In this episode Amanda is joined by representatives of three member organisations who are working to support children's mental health and wellbeing across three continents.

Omattie Madray, Managing Director of ChildLinK, in Guyana, Chaste Uwihoreye, Country Director at Uyisenga Ni Imanzi in Rwanda and Rita Panicker, Director of Butterflies, in India.

The panel discussed how mental wellbeing is a topic that must be addressed at community rather than an individual level and how typically western ideas around therapeutic approaches translate to different contexts.

This podcast builds on the research each organisation has been conducting as part of a practice exchange project. All three reports can be found here.

At Family for Every Child we know that Children who are emotionally well are more likely to develop strong and healthy minds, and to have better lives in the future. And it is this knowledge that underpins our Emotions Matter campaign.

In this month’s podcast Amanda is joined by two representatives of the Ali Forney Center in New York. Nadia Swanson is Director of Technical Assistance and Advocacy and Maddox Guerilla is Technical Assistance Consultant, and former graduate of the Center.

The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was established in 2002 in memory of Ali, a gender non-conforming person who was tragically murdered on the streets of New York in 1997. Homelessness is an issue which disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community with over 40% of homeless youth in the USA identifying as LGBTQ+.

Amanda, Nadia and Maddox discuss how the AFC has created a welcoming and affirming environment, with low barriers to entry in which young people are able to regulate their nervous systems and overcome trauma. And we hear about AFC’s approach to supporting organisations establishing or expanding their LGBTQ+ services in countries with very different cultural, political and legal contexts.

In this podcast Amanda Griffith, CEO at Family for Every Child, is joined by Nicole Mazen, Chief Program and Policy Officer at Amara.

Amara is an organisation that supports children and families who are impacted by foster care or adoption in the greater Seattle area in the United States of America. Amara's focus is on meeting the needs of those who are most impacted including Black and Indigenous children and families, low-income and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Amanda and Nicole discuss how to imbed inclusive practices within an organisation. How to make feedback count and why sometimes something as simple as a form really, really matters.

https://amarafamily.org/