Fostering Change Podcast | Episode 203 | Mark Daley

“Mark Daley points out the ways in which structural and systemic forces cause profound inequities, traumas, and heartbreak in the foster care system, but most importantly he shows how we can move toward a better future by examining what it means to be a family, and what it means to love. A truly revealing work.” — Hillary Clinton

When Hillary Clinton writes this about a person and you have the opportunity to interview that person on the day his soon-to-be-best-selling new book, SAFE, is published, you do just that.

Today, on Fostering Change, Comfort Cases’ founder Rob Scheer has an enlightening conversation with Mark Daley, author of SAFE: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family. The book offers a deeply personal window into what happens when the universal longing for family crashes up against the unique madness and bureaucracy of a child protection system that often fails to consider the needs of the most vulnerable parties of all—the children themselves.

You will hear Rob share that he believes that SAFE is an important resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about, or is actively participating in our foster care system. You will hear Rob and Mark discuss how having a community of support all around you is so important. In fact, finding community is “Step Number 1!” – be that community family, church, neighbors or others who can support you as you work to juggle this new lifestyle.

Mark shares some important tips for new foster parents, including:

Go in with your eyes open. Do your homework.
Don’t rush to judgment on the families of the child/children you’ve brought into your home. You likely do not know the “whole story.” Be empathetic.
Speak up and be “the voice” for your child/children

You will learn so much more about Mark and his thoughts on our broken foster care system. We encourage you to write a review, and share this podcast with others you care about.

Mark will be visiting a number of cities for book readings and signings. To see when he is coming to your city, or to invite him to your city, please visit: https://markdaley.us/

To purchase SAFE, please visit your local independent bookstore or purchase online on sites including:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org

You can follow Mark on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

More about Mark Daley: Mark is a social activist, entrepreneur, and foster-turned-adoptive father. Daley has over two decades of experience in message development, communication strategy, and public policy, including as a communications director and spokesperson for then-Senator Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He has worked with more than thirty members of Congress, numerous governors, and other elected officials. He is the founder of One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ equality organization, and TheFosterParent.com, a national platform to connect interested families with foster organizations. Daley lives in Southern California with his husband and three children.

A reminder that Fostering Change now posts on alternative Tuesdays. So our next episode will drop on Tuesday, January 30. You can always catch up on previous episodes of Fostering Change by visiting www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.

To find out more about Comfort Cases, please visit our website: www.comfortcases.org.

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To listen to previous episodes of Fostering Change, please visit: www.comfortcases.org/podcast or your favorite podcast outlets.

If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, we’d love to hear from you! Please write us at info@comfortcases.org.