Overcoming Adversity & Thriving Against All Odds with David Ambroz

ATTENTION: This episode touches on sensitive topics such as poverty, homelessness, parental mental illness and foster care. Listener discretion is advised.  For my guest David and his two siblings, their mother’s paranoid schizophrenia brought with it poverty, violence, and instability. They traveled through New York and neighboring areas seeking shelter: they found it in train stations, 24-hour diners, anywhere warm and dry. The first 11 years of his life he was homeless, then he was placed in foster care. At first, it felt like salvation but soon proved to be just as unsafe for him.  As a gay child, David’s coming-off age is fusrther marked by anti-gay abuse at the hands of caregiovers and therpists.  David Ambroz is a national poverty and child welfare expert and advocate. He was recognized by President Obama as an American Champion of Change. He currently serves as the Head of Community Engagement (West) for Amazon, coordinating with non-profits and community leaders for social good. Previously he led Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Television, and served as the President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, and as a California Child Welfare Councilmember. SOME KEY POINTS What is home? Where is home? What people get right and get wrong about childhood poverty How to create ground-up change in foster care system How to encourage more educated, middle-class families to foster Effective ways anyone can help improve the lives of foster kids GET HIS BOOK A Place Called Home MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Supernormal by Meg Jay, PhD The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce Perry, MD, PhD David's website Follow him on Instagram Follow him on Twitter  SUPPORT THE SHOW, SHOW YOUR LOVE Become a patron on Patreon.com and join 21 exisiting memebers who contribute $121 towards our monthly goal of $500.  Make a one-time donation in any amount to say “Thank you!” Rate or write a review FULL SHOW NOTES www.authenticparenting.com/podcast HOW TO WORK WITH ANNA I would be thrilled to support you in your parenting journey! All listeners get 10% off on my services. Private Coaching Online courses and classes GET IN TOUCH Comments, questions, feedback, and love notes  USA listeners call 732-763-2576 and leave a voicemail. International listeners use the FREE Speak Pipe tool on my website Email: [email protected] STAY CONNECTED Instagram Facebook Group-Authentic Parenting Community Thank you for listening!  With gratitude, Anna Seewald Parent Educator, Keynote Speaker, Author www.authenticparenting.com