Bringing The World Home To You

© 2024 WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
120 Friday Center Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.445.9150 | 800.962.9862
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Aged Out: Life After Foster Care

An illustration of a young white person with brown hair walking away, wearing a backpack and rolling a suitcase. On the left is a sign that says "Department of Health & Human Services" and on the right is a bus stop. Over the bus stop are the words "Aged Out" in red.
Charnel Hunter

Anita had a terrible 18th birthday (she'll tell you later), but not much changed for her when she legally became an adult. For tens of thousands of young folks in the U.S. each year who turn 18 while in foster care, "legal adulthood" brings a slew of new challenges. Two women who aged out of foster care tell Anita about their experiences and how they informed the relationships they're building today. Plus, she meets someone who's seen the foster care system from both sides — as a kid, and as a foster parent.

Meet the guests:

  • Stephani Smith, a mental health professional, shares how her time in foster care shaped her philosophy on relationships — especially the relationship with her stepdaughter
  • Ángela Quijada-Banks, holistic purpose coach and author of "The Black Foster Youth Handbook," explains how her foster care experience impacted her romantic relationships
  • Jessica Lloyd-Rogers, chair of the National Foster Parents Association Council of State Affiliates, talks about how her own time in the system informed how she parented her daughter and the young people she fostered

Read the transcript Review the podcast

Kaia Findlay is the lead producer of Embodied, WUNC's weekly podcast and radio show about sex, relationships and health. Kaia first joined the WUNC team in 2020 as a producer for The State of Things.
Amanda Magnus is the executive producer of Embodied, a weekly radio show and podcast about sex, relationships and health. She has also worked on other WUNC shows including Tested and CREEP.
Anita Rao is an award-winning journalist, host, creator, and executive editor of "Embodied," a weekly radio show and podcast about sex, relationships & health.