Another Important May

They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. If that’s true, then May came in like a lion and left like a bigger, hungrier lion. What a fantastic National Foster Care Month that was!

It began somber enough, with foster care saying goodbye to a pioneer. As you read last issue, Misty Stenslie was the real thing. In the world of advocacy, none shined brighter. The outpouring of love and admiration was astounding. Everyone from Casey Family Programs to FCAA paid tribute. On a personal note, it was pretty tough for me to shake off my meeting and subsequent story about her. It was an intense experience for me but a small problem in the grand scheme of things.

But as a collective, the foster care world charged into May with vigor and purpose. From coast to coast, foster care was at the forefront of the public eye. There were CASA events everywhere. Alumni of care convened in cities across the country for the annual FCAA walks. And foster kids and alumni geared up for their annual time on Capitol Hill. You’ll read all about Shadow Day and the hackathon too, #hackfostercare later in this issue. But for now, I want to highlight something that happened in the middle of the month that impacts the magazine directly.

A highlight of this whole thing since it began has been watching people grow. There are the young, fresh out of care kids who are ready to tackle the world. There are the folks who have been working toward something for years, and there are those who were in the spotlight, went to work on another project and then come back as a force. Shalita O’Neale falls into all of those categories. Shalita came out of care with a determination to help make changes. She learned under Misty Stenslie, ate Thanksgiving dinner on the Capitol lawn, made her voice heard. Then she started her own nonprofit that continues to flourish. For the last three years she’s been a Columnist for Foster Focus. In that time, she planned and executed a successful conference for alumni of care.

Okay, here’s where the mag comes back into the picture. The Alumni Powerhouse Networking Conference was such a big hit the last two years that she’s taking the show on the road! That’s right, the conferences were so successful on the East coast that she’s headed West in November. There will be plenty more that follow, I’m sure. Because of this new found success, it looks like Foster Focus has to send another talented Columnist off into the world. Though sad, and though Alumni Perspectives was a fantastic column, I’m excited for what lies ahead for Shalita. I merely borrow the talents of these great Columnists. When they’re ready to go, they go. And I get to brag about the level of success Columnists of Foster Focus achieve.

This magazine is starting to feel like foster care; people coming and going. I’m just happy to have people interested in being a part of the magazine. No one is more surprised than I am that it’s gone as well as it has, or reached as many people as it has. Which brings me to the next piece of business…

HOLY COW! 5 YEARS!!! 5 YEARS!!!! Can you believe it?!?!?!

Okay, now back to being an Editor. It’s been my honor to bring you…oh who am I kidding? 5 friggin years!!! Listen, when I was in college (or pretending to be in college) I told anyone who would listen that I was going to start a foster care magazine. Forget everything else. Forget the New York Times Best Sellers that have written for the mag. Forget the dozens of kids featured in the mag that have been adopted (not sure how much the mag has to do with that, A Family For Every Child is pretty good at what they do). Forget the awards (but don’t forget that DMC gave me one of them). Forget the high level Columnists. Forget the thousands and thousands of miles I’ve traveled or things I’ve seen. Forget about all of that. I did EXACTLY what I said I’d do.

Not sure if that resonates the way I want it to. I did what I set out to do. I’m not much of a bragger, doesn’t taste right in my mouth but 5 years is huge and fulfilling a dream is even bigger. For a while there I thought I was just full of shit and nothing was ever going to come from my idea. As a foster kid, but moreover, as any person, it’s easy for the world to tell you no. It’s easy to go along with that. When someone tells you to stop, well, that’s the get out of jail free card, isn’t it?

I’ve got this uncanny ability to not hear or see “no”. Just doesn’t register with me. I knew this was a good idea and (in my head) I knew people would agree with that. Granted, I didn’t know how many would subscribe, I expected 100 in the first year but I got that in the first two weeks. It’s grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I take none of it to heart. The last thing I need is an ego; I pretend it isn’t that big of a magazine. I’m still that kid who told everyone that he’d have a mag one day. That’s all I can be.

A couple paragraphs ago I told you to forget all the good things the mag has done and the great people involved. Clearly, that was a grandiose statement for effect. All the writers, the columnists, the great agency that lets me showcase kids to adopt, the authors who feature their books, the advertisers who trust the mag to not make them look foolish, the awards and my family have all been so unbelieveably important. They give the magazine life and credibility. There’s no way I would have realized this dream without them. My gratitude gets skewed in the midst of all the work involved in making the magazine, but I’m eternally grateful and I hope everyone involved knows that.

What was that? Four braggy paragraphs? That’s enough for me. You good? Okay, let’s move on.

That lion that came charging into May, didn’t lose any vigor on its way to the Summer. This year Foster Focus will be diving head first into the world of data and technology. The end of May brought with it the White House hackathon. Again, there’s an article about it in this issue, but the energy and optimism about what would and could come next was palpable and deserves a few words in this section of the mag. Back to data and tech.

I have always been pretty proficient on a computer. My little brother is a computer wiz and my roommate in college was one of those guys you call when your computer is acting up. I’ve been pretty up to date on all things computers. However. When these kids start talking about how big data, new tech and apps are all going to change the landscape of foster care, I turn into your Grandpa who can’t get the dang computer box to work.

I’ve been lucky to meet some of the people who are at the forefront of this movement but they might as well be talking about Calculus; this is my level of understanding. So you and I are going to spend this year absorbing as much information as we can about the subject. There will be interviews and articles galore. We’re going to get to the bottom of this new tech and data boom. Dang kids and their newfangled ideas!

One of those young whippersnappers (in the slang sense of the word, this guy is lightyears ahead of me in maturity) is named Sixto Cancel. Cool name, cool kid. I get to call him kid because I’ve known the young man since I started this thing. Sixto is one of those Millennials you hear so much about. I know him to be ambitious and hard working. He’s been working on Think of Us (his nonprofit’s name) and technology in foster care for years. All while earning a college degree! He’s impressive and I picked his brain about all this tech and data stuff for the hackathon article. I think you’ll be wowed by what he had to say.

Well, that’s what’s going on here at Foster Focus. What do you have going on? I’ve noticed the feedback I get is minimal. While I appreciate that most of you are probably being kind because of the workload I’ve got here, but I want to assure you that you can always reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have. Maybe you’ve got a suggestion for a story or you want to write an article? My virtual door is always open. You can reach me at chris@FosterFocusMag.com. Day or night, I only take naps. I’m pretty good at getting back to folks who email me. I want nay NEED your input, so go ahead and drop me a line. I’ve always got time for you because you took the time to read my humble little magazine.

Okay folks, I hope you enjoy this issue, I’m trying to cover the stories I think will best serve your purpose. Let me know if I miss the mark. Although, after 5 YEARS!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?, sorry, still excited. After 5 years I think I hit more than I miss, but you’re the reader, you tell me.

See ya next month!