How to Advocate for Your Child | Paula Yost on Special Needs, Foster Care & Educational Rights

What do you do when you're told your child won't succeed? How do you navigate special education, foster care, disabilities, mental health challenges, school advocacy, and educational advocacy? In this powerful episode of the A Act of Love Adoptions Podcast, we sit down with Paula Yost—attorney, advocate, foster care supporter, adoptive mother, and author—to discuss how parents can become strong advocates for the children they love. Paula shares her personal experiences raising children with unique challenges, working within the foster care system, and helping families navigate IEPs, 504 plans, special education services, disability resources, educational advocacy, and mental health support. She offers practical advice, encouragement, and hope for parents who may feel overwhelmed by diagnoses, school systems, or the challenges their children face. Whether you're an adoptive parent, foster parent, grandparent, educator, social worker, caregiver, or simply someone who loves a child with special needs, this episode is filled with valuable insights and inspiration.

In this episode: • Advocating for children with special needs • Understanding IEPs and 504 plans • Foster care and adoption perspectives • Mental health resources for families • Educational advocacy and disability support • Overcoming limiting labels and diagnoses • Empowering parents to speak up for their children • Finding hope in difficult circumstances Paula's message is simple but powerful: You are not alone, and you are never wrong when you advocate for a child. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may need encouragement on their parenting, foster care, adoption, or advocacy journey.

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