Meet Jayne Amelia Larson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jayne Amelia Larson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jayne Amelia below.

Hi Jayne Amelia, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?

I was raised in a large family of ten kids on the east coast, and am the youngest girl of five boys and five girls. As you can imagine, our home was filled with loud and crazy nonstop activity sometimes verging on chaos. We all have very different tastes, interests, abilities and even though some of those overlapped, we are all varied and separate Individuals with differing personal pursuits.

As the second to youngest, I struggled to make my needs and wishes known especially to older siblings who maybe didn’t always want to be bothered with a younger sister vying to be included in their activities. I was also a stutterer (as are my two eldest siblings) and that made any and all communication very challenging. To compensate for this, I learned how to pay close attention to what others were saying and doing to figure out how to insinuate myself in the conversation with the least amount of stress for me. I was often quiet, but always listening. And ultimately, I think good listening is the most essential element in effective communication. Communication is not just talking—it’s paying attention to what others are saying so as to respond well and even further the exchange in the best possible way. So strangely enough, my challenge in speaking became a strength in communication. I still stutter quite a bit, and I still listen well. As a podcaster and interviewer, listening with empathy and attention to create a safe space for the guests to share their stories has made for a powerful platform of which I am honored to be part.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a New York Times bestselling author, a classically trained actress, and creative content producer who has volunteered with kids in arts organizations in NYC and LA for more than 30 years. Eight years ago I began volunteering with youth in the foster care system and shortly after that I was compelled to train to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer with youth in care. The CASA acts as the child’s advocate, the child’s voice, in court. In 2020, I launched the BONUS BABIES podcast which is committed to changing the current landscape of the foster care maze by broadcasting the true stories of the kids who’ve been forced to navigate through it.
Once in the system, a child’s team of employed …paid…caregivers can often number into the hundreds but the CASA is a volunteer position. This is what makes the role unique. In Ashley Rhodes-Courter’s bestselling memoir, THREE LITTLE WORDS, she shares a list of the people responsible for her case: 73 child welfare administrators, 44 child welfare caseworkers, 19 foster parents, 23 attorneys, 17 psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists, five Guardian ad Litem staff, four judges, four court personnel, three abuse registry workers, two primary caseworkers, and one Guardian Ad Litem (called a CASA in California) –– who is the only person not paid on Ashley’s list. This very fact is what separates the CASA from everyone else involved in that youth’s care.
US taxpayers paid an estimated 33 billion dollars in state and federal assistance for child welfare, foster care and related services last year. And yet still, we are failing them.
There are now almost 650,000 children in foster care—roughly equal to the population of Baltimore, in every state, in almost every community, and represented in all walks of life. Child endangerment and welfare issues arise in families of every race, ethnicity, culture and age group. And many if not most of those kids are not cared for and not cared for well, not in the way that they should be, and that they deserve to be.

This has to change.

I hope that hearing about these kids and from these kids will help do that. BONUS BABIES gives them a forum to help others understand what it’s like to have a lived foster care experience by hearing the compelling stories of the children who’ve been forced to live it.

In the same way a CASA works, the BONUS BABIES podcast also talks to attorneys, social workers, foster parents and more, to give a 360 degree view of what’s really happening to these kids.

Stories about kids in care permeate our pop culture. BATMAN, SPIDERMAN, and SUPERMAN grew up in foster families; shows like THIS IS US, THE FOSTERS, and even GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY catapult these narratives into our living rooms.

The BONUS BABIES podcast continues that mission.

I hope my work will change the hearts and minds of anyone believing, even subconsciously (as I suspect I previously did), that foster children are somehow “problem children” or are in some way responsible for their own plight and misfortune. The hard truth is that they are children first failed by circumstances beyond their control, who are then often failed again by a system that is meant to safeguard them.

The former foster care alumni whom I have recorded thank me for the opportunity to tell their stories––most of them have never had a chance to do so––and their stories need to be heard. Many are stories of trauma, but also of triumph! I’ve observed that the typical foster kid is amazingly resilient and adaptable. The very coping skills forced on them by unfortunate family circumstances often become the formidable attributes of a future strategy for success.

The BONUS BABIES podcast leverages the dynamic medium of podcasting to harness the power of nonfiction storytelling. Our mission is to educate and drive positive social change by cultivating empathy to challenge cultural norms and redefine dominant paradigms. Through these efforts, we aim to proactively prevent harm and nurture positive shifts in society.

BONUS BABIES accomplishes this by raising up compelling narratives of individuals who have lived through foster care experiences, including kinship care and adoption. Through the medium of nonfiction storytelling, our podcast amplifies authentic voices from lived experts, prompting greater public awareness and understanding of this unique community. Additionally, we share informative and captivating stories from caregivers, social workers, attorneys, policymakers, and others who are actively involved with or connected to the dependency system. Together, we strive to create a more empathetic and informed society and spark interpersonal and social change in the process.

To continue doing this important work, BONUS BABIES seeks private and corporate support to record, produce, and broadcast this socially relevant and timely content.

We launch Season 4 soon, and have dropped over 90 episodes which are heard in 75 countries and 1400 cities and the listeners are not all my friends!

Please see our website http://www.bonusbabies.org to find out more about what we are doing.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

From an early age, I had an insatiable curiosity to learn about the world around me—to understand how things work, why they exist, why they are the way they are, and what wags them. I had the great desire (and still have) to constantly expand my knowledge. This drove me to voraciously consume information across a vast array of topics, predominantly the arts, but also science, technology, history, and of course, culture of all kinds.

My advice for those early in their journey is to cultivate and nurture your curiosity. Never stop asking questions, never stop exploring new subjects, and never be satisfied with a surface-level understanding. Dig deeper, challenge assumptions, and seek out diverse perspectives. The more you feed your curiosity, the more it will grow, and the richer your understanding of the world will become. That’s just true, always. And this inevitably leads to greater happiness too so it’s a win/win.

I think it’s essential to develop a deep understanding of human emotions, motivations, and perspectives. Empathy and emotional intelligence allow me to connect with others on a deeper level, understand their needs and concerns, and communicate in a way that resonates with them. I recommend practicing active listening, putting yourself in others’ shoes, and seeking out diverse perspectives. Develop your emotional vocabulary and learn to recognize and respond to emotional cues. Effective communication is not just about conveying information but also about building trust, rapport, and understanding.

And takes chances. You must risk failure. I know it’s very trendy to say that we have to fail (maybe many times) to ultimately succeed but it is true.

Lastly, keep exploring. Get out there and look around, talk to people, help out a stranger, connect with a long lost friend, and enrich your life in as many ways a possible. Again, all a win/win.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

I am a passionate reader and have learned a lot about myself and the world by reading everything from classic literature to popular magazines to nonfiction books and even anime, which I just love (and don’t read enough so I am going to change that soon). But there was a point in my early creative life when Aristotle’s writings heavily influenced my thinking and also my well-being. In his NICOMACHEAN ETHICS, Aristotle discusses the concept of Eudaimonia which is often translated as “happiness” or “flourishing”, but it goes beyond just a state of feeling. It refers to living well and actualizing one’s human potential; essentially becoming your best and happiest self by having purpose in your life, and by engaging in activities that challenge you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s not about how much money you have or how many followers or how many cars. It describes a higher state that allows for grace and virtue to help reach your highest potential. I still go back to that writing regularly, and well as his POETICS which explores dramatic theory and is basically the basis of all good drama. I studied it in grad school and it continues to hold up even though it’s centuries old!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bonusbabiespodcast.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonusbabiespodcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonusBabiesPodcast
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayneamelia/
• Twitter: https://x.com/JADAL
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_5z5n5wlNKUa9IoJ3g8LaQ