All Episodes

August 6, 2021 47 mins

Send us a text

Jayne Amelia Larson talks with foster parent and adoptive mother, Anita, who when she was  single and only 22-years-old welcomed an 11-year-old girl, Ashleigh, into her home thinking it was for short respite care, maybe a week or a month... and ended up caring for her for years and then adopting her. Anita says: "I would not have been able to do this if I didn't have the support system that I had with my family and friends, I've always been determined, I've always been very motivated, but again, I walked into this, not really realizing the full extent of what I was getting into and, but for my family and friends who were there to help and to, you know...It was an entire family raising this child. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone and also with the, the great social workers and the therapists who were also very much a part of it. It was like we had this huge network of people who were all in it together."

Her daughter Ashleigh Akari Nichols is also a Bonus Babies podcast guest and tells her story in episode 11.

To learn more about becoming a foster parent go to
National Foster Parent Association
Adoptuskids.org
Pennylane
The Village Family Services
Kidsave.org

Go to NationalCASAGAL.org
to find out more about becoming a CASA anywhere in the US
and CASALA.org in Los Angeles.

See bonusbabies.org to learn more about what we are doing and please donate to support us by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES TO RECORDING AND PLATFORMING THESE STORIES. Yeah!

IG@bonusbabiespodcast
TW@BonusBabiesPod
FB@BonusBabiesPodcast

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.