Stephan Spencer on ABC TV Reno - "Foster Child Myths"

This is a clip of Stephan’s interview about Foster Child Myths on ABC TV Reno.

Welcome back, everyone. My guest today is Stephan Spencer. He is an author. He is a speaker. He is a business owner. You own a search engine optimization company, SEO internet marketing company, but you're not here to talk about that. You're here to talk about your passion for foster children. May is National Foster Care Month.

You grew up with a tough background. You were also a foster child. You had a mom who was mentally unstable, and we need more foster parents in Nevada, by the way. So listen up. Why is this message so important? For you to spread, you have to say there are myths surrounding our foster children.

So, I grew up with a mom who was mentally unstable. I lived with my grandparents from infancy until my grandma died. And then I went to live with my aunt in Connecticut. A year later, we're in Florida. A year after that, she gets a divorce. I end up back in Toledo. And I'm bouncing around between my grandfather, who's mentally I don't know. He's physically abusive and mentally ill, and my mom is also mentally ill. And it was really tough until my grandpa got sick and called Children's Services, and I ended up a foster kid.

One thing about you is that you were a foster child in your teens. I mean, here you are with your family and the family's unstable. Then, you end up as a teenage foster child. How tough for you? What are the big lies you say about foster kids? What are the misconceptions?

Right. So, there are three big lies. The first one is that foster kids are badly behaved. More than half of Americans believe that kids in foster care are juvenile delinquents, and nothing could be further from the truth.

In reality, the kids are the victims, not the perpetrators. These kids end up in the foster care system because they've been abused, neglected, or abandoned at the hands of their biological family. The second big lie is that foster kids have behavioral or medical needs that make them difficult to parent.

Again, not true. Only a third of kids in foster care have any diagnosable disability. And then the third big lie is that foster kids are underachievers; 65% of former foster kids had seven or more school changes between kindergarten and 12th grade. I was in that boat. It was really tough, and it was very unstable.

Can you imagine having that kind of instability and uncertainty growing up, if you recall that? So, I had a foster mom who was really just a wonderful lady. She taught me how to sew buttons and how to cook.

We have a picture of her too. Let's show the picture of your foster family. So, foster mom made a big difference in your life.

Yeah, she gave me stability, love and support so that I could thrive in school, focus on my studies, get a 32 on my ACT, and have a four-point GPA. I became excellent at computers, and that then translated to my business, where today, I'm optimizing the websites of some of the biggest brands in the world.

I know you're very successful, but what a great message for you to send to people. If somebody's interested in fostering, you have something that you call a CARE formula. CARE. Tell me quickly what that is before we run out of time.

Great. So it's C, charity, give generously to organizations like CASA, Together We Rise, or Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption; A, attend training like Partnerships in Parenting; R, requirements for licensing.

These are really simple. You just have to be at least 21 and a legal U. S. and Nevada resident. Evaluation by a licensing agency. They simply want to check you out. Make sure that you are fit to serve as a foster parent and that your home is safe for these kids.

I think it's a great message. Thank you. I know when we do an adoption segment, Sarah John's our evening anchor have a heart. A lot of those children say we just want a parent to keep us safe, and it just breaks our hearts. So, thank you for spreading such a positive message about foster children and fostering Stephan Spencer. A pleasure to meet you. If you'd like more information, you can contact StephanSpencer.com. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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