Episode
Supporting Youth in Foster Care Through Community & Mentorship with Beth Ryan and Jorie Das
- Podcast
- Fostering Change
- Published
- May 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1604
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://youtu.be/Zv4JnOuvT6M
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Summary
As National Foster Care Awareness Month comes to a close, this episode of Fostering Change focuses on something deeply important: what happens when organizations stop working in silos and start working together for young people. This week, Rob Scheer is joined by two Los Angeles-based leaders making a meaningful impact in the lives of youth connected to foster care: Beth Ryan, Executive Director & Founder of Stepping Forward LA, and Jorie Das, Executive Director of Friends of the Children Los Angeles. Together, their organizations are helping young people navigate some of the most difficult transitions imaginable — aging out of foster care, finding stability, building community, and creating long-term support systems rooted in consistency and trust. Beth Ryan’s work through Stepping Forward LA focuses on youth transitioning out of foster care, with programs centered around mentorship, housing support, internships, workforce readiness, and a first-of-its-kind app designed by and for foster youth. Jorie Das leads Friends of the Children Los Angeles, which provides long-term professional mentorship to youth facing systemic barriers through a unique 12+ year commitment model focused on stability, prevention, and long-term success. Throughout the conversation, Rob, Beth, and Jorie explore how collaboration between nonprofits can strengthen outcomes for youth — and why consistent relationships remain one of the most powerful tools for healing and success. Episode Highlights Why aging out of foster care remains one of the biggest challenges facing young adults How mentorship and long-term relationships improve outcomes for youth The importance of nonprofit collaboration instead of competition How Los Angeles reflects both the scale of the foster care crisis and the opport…