Tracy has a chat with Dr John DeGarmo about his life's mission to provide education, awareness and resources to foster care agencies, parents, and supporters. Dr. John discusses The Foster Care Institute and how it provides resources for all aspects of the foster care system. John and his wife, who met while singing and dancing across the world, have been parents to 60 kids over the years. He tells his story of how he got involved in being a foster parent, the joy it has brought him and his wife, and the misconceptions that revolve around foster care.
John tells stories of what it is like to be a foster parent, how children end up in the foster care system, and how unconditional love is the foundation for being successful. Awareness is John's mission, so he wants people to understand how easy it is to support the foster care system, if they can't be foster parents themselves. The Covid shutdown affected the foster care system in a detrimental way. John discusses the many ways he saw it impact mental health in foster care kids.
John tells the "Star Fish Story," which explains how he deals with the hopelessness that can sometimes weigh heavily on such a big global wide issue.
Dr. John DeGarmo was the recipient of the Good Morning America Ultimate Hero Award. He has written 10 books. His family participated in the reality TV show, Wife Swap. He is a Tedx Talk speaker and an expert witness for foster care issues in the legal system. Find more about Dr John and his mission below:
https://www.drjohndegarmofostercare.com/index.html