When young adults leave the foster care system they’re left trying to find housing or employment on their own. Oftentimes, the thing they yearn for the most is family. In this special episode, Gloria chats with the Vice President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Systems Innovation, Sandra Gasca, and CEO at Foster Forward, Lisa Guillette. Our guests discuss how they’re helping youth aging out of foster care age into an ecosystem of belonging. Whether it’s legally creating ‘soul’ families or providing affordable homes, they tell us the ways they’re working with former foster kids to break the cycle and achieve stability. 



This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization devoted to building brighter futures for all children, youth and young adults, and ensuring they have the family, community and opportunity they need to thrive. Learn more at www.aecf.org. Views expressed in this episode are solely those of the participants.



No One is Coming to Save Us is presented by Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.



Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. 



Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/.



Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus. 



Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. 



For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

When young adults leave the foster care system they’re left trying to find housing or employment on their own. Oftentimes, the thing they yearn for the most is family. In this special episode, Gloria chats with the Vice President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Systems Innovation, Sandra Gasca, and CEO at <a href="https://www.fosterforward.net/">Foster Forward</a>, Lisa Guillette. Our guests discuss how they’re helping youth aging out of foster care age into an ecosystem of belonging. Whether it’s legally creating ‘soul’ families or providing affordable homes, they tell us the ways they’re working with former foster kids to break the cycle and achieve stability. 
 
This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization devoted to building brighter futures for all children, youth and young adults, and ensuring they have the family, community and opportunity they need to thrive. Learn more at <a href="http://www.aecf.org/">www.aecf.org</a>. Views expressed in this episode are solely those of the participants.
 
No One is Coming to Save Us is presented by <a href="https://www.neighborhoodvillages.org/">Neighborhood Villages</a>. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research.
 
Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at <a href="http://bit.ly/lemonadapremium">bit.ly/lemonadapremium</a>. 
 
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: <a href="https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/">https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/</a>.
 
Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus">https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus</a>. 
 
Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. 
 
For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit <a href="https://www.lemonadamedia.com/">lemonadamedia.com</a>.

Dive into the heart of America's childcare crisis with No One Is Coming to Save Us, hosted by veteran reporter Gloria Riviera. In Season 4, we’re peeling back the layers of our nation’s most pressing challenges - intergenerational poverty, homelessness, and climate change - to uncover their deep, often surprising connections with childcare. Each Thursday, join us as we unravel these complex issues, revealing how they intersect and impact the future of our children. 



No One Is Coming To Save Us is produced with Neighborhood Villages, a systems change nonprofit that envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive.

Dive into the heart of America's childcare crisis with No One Is Coming to Save Us, hosted by veteran reporter Gloria Riviera. In Season 4, we’re peeling back the layers of our nation’s most pressing challenges - intergenerational poverty, homelessness, and climate change - to uncover their deep, often surprising connections with childcare. Each Thursday, join us as we unravel these complex issues, revealing how they intersect and impact the future of our children.  
No One Is Coming To Save Us is produced with Neighborhood Villages, a systems change nonprofit that envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive.

No One is Coming to Save Us

Fostering a Better Future (with Sandra Gasca and Lisa Guillette)

Families across L.A. are struggling with the rising cost of childcare and how to access support programs. Meanwhile, childcare providers are grappling with their own challenges, including low wages and staff shortages. In this bonus episode, host Gloria Riviera talks about how leaders in L.A. can invest in a more unified, affordable, and culturally affirming system of childcare. She is joined by Debra Colman, the Director of the L.A. County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education, and Vickie Ramos Harris, the Vice President of Policy and Programs at Catalyst California.

This episode is presented by the Stein Early Childhood Development Fund at the California Community Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. 

Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible! 

This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit www.neighborhoodvillages.org to learn more. 

This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com.

This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at wevisionearlyed.org. 

This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at hiltonfoundation.org. 

Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. 

Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus. 

Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.  

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

Families across L.A. are struggling with the rising cost of childcare and how to access support programs. Meanwhile, childcare providers are grappling with their own challenges, including low wages and staff shortages. In this bonus episode, host Gloria Riviera talks about how leaders in L.A. can invest in a more unified, affordable, and culturally affirming system of childcare. She is joined by Debra Colman, the Director of the L.A. County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education, and Vickie Ramos Harris, the Vice President of Policy and Programs at Catalyst California.
This episode is presented by the Stein Early Childhood Development Fund at the California Community Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. 
Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible! 
This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit <a href="http://www.neighborhoodvillages.org">www.neighborhoodvillages.org</a> to learn more. 
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at <a href="http://www.imaginablefutures.com">www.imaginablefutures.com</a>.
This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at wevisionearlyed.org. 
This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at hiltonfoundation.org. 
Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. 
Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus">https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus</a>. 
Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.
Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at<a href="https://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan"> joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan</a>.  
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:<a href="http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors"> lemonadamedia.com/sponsors</a>.
To follow along with a transcript, go to<a href="http://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/"> lemonadamedia.com/show/</a> shortly after the air date.

Building a Better Childcare System in L.A.

A couple years ago, early education and childcare expert Rhian Allvin made a drastic change. After decades working in policy and advocacy, Rhian decided to start Brynmor Early Education and Preschool, which now has sites in Virginia and Washington, D.C. In this bonus episode, host Gloria Riviera talks to Rhian about what it means to truly value early childhood educators, and how that leads to quality care, a diverse student body, and a more sustainable model for childcare. 

This episode is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and the Bainum Family Foundation.

Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible! 

This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit www.neighborhoodvillages.org to learn more. 

This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com.

This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at wevisionearlyed.org. 

This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at hiltonfoundation.org. 

Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. 

Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus. 

Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.  

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

A couple years ago, early education and childcare expert Rhian Allvin made a drastic change. After decades working in policy and advocacy, Rhian decided to start Brynmor Early Education and Preschool, which now has sites in Virginia and Washington, D.C. In this bonus episode, host Gloria Riviera talks to Rhian about what it means to truly value early childhood educators, and how that leads to quality care, a diverse student body, and a more sustainable model for childcare. 
This episode is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and the Bainum Family Foundation.
Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible! 
This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change non-profit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit <a href="http://www.neighborhoodvillages.org">www.neighborhoodvillages.org</a> to learn more. 
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at <a href="http://www.imaginablefutures.com">www.imaginablefutures.com</a>.
This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at <a href="wevisionearlyed.org">wevisionearlyed.org</a>. 
This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at <a href="hiltonfoundation.org">hiltonfoundation.org</a>. 
Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. 
Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus">https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus</a>. 
Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.
Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at<a href="https://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan"> joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan</a>.  
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:<a href="http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors"> lemonadamedia.com/sponsors</a>.
To follow along with a transcript, go to<a href="http://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/"> lemonadamedia.com/show/</a> shortly after the air date.

Putting Early Childhood Educators First

Does universal Pre-K guarantee school readiness? To answer that question the podcast is headed to Wisconsin! Land of freezing winters, dairy cows, and universal Pre-K. Back in the 1980s, Wisconsin made publicly funded preschool almost ubiquitous throughout the state. But they’re still suffering from a massive underinvestment in childcare and early education, as well as one of the worst racial achievement gaps in the country. Gloria talks to Angela Harris, elementary school teacher and chairwoman of the Milwaukee Black Educators’ Caucus, about the importance of early education in preparing kids for kindergarten. Then Gloria talks to Brooke Legler, a childcare center owner and activist, about the post-pandemic childcare funding crisis in Wisconsin and how we can make sure every kid in Wisconsin has a chance at success.

Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible! 

This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change nonprofit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit www.neighborhoodvillages.org to learn more. 

This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at www.imaginablefutures.com.

 This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at wevisionearlyed.org. 

This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at hiltonfoundation.org. 

The childcare crisis in the United States dramatically worsened during the pandemic.  However, there are glimmers of hope in unlikely places. One of those is in impact investing. Small but growing, Care Access Real Estate (CARE) is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Today, home-based providers often struggle with landlords and Homeowner Associations (HOAs) who put roadblocks in the way of obtaining a license to operate. CARE seeks to "unlock the full potential and aspirations of center and home-based providers". CARE does this as a childcare friendly landlord aiming to expand supply where demand is acute in under-resourced areas. Ultimately, CARE seeks to build the wealth of childcare providers by putting them on a path of one day owning their own home. 

Mission Driven Finance invests in homes as childcare infrastructure. One by one, real dreams of working in this space are coming true. Childcare is infrastructure: it is the pathway to success for parents, caregivers, early educators, and most importantly the children themselves. If No One Is Coming to Save US, we must save ourselves. 

You can find more on CARE and Mission Driven Finance here: 

https://www.missiondrivenfinance.com/invest/real-estate/care/

Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. 

Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus. 

Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan.  

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

Does universal Pre-K guarantee school readiness? To answer that question the podcast is headed to Wisconsin! Land of freezing winters, dairy cows, and universal Pre-K. Back in the 1980s, Wisconsin made publicly funded preschool almost ubiquitous throughout the state. But they’re still suffering from a massive underinvestment in childcare and early education, as well as one of the worst racial achievement gaps in the country. Gloria talks to Angela Harris, elementary school teacher and chairwoman of the Milwaukee Black Educators’ Caucus, about the importance of early education in preparing kids for kindergarten. Then Gloria talks to Brooke Legler, a childcare center owner and activist, about the post-pandemic childcare funding crisis in Wisconsin and how we can make sure every kid in Wisconsin has a chance at success.
Special thanks to our partners who have made this season possible! 
This series is produced with Neighborhood Villages. Neighborhood Villages is a Massachusetts-based systems change nonprofit. It envisions a transformed, equitable early childhood education system that lifts up educators and sets every child and family up to thrive. In pursuit of this vision, Neighborhood Villages designs, evaluates, and scales innovative solutions to the biggest challenges faced by early childhood education providers and the children and families who rely on them, and drives policy reform through advocacy, education, and research. Visit <a href="http://www.neighborhoodvillages.org">www.neighborhoodvillages.org</a> to learn more. 
This season was made possible with generous support from Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm working with partners to build more healthy and equitable systems, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and realize the future they imagine. Learn more at <a href="http://www.imaginablefutures.com">www.imaginablefutures.com</a>.
 This series is presented by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.
This series is presented by the Bainum Family Foundation. Through their WeVision EarlyEd initiative, they are elevating the voices of families and early childhood professionals, their “proximity experts,” to generate equitable and practical solutions to make the ideal vision of child care in America real. You can learn more at wevisionearlyed.org. 
This season is presented by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, an organization working to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage throughout the world. Learn more at hiltonfoundation.org. 
The childcare crisis in the United States dramatically worsened during the pandemic.  However, there are glimmers of hope in unlikely places. One of those is in impact investing. Small but growing, Care Access Real Estate (CARE) is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Today, home-based providers often struggle with landlords and Homeowner Associations (HOAs) who put roadblocks in the way of obtaining a license to operate. CARE seeks to "unlock the full potential and aspirations of center and home-based providers". CARE does this as a childcare friendly landlord aiming to expand supply where demand is acute in under-resourced areas. Ultimately, CARE seeks to build the wealth of childcare providers by putting them on a path of one day owning their own home. 
Mission Driven Finance invests in homes as childcare infrastructure. One by one, real dreams of working in this space are coming true. Childcare is infrastructure: it is the pathway to success for parents, caregivers, early educators, and most importantly the children themselves. If No One Is Coming to Save US, we must save ourselves. 
You can find more on CARE and Mission Driven Finance here: 
<a href="https://www.missiondrivenfinance.com/invest/real-estate/care/">https://www.missiondrivenfinance.com/invest/real-estate/care/</a>
Follow No One is Coming to Save Us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. 
Laugh, cry, be outraged, and hear solutions! Join our community: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus">https://www.facebook.com/groups/nooneiscomingtosaveus</a>. 
Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.
Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at<a href="https://joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan"> joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan</a>.  
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series:<a href="http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors"> lemonadamedia.com/sponsors</a>.
To follow along with a transcript, go to<a href="http://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/"> lemonadamedia.com/show/</a> shortly after the air date.

Fostering a Better Future (with Sandra Gasca and Lisa Guillette)

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