Nikol Hasler
Former Midwesterner and current mother of three, Nikol comes to KCET with a background in video production, journalism, comedy writing, and non-profit work. Her non-fiction book won the 2010 Young Adult's Reluctant Reader's Award, and she has spoken at Yale, New York Women In Film, and various medical schools. When she's not working on side projects related to foster children, or home in her kitchen making pickles, she's out enjoying L.A.'s hiking and nightlife scene equally. She is always ready to hear "It's time for Dodger baseball!"
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Shari talks about the impact of her 15 mentors and how a new mobile school launching in fall of 2017 will expand foster youth's education in Los Angeles.
At first, 12-year-old foster youth Jack wouldn’t talk to his Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), Lynn Temple. He might nod or shake his head, but he used no words. Jack had come into the dependency court system when his father, struggling with PTSD, felt unable to care for him and dropped him off at one of the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services offices.
In her own words, Dee Delara shares her inspiring foster-to-adopt story.
When words fail, grieving children can find an outlet in music. Arvis Jones has impacted the lives of many foster youth and their families at Los Angeles-based mental health agency Hathaway-Sycamores with her musical therapy.
For Nurit Kotick, long-time Pasadena resident, wife, mother, mentor volunteer and board member at nonprofit Hillsides, mentoring youth has changed her life.
Growing up in a foster home in Southern California, Valerie Anderson always knew when a social worker was getting ready to visit. The behavior of her foster mother, and then guardian, would drastically change.
Lake Balboa is a fairly young neighborhood, while Reseda is one of the oldest neighborhoods of the Valley. Both boast some fantastic and iconic local restaurants.
If you asked Erica about her journey to get to where she is today, she'd tell you that being a former foster youth is her biggest motivation to succeed. In fact, Erica has come far from her days in the foster care system.
Shaquenta "Q" McDonald, a former transitional age youth and now Program Coordinator for Los Angeles nonprofit Hathaway-Sycamores can relate to the many struggles foster youth face.
Athena is among the 38% of foster youth in California who are reunited with their birth parents. She is also among the small percentage of foster youth who are reunited but experience a negative reunification.
Maegan Mattock is a Senior Program Coordinator for CASA of Los Angeles who trains CASA volunteers to advocate for children in the Los Angeles foster care system. CASA volunteers develop plans to help children navigate resources for successful outcomes in all areas of life.
In 2006, I began the process as a single woman, clear that my desire was to offer an African-American boy a permanent, loving home. I knew that African American boys were often the hardest to place and they face the most challenges, but that didn’t deter me.