harder. Sometimes it feels like they just won’t trust you, that they block you out and don’t listen to what you say. Sometimes they’re even creating roadblocks for themselves. So, as parents, how can we get past this and change the courses of our children’s lives, and our relationships with them? Today, Sophia Mills sits down with Michael Williams, founder of the SMART DREAMS Movement and CEO of the DASH Foundation. He shares with us his experience with vulnerable youth, explains how setting SMART goals helps set them up for the future, and teaches how parents can improve their relationships with their children so that they can grow, flourish, and learn to trust kids. Tune in today to gain countless valuable insights, great tips, and helpful information!

    💬Get In Touch:

    • Send Us A Text
    • parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    🚨Need More Resources?

    👉Visit Our Website

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    👉Are You Local To Palm Beach? See Our Events Page!

    👉Need More? Our Programs

    🧑Connect With Michael Williams

    👉 Website: www.smartdreamsceo.com

    👉 Socials: @smartdreamsceo

    🎙️Want To Be Featured?

    👉 Email Us: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    #youthempowerment #traumainformedparenting #fostercareawareness #childhoodtrauma #parentingwithconnection #healingthroughtrust #SMARTDREAMS #DASHFoundation #vulnerableyouthsupport #healinghearts #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids


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    24 min
  • Heart To Heart: Work-Life Balance—Being Present For Your Children While Managing Your Evolving Career
    Jul 22 2025

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    “I feel torn between my job and my family every day.” “Guilt eats at me when I miss school events or family time.” “Even when I’m home, I’m not truly present.” — Sometimes, it feels like a work-life balance as a parent who’s working a full-time job is out of reach. It feels as if you’re trying to provide for your children, to give them a great life, and in turn you have to sacrifice family time. If that’s you, don’t worry. It isn’t too late, that balance isn’t out of reach. Today, Tonya teaches us, through the story of the Martin family, how we can stop compromising, and instead have time for our careers and our families. It’s going to take time, effort, and it won’t all be sunshine and rainbows. There will be times when it’s difficult and you’re still torn, but there will be a point where it all falls in place, and the balance you find will be all you hoped for. Listen in today for infinitely valuable advice, an inspiring story, and motivation to take the first step to a balanced home life.

    💬Get In Touch:

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    • parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    🚨Need More Resources?

    👉Visit Our Website

    👉Check Out Our Socials: @speakupforkids

    👉Are You Local To Palm Beach? See Our Events Page!

    👉Need More Support? Our Programs

    🎙️Want To Be Featured?

    👉 Email Us: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    #parentingwithpurpose #workingparents #familyrituals #presentparenting #worklifebalance #parentingburnout #intentionalparenting #childhoodmemories #mentalhealthmatters #familyfirst #healinghearts #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids


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    10 min
  • Mindfulness, Energy, and Healing Part 2: Emotional Growth From the Inside Out with Veronica Moya
    Jul 8 2025

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    “How can I help my children with their trauma, anxiety, and emotional struggles?” “Why do my children struggle so much with self-love, and how can I help them through it?” “How can I help regulate my child’s anxiety?” — Emotions are perhaps some of the most powerful things in the world. To thrive emotionally, you must learn how to control your emotions and use them to help you get through anything life throws at you. Today, Sophia Mills sits down with Veronica Moya, who holds the key to this invaluable knowledge. Originally from Argentina, Veronica moved to the United States to become an actress, but soon pivoted to follow convictions in her heart. She began her journey in counseling with adults, teaching them how to stay in touch with themselves — being self-aware, self-assured, and self-loving. Now, Veronica teaches children meditation, starting as young as five years old. In this two-part episode, Veronica shares her experience and insights into how kids’ meditation, empathetic parenting, and emotional intelligence can transform a child’s life, forever. Join us today to learn helpful meditation strategies, hear invaluable parenting advice, and empower your child’s emotional growth from the inside out.


    This is Part 2! Be sure to tune in to get the full story and all the wonderful information shared! (This is Part 2, if you haven’t yet listened to Part 1, we recommend you tune in to that first!)

    💬Get In Touch:

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    • parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

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    👉Part 1: Out Now!

    🧑Connect With Veronica Moya:

    👉 Website: veronicamoya.com

    👉 Socials: Instagram: @veronicamoyacoach

    YouTube: Veronica Moya

    🎙️Want To Be Featured?

    👉 Email Us: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

    #MindfulParenting #KidsMeditation #EmotionalIntelligence #ChildhoodTraumaSupport #MindfulnessForChildren #VeronicaMoya #ParentingTools #RaiseResilientKids #CalmKidsConfidentKids #HealingThroughMeditation #KidsMentalHealth #TeachMindfulness #InnerStrength #SpeakUpForKids #SpeakUp #fostercare @parentsspeakupforkids


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    19 min