Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Welcome to The Foster Friendly Podcast. We’re bringing foster care closer to home by sharing stories from the front lines. We're talking with former foster youth, foster parents and others who are finding unique and powerful ways to dramatically improve the experiences and outcomes for kids in foster care.
The Foster Friendly podcast is brought to you by America’s Kids Belong, a nonprofit that helps kids in foster care find belonging in both family and community.
Travis (00:01.295)
Hey, and welcome to the Foster Friendly Podcast. I'm your host, Travis Fong, and as joined by my cohost Courtney Williams. Before we introduce our guests today, which we are super excited to have on, I just wanted to remind you as a listener that one great way to support the podcast is to leave a five-star review and share any episodes that you really like with your friends. It's a great way to help just grow the reach of the podcast. And we are grateful for all of you. So thank you for hanging on with us. So our guest today, Tyler Hunter.
spent 12 years in kinship care, and then spent four years in foster care before being adopted at age 16. He's currently a grad student working on his MA in social work with a focus on bringing a clinical dimension to his advocacy. Tyler does behavioral health and child welfare consulting and has volunteered for Kentucky Kids Belong on their I Belong Project video shoots. Tyler has an enormous amount of insight and lived experience in the foster care and adoption space.
He also has a lot of encouragement for both kids in foster care and foster parents. Welcome to the podcast, Tyler.
Courtney (01:06.668)
Welcome.
Tyler Hunter (01:06.781)
What's going on y'all? So excited to be here.
Travis (01:09.748)
So we got us, we love your energy. So, um, I got it, got a little icebreaker for you just to kind of get rolling before we get more into your story, but really curious if you can think of what is a, either a little known fact about you, that's maybe a unique hobby. Maybe there's a strange fear hidden talent, maybe just something not everybody knows about Tyler.
Tyler Hunter (01:33.364)
So one thing that often takes people by surprise is that I can cook. Really well, actually.
Courtney (01:41.3)
Uh-oh. That's... Might have to put you to the test.
Travis (01:41.582)
Hahaha
Tyler Hunter (01:47.228)
You know, so oftentimes, you know, when my friends come over, you know, I typically cook, but I'll like, you know, always try to take a little picture of it, post it on social media, and I'll put the caption, I hate cooking. But then they have so many people slide up and they're like, but you cook so well. I'm like, I hate it, but I secretly like it.
Travis (02:06.117)
That's hilarious. What's your favorite? Do you have favorites or a favorite type of thing that you
Courtney (02:07.394)
That's funny.
Tyler Hunter (02:14.229)
Honestly, I like making soups during the winter season just because I think it just pairs well with the season and it sets the tone of comfort and having people over. When you're a kid and you're watching TV and you see the family around and friends, they're eating crackers and bread and soup.
Courtney (02:21.89)
Nice.
Courtney (02:40.046)
Attitude. I that. I love to cook, so I just don't get it. How you can be a good cook and not love it.
Travis (02:41.955)
I love soup. Tis the season.
Tyler Hunter (02:43.124)
you
Tyler Hunter (02:52.242)
You know, cause it's such a, it's honestly a task. Cause I'm so busy during the day and oftentimes like I don't get to like, like I have to, you know, leave the gym, transition to cooking, you know, transition back to, you know, being a student cause I'm doing my homework or I'm finishing up work. So it's just that constant transition. I'm just like, this is a task. Send one my way, two my way actually.
Courtney (02:54.498)
you
Travis (02:57.22)
Yeah.
Courtney (02:58.072)
Yeah.
Courtney (03:12.942)
You need a sous chef. I've got a few of them at home and that makes a world of a difference. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I got to pick which two. Okay. Well, Tyler, I tell already this is going to be a fun episode, but starting off with a little bit of a hard situation in 2018, sadly you lost your adoptive mom, but that moment in your life kind of became a pivotal moment for you of reflection. And it really just caused you
Travis (03:12.997)
Ha
Travis (03:22.454)
Ah-ha!
Courtney (03:43.33)
Just that deep reflection of yourself and your upbringing. And you said something that we don't often hear people say about foster care. Can you share what that is?
Tyler Hunter (03:50.996)
Most definitely, have, know, I'm a witness to this. This is my mantra that foster care saved my life, entire life. It most definitely did.
Travis (04:06.617)
Man.
Courtney (04:06.848)
Why do you say that?
Tyler Hunter (04:08.41)
honestly, I know that my, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I wouldn't be in the position that I am today or have the insight without that experience in foster care. and at the time, you know, being placed into foster care, I thought this was like the end of me, like what is going on? You know, now I'm going to be one of those kids and you know, on like looking back, I'm like, man.
No, like that, like that was, that put me on a great trajectory. You know, it allowed me to accomplish a lot of my life goals. It allowed me to go to college and, you know, it'd be paid for. I always knew I was going to college when I was a kid. Didn't know how I was going to get paid for, but I knew I was going. You know, different business opportunities and networking opportunities.
Travis (04:52.943)
Ha ha.
Courtney (04:53.09)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (04:59.245)
actually my first time, you know, on an airplane traveling outside of the state of Kentucky was, you know, a job, a consulting job, for, know, the state of Baltimore, sorry, the state of Maryland and Baltimore. So I have just experienced a lot of things that I know for a fact, I would not have experienced had it not been for my lived experience in foster care and the things that have happened afterwards.
Travis (05:12.697)
Mm-hmm.
Courtney (05:26.242)
Yeah. And just, just gonna say a different perspective, you know, we work for a nonprofit and we get people pushed back all the time. We hear the naysayers and I'm a foster mom for many years. I get people saying to me like, you're ruining kids' lives and kids should never be. And I agree, like it's a hard situation, right? It's not like this is a perfect system. It's not a perfect situation, but there's a reason for it, sadly.
I it does often change kids' lives and that's the stuff that people don't often see. So I appreciate you being able to share that and hopefully more of that as we get into this discussion today.
Tyler Hunter (05:52.134)
for sure.
Tyler Hunter (05:56.925)
for sure.
Tyler Hunter (06:01.263)
Definitely, definitely for sure.
Travis (06:03.781)
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So that's kind what I was going to say as well. It's just like the, uh, which you're going to do next actually. So you've kind of set us up with this mantra that's extremely powerful and paradigm shifting for a lot of people when the norm is sort of foster care wrecked our lives. And for some that really was their story and we lament that. But, um, as you talk about more, so we're going to really unpack that journey then of, how it did indeed help save your life. So.
let's take, let's go way back and talk about what your childhood was like and kind of what stood out from those memories as you think back.
Tyler Hunter (06:38.515)
For sure, for sure. Well, I was born in the 1900s, you all. So immediately after I was born, the state swooped in because my biological mother was a current addict at the time and obviously was unfit to raise any kids. So my great aunt and uncle, which would be her aunt and uncle, my grandmother's brother and his wife,
Travis (06:42.679)
Let's go. Yep.
Tyler Hunter (07:08.083)
they were already foster parents and they became my kinship providers. So, you know, the local CPS was already familiar with them. They were already approved home, you know, it's family placement and, know, we weren't putting the kid in foster care, we were putting them with family. However, that's still under the out of home care umbrella. So interestingly enough,
Um, you know, they were, um, in a religion that was, you know, extremely strict. Um, I wasn't able to celebrate birthdays and holidays. I remember as a kid having to, you know, leave the room when we had, you know, Valentine's day party or, you know, birthday parties. And that was really hard to, you know, explain to kids as well as, you know, how come you don't live with your mom and dad? How come you don't know your dad?
Courtney (07:51.064)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (08:03.174)
you know, why don't your parents come to eat lunch with you, you know, for Thanksgiving lunch and those things. So I, you know, began or I learned how to mask. So, you know, I, as you can tell, have amazing energy. And I learned at a young age how to manipulate, you know, and create an image that was just not real. That way people would not ask those types of questions, you know, so I would
Travis (08:19.524)
Ha ha ha.
Courtney (08:20.805)
And I want to.
Tyler Hunter (08:33.039)
I was the funny kid, know, Tyler is funny. He's going to say something funny, something crazy. We all love him, you know, so we're going to give him more grace. So when he tries to pivot, you know, when we're asking him those tough questions, we're just going to, you know, it's going to just fly over us. and, know, looking back, I'm like, man, like, you know, a, you know, five year olds, six year olds, seven year old, eight year old, they should not have to learn how to, you know, use that, that tactic.
Travis (08:38.255)
Huh.
Travis (08:44.581)
Mmm.
Tyler Hunter (09:02.161)
as survival at school and survival at home as well. just, you know, that's the fact that I had to learn that, you know, was now looking back, I'm like, man, that wasn't normal at all. You know, it wasn't normal for me to have to wake myself up, you know, every day, get my, you know, own self dressed and go to school. You know, so that looked like, you know, me wearing the same clothes sometimes, or, you know, the clothes didn't really match.
Travis (09:13.85)
Hmm.
Travis (09:17.349)
Mmm.
Tyler Hunter (09:32.357)
However, again, you I was trying to mask and whenever people would say, make comments like, hey, you wore that, you know, the day before yesterday, or, you know, that shirt's not clean. You know, I was, again, just able to mask. honestly, obviously that didn't make me feel great whatsoever. Because I knew that I was different from my peers. And I, again, you know, it was a...
Courtney (09:57.519)
It was a learning experience but also a traumatic experience for me.
Tyler Hunter (10:00.495)
It was a learning experience, but also a very traumatic experience for me. And it's not something that I think any child should have to go through. And at the time I knew that it wasn't normal, but I also accepted that way of normality for me. I would often create this imaginary world that I would venture into, would disassociate.
Travis (10:17.765)
Mm-hmm.
Courtney (10:21.838)
imaginary world that I was venturing to, I was just associated with, especially in those difficult moments.
Travis (10:27.685)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (10:28.236)
especially during those difficult moments and you know in my imagination you know I had a mom and dad I lived with my siblings you know I had you know the food and clothing and all these great things and life was perfect so honestly that saved me during those times because it helped me like get through those rough times and it always gave me motivation like hey I don't know what you're gonna do in life I don't know what you're gonna be in life but you're gonna be you know grand
because you don't have a limited imagination. Like your imagination ranges from, you know, east to west, north, north to south. It's never ending. And that was something that other people also noticed in me, especially the adults at my, you know, elementary school. They would always say like, you're gonna be famous one day. You're gonna be on TV. You're gonna be special. Like you have that, like you got it.
Courtney (10:55.576)
Thank
Travis (10:55.695)
Hmm.
Travis (11:07.173)
Hmm.
Courtney (11:24.167)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (11:24.548)
All right, out of all these kids here, look, you the one who got it. And they really looked out for me at school. I would walk into class and my locker, I would have snacks for the week. I would walk in and I would have clothes, new shoes and shirts. I would have, when field trips came along, the PTO Association, the school administration,
Travis (11:25.061)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (11:29.108)
Ha ha ha.
Tyler Hunter (11:53.424)
along with the, I want to say like the guidance counselor and the school interventionist created a plan that, hey, if there's ever a situation to where he needs, you know, a parent signature, we've already okayed it with guardians that someone here can sign his permission slip so he can go to school. So he can, we used to have agendas back in the day and every single day your parents had to initial them or sign off on them. That way they knew what was going on. For me, that person was the lunch lady.
Courtney (12:16.814)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (12:23.151)
that I went to every single morning and she would sign off and she would just make sure like, hey, you wrote this assignment down, did you get it done? Hey, I have some snacks, do you need snacks? So like school, and this is why I love school because school was always a safe community for me. It was healthy, I was able to plug in and receive some of that same energy that I was trying to give out. And it really helped build me up and it's literally
Courtney (12:23.726)
every single morning.
Travis (12:40.933)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (12:52.739)
a huge reason as to why I'm here today.
Travis (12:57.53)
Hmm.
Yeah.
Courtney (13:02.838)
Yeah, love that. Makes me just pause and if there's a teacher listening to realize the impact they have, you know what they can do. And we've got a foster placement right now who the school just loves him so well. And I see a brightness in his eyes when he's when a teacher makes a comment or somebody the people know, you know, all the they all know him. You know, I walk through the hallways with him and everybody's greeting him. Everybody's making him feel that. And they know his story. And so they understand. But they're doing it in just such a genuine way that make.
Travis (13:08.943)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (13:09.529)
For sure.
Courtney (13:31.468)
makes him just feel special and it sounds like you had that.
Tyler Hunter (13:33.231)
For sure, definitely. You know, was the teachers, the guidance counselors, the secretary at the front desk, the lunch ladies, the custodians, they really rallied around me to create this community for me that every time I walked into that school, I was safe. I was going to be fed. I was going to be nurtured. I had a person to or people to go to. You know, my guidance counselor wasn't there. There was a backup person. Like there was an intervention plan.
Travis (13:33.263)
Hmm.
Travis (13:53.509)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (14:02.889)
and they thoroughly executed it. And I'm very appreciative of that now because now I'm working on my clinical degree and licensure and treatment plans are a guiding force for us when it comes to treating a person. And I'm like, man, they really rallied together. It was collaborative, it was inclusive.
Travis (14:19.546)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (14:30.419)
And they didn't know my full story. They knew things were going on at home. you know, cause in my culture, you know, you don't go and tell all your business that's a black culture, you know, because if you do someone can get in trouble at home and you know, that was good. We need to limit the risk. So you don't disclose anything unless you're asked. And if you are asked, made to disclose information, you better give just a little bit. Okay. Just give just enough. All right. so
Travis (14:38.169)
Mm-hmm. Yep.
Travis (14:56.515)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (14:58.255)
for them to read between the lines and look at this kid every single day and put the story together. I said a lot without saying a lot and they were aware of that. So I have a huge appreciation for those individuals who work in the school. It doesn't matter if you're a teacher, doesn't matter if you're, again, the lunch lady, the peaking teacher, the front desk secretary, everyone that's involved in a child's life is important.
Travis (15:19.397)
Mmm.
Courtney (15:27.49)
Yeah, yeah, for sure. Okay, so Tyler, you spent 12 years in kinship care, multiple different kinship situations. And then after 12 years, you entered foster care. So not kinship, for those that are listening, kinship are people who you already knew before entering care, usually family, but not always family. So then you enter foster care with a traditional, what we call traditional foster care placement. And your first placement was a white family. Tell us about that experience and some of those differences, what that was like.
Travis (15:27.801)
Yeah, 100%.
Tyler Hunter (15:53.28)
Yes.
Tyler Hunter (15:57.71)
I was with a white family and I am a chocolate boy, okay? You know, and I'm from, know, my city is the third largest in Kentucky and I was going to a really, really, really small county in town and I'm in the country. I'm in the country. You took me from the hood and put me in the country. And it was another situation like,
Travis (16:00.901)
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Travis (16:11.023)
Mm-hmm.
Courtney (16:18.83)
Ha ha ha.
Travis (16:19.895)
man.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
Tyler Hunter (16:27.654)
brother, like come on, like what are we doing here? But really it was like, I'm somebody's kid. Like, does anyone care about me? You know, like did you guys, you know, my family who I was with, who put me into foster care, like I'm a kid, like do you not love me? Like you're just gonna give me away to some random people? Literally, I come home from school and I'm told to pack up my, you know, my belongings and
Travis (16:30.469)
Hmm.
Travis (16:36.473)
Mm-hmm. Hmm.
Travis (16:52.195)
Bye!
Tyler Hunter (16:57.515)
I want to paint the picture really quick. I came home from school with Tardifactomyolonggans because my biological mom didn't come to court to take over custodial guardianship with me. And you know, we're poor. I don't have no backpack, I mean, no backpack that's big enough or duffel bag that can hold my stuff. So I immediately went into my room and I took a big old handful, like all of my clothes were hanging up, anything out the dressers and I put it on the bed and I took that comforter.
And I, you know, everything was wrapped up in that and I drug it through the apartment, you know, you know, through the, through the sidewalk, you know, and just stuffed it in the back of the car. And, you know, that was my life. That was all that I had. and it was nothing, you know, so I felt so reduced in that moment. You know, not only do I have nothing, you know, I'm, I'm, it's kind of being, you know, reaffirmed that I am nothing. You guys are just giving me away to random people. And, know, there was a.
Travis (17:53.914)
Right.
Tyler Hunter (17:55.98)
persona or there's a perspective about foster care in general, know, that these kids look a certain type of way, their families are, you know, they have these different attributes they're forgotten about, they're abandoned. And some of those things, most of those things are true, you know, but at different times they're accurate. But I felt all those things in, you know, one moment and again, just masking everything.
You know, I, you know, to me, I handled it like a champ. You know, I didn't cry. I didn't break down. didn't refuse. I was like, okay. Because what I knew was survival mode. Stay ready so you don't ever have to get ready. And I was ready for anything, whenever, wherever, however. And you know, that's, I remember meeting my family and it wasn't like a, you know, meet and greet, you know, what do you like to eat on Saturdays? It was.
Travis (18:36.003)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (18:52.012)
Hey Tyler, this is your foster parents. You know, here are their names and they're gonna take you. That's scary. I don't know where I'm going. You know, I don't even know where they lived at at the time. No one told me anything. How long I was gonna be here. So I'm asking, you know, I remember asking my foster dad at this time, like, hey, like, where do you guys live at? And he told me and I was, I was like, you know, do you know how long I'm gonna be here? And no, they didn't know.
Travis (18:57.445)
Hmm.
Courtney (18:57.592)
Yeah.
Travis (19:01.253)
Hmm.
Hmm. Wow.
Tyler Hunter (19:20.948)
And it's the God's honest truth. They didn't know, no one knows. And that's how kids get in this cycle and families get in this cycle of, we're just going here temporarily. Now you're aging out of it. you're being adopted from it. So I have to be honest, going with this white family, I also have preconceived notions like, they're going to buy me everything. They got money, they're rich. Because again, I come from the hood. I ride my bicycle to the grocery store.
Travis (19:24.258)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Travis (19:44.601)
Yeah. Mm. Mm-hmm.
Courtney (19:46.275)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (19:50.347)
you know, come back, I have 12 bags on my handlebars, you know, cause I'm grocery shopping. You know, so for me, I was like, okay, wow, like they're gonna be rich, whatever. And then I'm like, hold on, we're going to the country. There's land out here. Like, what's up? What are we doing? And I'm like, do you guys have any other kids? I the only kid? And I was at the time. And when I put up to the house, I was like, wow, this is an amazing house. It was a farmhouse.
Travis (19:54.297)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (20:06.757)
haha haha
Courtney (20:07.213)
Thanks
Okay.
Travis (20:12.229)
Ha ha.
Tyler Hunter (20:19.948)
and it sat on 11 acres. And I'm like, man, you know, I ain't never seen nothing like this. We can't live in an apartment. You're in those shoes. Like, okay, this is the Taj Mahal right here. And I remember being very scared, but also comfortable. You know, cause here was my family, my black family that gave me away. And here it was, these random, you know, this random white family that took me in.
Travis (20:20.325)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (20:26.745)
Ha
Tyler Hunter (20:46.571)
And whether they cared about me to the extent beyond the paycheck, that wasn't anything that I was really concerned with at the time. It was, they seem safe. They seem safe, period. They seem safe. They have to be safe. They're foster parents, Most cases, right? So I thought that I was going to I won't say hated at first, but I remember going to bed that first night and there was just this relief, like, my gosh, I'm safe.
Travis (20:51.429)
Mm-hmm.
Courtney (21:03.854)
Yeah.
Travis (21:05.327)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (21:17.086)
for now. You know, I'm safe, but there's this anxiety that I don't know what's going to happen. You know, so I got to kind of, you remain, you know, aware of, because anything could happen. And I learned a lot in that placement. I learned, you know, different cultural aspects and, know, that, you know, not all white people are racist and, know, that, hey, you can actually learn some things on the farm. You know, you can, I learned how to use a post
Travis (21:17.839)
Mm, for now.
Travis (21:29.998)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (21:39.621)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (21:45.033)
digger, right? And you know, pounded in the dirt and the pole goes down there. I learned how to, you know, use a drill gun and like put up drywall and paint and all that great stuff. And, you know, it was a great learning experience for me, a great environment, but there were there were still a lot of things missing that I needed and that I was not receiving because I still didn't get that nurturing aspect, right? You know, it wasn't how was your day?
Travis (21:47.427)
Ha
Travis (21:57.349)
Hmm.
Travis (22:08.773)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (22:14.568)
You know, how are your grades? How is school? Do you have any homework? Are you feeling okay? Do you miss your family? You know, how's your mental health? None of those things whatsoever. And I began to see that, you know, they were, they were, they were just checking the box. I'm not going say doing the bare minimum. They were just checking the box. You know, they were, it was a job for them and they would often mention it.
you when we go out, when we went out to eat, it was, know, hey, you know, we only get things off the value menu, value menu, and we get waters, you know, when we go out to eat, you know, just because things are so expensive and it's just one of you, we don't have a lot of foster kids, you know, we've asked them to give us more, you know, so I'm like, hold on, like, I mean, I know this is a job, but this is a job job for you, like, okay, okay.
Courtney (23:07.15)
you
Travis (23:07.759)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (23:09.81)
I'm a human being, I'm not a nine to five, but okay, whatever. So again, feeling reduced again, part of me knew that this was something that wasn't normal, but a part of me also was accepting of this. that's what prevented me from saying anything whatsoever or from hyper analyzing the situation. It's just the way things went.
Travis (23:14.038)
You
Travis (23:29.349)
Hmm.
Travis (23:40.357)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (23:40.585)
So I feel like just as I was getting comfortable there, getting comfortable at school, and just like in elementary school, high school, did the same thing. We mask, don't ask me any questions about anything. I'm avoiding those conversations when it comes to families and mom and dad. And by this time, freshman year in high school, was out and I was in with the pivots and I could, so people knew me, but they didn't know me.
Travis (24:02.629)
Ha ha.
Courtney (24:02.924)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (24:09.022)
They didn't know anything, you know, behind the curtain. And that's something that kind of followed me throughout my life until I started advocacy. But there's this reoccurring theme that, you know, I have to stay ready because anything could happen at the drop of a dime. So I remember coming back home, you know, just as I was getting comfortable and being told that I was going to be moving again.
new foster home, just like that. So.
Travis (24:41.679)
Hmm. So how long were you at, at this first placement?
Tyler Hunter (24:47.049)
Man I was there from May to
I would say less than a year.
Courtney (24:56.622)
Okay.
Travis (24:56.879)
Less than a year. Okay. So.
Tyler Hunter (24:58.505)
So all of my placements outside of my initial Victor's Canyon placement were less than a year. So this was now the fourth place that I was at less than a year.
Courtney (25:04.878)
Hmm.
Travis (25:05.199)
Got it. Gotcha. geez. Okay. So what I love about, so far in this conversation and kind of as you've shared your, as you take us into your story, you do such a great job of painting the picture of, like as I'm listening of, know, obviously I'm not you or in your shoes, but what, what that in a distant way would feel like to be.
Courtney (25:08.972)
Wow.
Travis (25:32.261)
you know, culture shock out of out of your, you place of your city into the country into a white family. mean, the feelings you shared about like abandonment, maybe even from your own family and betrayal and maybe away to now here you are, this white family who's taking care of you. You feel safe, but it feels like it's super foreign and beyond maybe feeling safe. You're not really feeling much attunement and connection.
Courtney (25:52.335)
But it feels like it's super foreign and beyond maybe feeling safe, you're not really feeling like a community connection. And so that kind of seems to be where placement one had. So as we continue on, your second popular placement will become your latter place.
Travis (26:01.185)
And so that kind of seems to be where placement one landed at. So as we continue on, your second Foscare placement would become your last placement. And you're gonna get into why that is and all that stuff. But how was that different then in just various ways?
Tyler Hunter (26:18.376)
For sure, for sure. The day that I came to my mom, I knew that it was going to be something special. And as I mentioned earlier, as a kid, I always knew that I was going to do great things. Great things were going to happen to me. Didn't know when, didn't know how, didn't know in what shape or form. And at the time, I didn't know this was going to be a forever home. I thought it was just going to be another placement before I went back to my family. So the day I came to my mom,
At first I was like, okay, I'm back in Bowling Green, which is my city. I'm going to a different school district. But can this lady really handle me? My mom at the time was 61 years old, which is not old whatsoever. Now looking back, it's not old, but as a 14 year old, you're like, okay, this is pretty old.
Courtney (27:05.548)
Thank you.
Tyler Hunter (27:14.108)
And I was just like, I don't know she can handle me. Like, I don't know. And I wasn't like crazy, crazy. But from the day that I stepped, or the moment I stepped foot in our little duplex, two bedroom duplex, it was warm. You know, I can, like, I can see the couch in the left seat. I can see the wood paneling. It was brown. you know, it was a little outdated.
But it kind of matched, you know, my mom's aesthetic, you know, she's an older, you know, older woman, but a cozy woman. there was, there wasn't anything fancy in there whatsoever. It was very just welcoming and warm and inviting. And like I said, I didn't know at the time this was going to be my forever home. But I, and I didn't know how long I was going to be here, but I knew that it was another safe place. I was with a black person, a black family. And she seemed to genuinely care about me because what she did do that I did experience in.
Courtney (27:55.983)
Like I said, I didn't know at the time that he was going to my brother-in-law.
Tyler Hunter (28:11.333)
my other placements was tried to get to know me. You know, what do you like to do? You know, what do you like to eat? You know, what type of friends you'd like to be around? Do you like to play sports and all these other great things? And I'm just like, I really didn't know how to answer them. I was a little uncomfortable just because no one had ever asked me outside of, you know, school, but no one had ever asked me these things. So I'm again, I'm saying just enough.
Travis (28:15.045)
Mmm.
Courtney (28:17.518)
What do you like to do? What do you like to What kind of friends do you like to play with? Do you like to play sports? All these other things. I'm just like, I really didn't know how to answer them. I really don't know how to answer them. Just because no one has an answer.
Tyler Hunter (28:40.28)
you know, just to kind of, you know, check the box and like have that conversation, but I'm not being too open because, you know, I can't be vulnerable because I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know if I'm going to, you know, piss you off and you're going to kick me out and don't know. So I have to protect myself, which means that I have to limit, you know, my vulnerability or openness to to you. So, you know, she tried her hardest and
Travis (28:54.234)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (29:05.029)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (29:08.487)
she succeeded into connecting me into things that I like to do. And it was the first time that I felt normal, you know, in my, my life. Like I was normal like the other kids, you know, you know, I got to do things. I had a cell phone and I got to have friends and I, people, all the people try to ask me those questions like about my parents. They, I didn't get them as much because he was a black person. So this has to be someone he's related to mom, grandma, auntie, like, come on, you know, so.
Travis (29:34.861)
Yeah. Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (29:38.754)
we're not gonna ask. at this point, who doesn't live with their grandparents? Or honor uncle. Like this is high school now. Like we know shit happens at home now, okay? So, you know, it was the first time again, you know, I just felt normal. My mom was the oldest of 11 kids. So everyone's married, everyone has kids. And this was something that was kind of foreign to me, because I come from a big family, but not a family that was so connected like this.
Travis (29:40.436)
Haha, right.
Travis (29:47.439)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (29:51.79)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (30:08.539)
I mean, they did everything together. You they went to church together. They went on. My uncle was one of the basketball coaches at the high school that I went to. They all showed up to support him at the games. you know, we, I don't know, just random fish fries down at my granddad's house. And, we're going down to granddaddy's house. What's the occasion? he just wants some fish. So we're all going down there and having a fish fry, you know, in this little trailer and like outside.
Travis (30:24.965)
You
Tyler Hunter (30:34.759)
with a big yard and we're all out there with our tables and chairs, big old picnic and there's a pot, we got some grease in it, frying the chicken and frying the fish. Nice little time. And I'm just like, these people are weird.
Courtney (30:44.414)
Hehehe.
Travis (30:46.021)
haha
Tyler Hunter (30:54.086)
Black people do this? Like this is possible in our, in my black culture. I'm actually experiencing this and it took me a long time to get comfortable with that because it was just so foreign for me. So with that came like a lot of resistance and you know, there were some people who experienced me in that season who they didn't get to experience, you know, a healthy version of me. You know, that was a kid who was resistant to
kind of some of the redirection or prompting that you gave him. And it rubbed people the wrong way, you know? So I often found myself, you know, getting into verbal altercations with some of my family members. But, you know, that was something that, you know, I think is kind of normal, just, you know, teenagers, you know, we're going through puberty and whatnot. But for me, it was just heightened because I'm the outsider here, right? So, yeah. So there came to a point in time to where
I was informed that, you know, hey, you won't be going back home with your parents or with your family. You know, we have tried, you know, reunification with your biological mom. She wasn't showing up to appointments and wasn't answering phone calls. We tried to, you know, get you reunified with a relative that didn't happen, your uncle that didn't happen. So at this point, you know, we're looking for, we're looking at adoption.
Courtney (32:00.079)
you
Tyler Hunter (32:21.237)
My heart sunk. Because this was just, and I was told this during a weekly check-in with my case manager. Girl, you're supposed to just come and ask me, how are things going? I'm your easy case, okay? How's school? You good? You got food? I know your mama's feeding you, because I just talked to her. I know, you're good. So for you to give me this news, in the middle of the day, you know.
Travis (32:23.813)
Yeah.
Courtney (32:37.806)
Thank
Travis (32:37.861)
So...
Tyler Hunter (32:50.947)
outside the parking lot of my school, I was like, wow, this is crazy. Like, I ever gonna like, like why me? Like, am I ever gonna just be safe? Am I ever gonna be able to, you know, not just have to worry, you know, is that part of my brain ever gonna be turned off? Will it? So, you know, I'm like, damn, they didn't ask me or anything. And I'm just like, did you guys know who, like what family, like, like what's going on? What are we doing? And of course they didn't.
Travis (33:01.007)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (33:20.798)
And now I understand because I understand like how that works. Not saying that that's, you know, the most appropriate thing to do. But I remember just being devastated. And I remember just going home after that. And, you know, one thing that my mom did, she always made sure that when I got home from school, was a meal cooked. Wasn't always the best meal. Sometimes I'm like, I just walked out. I just got off the bus. Why are we eating already? You know, like, but and we would eat together. So, you know, I remember, you know, she
Courtney (33:43.854)
Thank
Travis (33:44.608)
Ha. Ha.
Tyler Hunter (33:50.884)
could tell that something was like going on with me. Like something had like shook me up because I was real quiet. I mean, I couldn't even hold my head up to talk. And she asked me, you know, is everything okay? And you know, 15 year old me, everything's fine. I'm good. You know, what do you mean? And then she said, you sure? I'm like, well, actually, you know, I met with my case manager and my case manager told me that I was going to be put up for adoption.
You know, and she was like, wow, like, are you, are you serious? And I was like, yeah, you know, she says that I've been in foster care too long and this is the next step. So there was probably a dead period about 10 to 15 seconds, you know, when I was by this time, like my plate in my hand is shaking, my fork is shaking and the words came out of my mouth. Will you adopt me? And, you know, I think she was like a mid bite almost.
And she just stopped and she was like, you want me to adopt you? Of course I'll adopt you. You know, like, yeah, I'll, I'll, I'll talk to your case manager tomorrow and let her know. And, you know, I was just like internally, thank you Lord Jesus. Hallelujah. Woo. Dodge the bullet there. No, but, but the fact that this had like, you know, like
Travis (34:57.718)
off.
Travis (35:07.045)
Hahaha, that's a bullet.
Tyler Hunter (35:18.576)
And at the time I noticed like this is something that she had wanted. know, she was 61 years old. Imagine being 61 years old and having the opportunity to have kids, you know, being robbed from you because of a health diagnosis. Imagine being the oldest of 11 kids and, know, being the caretaker for all these nieces and nephews, you know, when their parents are at work or on vacation where they need you because you don't have kids. know, so imagine seeing that but never being able to experience that.
Travis (35:31.364)
Yeah.
Courtney (35:31.534)
Mm.
Travis (35:40.399)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (35:45.263)
It was an opportunity for me to have a mom, but also an opportunity for her to have a son. So that process, that transition for me, it wasn't really anything difficult as far as the adoption transition, because from the day I stepped in through the front door, I was treated as if I had been there my whole entire life. I was, hey, that's my auntie, this is my uncle, this is my cousins, this is my granddaddy.
Courtney (35:52.472)
No.
Travis (36:07.748)
Yeah.
Travis (36:11.589)
Hmm
Tyler Hunter (36:12.781)
They didn't say, this is our foster, you know, a nephew. None of that. This is family. He is family. So that transition for me, it wasn't anything, you know, super hard whatsoever. But the hard part for me was, again, learning how to be vulnerable and learning how to let people love on me. Learning how to be comfortable with people wanting to celebrate me. Because it was something that I had just not been.
Travis (36:15.503)
Hmm.
Travis (36:20.537)
Wow, I love that.
Travis (36:34.597)
Hmm.
Courtney (36:34.638)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (36:40.931)
ever really exposed to something that I didn't think that I was capable of receiving. when at the time, know, those moments when I was receiving it, I was very resistant. I wanted to do anything and everything to make you not love me. I wanted to be the most unappealing thing, you know, kid to where you're like, pack up that bag and y'all come pick them up. Come get them, come get them. Because that's the part of my brain that was activated.
Travis (36:48.229)
Hmm.
Travis (37:06.927)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (37:10.21)
And it was very dominant and it drove my behaviors and thoughts and even when I didn't even when I wanted to be You know vulnerable I couldn't when I wanted to say I love you. I couldn't I Don't know what that force was. I just couldn't do it was so uncomfortable for me and it wasn't you know, I I will say it wasn't until when I was about 19 years old when I really got into my
Travis (37:21.413)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (37:25.038)
Mmm.
Tyler Hunter (37:39.212)
forgiveness era because I realized that, in order to accept these new things over here that this foster care experience has given you, you got to let go of these old things, right? So old keys don't unlock new doors, right? And I think that's why did the foster care was so damaging for me because a lot of people, families, they have trouble accepting the change, accepting the gift.
Travis (37:52.921)
Right.
Travis (38:07.918)
Right.
Tyler Hunter (38:08.522)
It's truly a gift. And when you don't accept it, you meet it with resistance. And then you start fragmenting the relationships and networks and, you know, self-sabotaging yourself. So at age 19, I realized, man, there's a person to where, you know, this anger, this feeling of abandonment is really centralized on. And I have to learn how to forgive them. And I have to actually do it. It can't be a thought anymore.
Travis (38:20.037)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (38:37.761)
And that person was my biological mom. And I remember, you know, I was in my own apartment at the time. Actually, I was 18, not 19. And I had just called her randomly and I said, hey, I just want to let you know that I forgive you. You know, and I was like broken down in tears because here I was having to forgive a person who I didn't know if they were sorry. A person who hasn't apologized to me for what the things that they've done to me.
Travis (38:40.645)
Mmm.
Tyler Hunter (39:06.825)
abandoning me, you know, not showing up for me, a person who I don't know if they're going to, you know, even accept or appreciate the fact that I'm forgiving them. But I've learned that forgiveness is for yourself. It's not for the other person. And forgiveness is the starting point to help you heal and move on to, again, accept these gifts. So from there, I was able to fully or try to fully accept my family, my doctor family and my mom.
and try to embrace her a little more. And I was starting to be more intentional. Now, was it every single day, I love you, hey, give me a hug, none of that. But it looked like me talking to her every single day. Me talking about a house every single day. Me initiating conversations with her and not waiting for her to initiate conversations. And just me being more open about things that were going on with my life at the time. And I was dating this girl at the time and just being truthful to like.
Travis (39:41.029)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (39:48.133)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (40:04.161)
allow my mom to pour into me and give me advice. She has wisdom from her experience. Let her pour into me and help guide me. I'm a very strong-minded and independent person, but that's what a mother's job is to do, and it's to lead her son and guide her son. And I was able to start letting her do those things. And again, it was a little abnormal for me, and it took time for me to just get more comfortable with that.
Travis (40:21.145)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (40:34.077)
It wasn't until she passed, the day she passed away that I was like, man, I've wasted so many days, moments of being too afraid, honestly. Being afraid for her to, afraid for me to be vulnerable with her, for her to really see me. And she saw me and there were times where she pressed and pressed and I was so resistant that she stopped. But I'm like, man, I wish that I could have just let her in.
Travis (40:51.749)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (41:01.121)
Cause now, you know, at 21, when she passed away, this is when I feel like I needed her the most. Cause now I'm like navigating, I'm just young, trying to be a young adult navigating the world of, you know, just the world of the world. How do I do my taxes? How do I call this doctor to make an appointment? You know, like, Hey, you know, they said I got to write a check. Do you remember how to write a check? So.
Courtney (41:17.247)
Yeah.
Courtney (41:20.91)
Yeah.
Travis (41:21.027)
Hehehehe.
Tyler Hunter (41:29.79)
those things as well as those emotional things. Like, man, I got put out of school because of my academics and my mom's not here, like I can't talk to her about it and she can't love on me and ask me what's going on. I don't have a place to go to just sit on the couch until I go to work. Or just because I'm off work, sit on the couch, her couch and watch Netflix, know, things that we used to do. And I can remember, I can count on one hand.
Travis (41:52.378)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (41:58.996)
how many times I have initiated saying I love you to my mom in our duration of eight years together, of almost eight years together. And that's something that sticks with me and it's something that I try to encourage young people and even adopted and foster families that you truly like an authentic relationship with your kids is extremely healthy and needed because
Courtney (42:27.086)
Thank you.
Tyler Hunter (42:27.464)
Again, it's a driving force to us, us kids who have been placed in foster care to either, for lack of words, know, go right or go left. You know, so that's, you know, that experience also of her death, it also propelled me into being more intentional with the things that I do when it comes to advocacy.
Courtney (42:41.475)
Yeah.
Travis (42:42.093)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (42:53.591)
you know, being more intentional with showing up to meetings and being a leader and coming with ideas and changes for policy and regulations. And when I'm in speaking engagements, speaking to the foster parents and the staff to uplift them, not demonize them whatsoever. We know there's a lot of things that that's going wrong in this system, you know, called child foster care, right? Or out of home care system. But there's also a lot of things that are going extremely well.
And it's not fair for us to not highlight those things because here I was a person, a kid who was always, you know, told the things I was doing wrong. You know, you have a smart mouth, you know, you're too grown or, you know, all these negative things. And I didn't hear a lot from my family. You know, you're amazing. You're bright. You are intelligent. You are going somewhere. You're going to be somebody one day. I didn't hear those things. And I think it's just as important for
Travis (43:46.671)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (43:49.641)
parents and families to hear those things as it is for kids to hear those things. Because if they don't hear these things, then they can't tell their kids, right? So it again, it just kind of reinstates that multi-generational process or system of trauma. That's how we break trauma. That's how we break generational curses. That's how we break maladaptive behaviors. We have to try new, healthier methods. And part of it is thinking differently and speaking differently.
Courtney (43:56.334)
and
Travis (43:56.399)
Right.
Tyler Hunter (44:19.37)
to ourselves and to each other.
Courtney (44:22.082)
Yeah. So that is part of what you do now. I mean, you consult child welfare, right? What's your primary message to the child welfare workers when you are consulting them?
Tyler Hunter (44:27.369)
sewer.
Tyler Hunter (44:33.375)
The job is shitty at times. It is overwhelming. You know, it doesn't always pay the best. You know, oftentimes you sacrifice your own family time or just your own personal time for this job. And when you're and you're often met with resistance from families and kids. But I promise you everything that, you know, you do, all the good things, especially
Courtney (44:36.288)
Yeah.
Travis (44:37.413)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (45:03.097)
we notice it and just because we don't, we choose not to acknowledge it doesn't mean that we don't benefit from it. It doesn't mean that we're not grateful for it. And if you don't believe that, am a witness, I'm a living testimony that your work, your hard work, your sacrifice, honestly, that's what it Your sacrifice was not done in vain. If out of a hundred kids, you have three or four or five that
Travis (45:10.223)
Hmm. Hmm.
Travis (45:25.893)
Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (45:31.667)
you know, decide to come back to this field and, not even come to work in this field, but just say, my social worker, my foster family, my adoptive family, they did their best on me. And like, I survived because of them. Like, Hey, that's success to me. It's success to me. So don't stop whatsoever. Keep going because you know, like sometimes the social worker, that case worker is the only person who that that kid looks forward to seeing, you know, every week.
Travis (45:43.461)
Mm-hmm.
Hmm.
Courtney (45:46.616)
Yeah.
Travis (45:49.76)
haha
Tyler Hunter (46:01.34)
is the only person that that kid gets positive affirmations from, reassurance from, or just a person who will listen to them. Sometimes that's the only time that they get that. Sometimes it's only the foster family that they get it from. They don't get it from school. They don't get it from their friends. They don't get it from their family. Sometimes it's only the school. I believe that child welfare is everyone's business and that we all are responsible for the well-being of our children. So any interaction that you have with a child, whether they're your child or not,
Travis (46:01.573)
Hmm.
Travis (46:16.613)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (46:30.312)
should be intentional, should be meaningful, should be healthy, should be positive.
Travis (46:36.847)
Well said.
Courtney (46:37.589)
Yeah. Yeah. It was good. Yeah. Well, Tyler, thanks for joining us. You've have just a lot of insight. again, I echo what Travis said, just as a foster mom, often think, you know, we're the on-call family. So we get kids in the middle of the night or they'll come.
Travis (46:39.673)
set.
Tyler Hunter (46:41.054)
That was a lot.
Travis (46:43.749)
It was, it was good. It was very, very good in the cycle.
Courtney (47:02.006)
drop of a hat and I'm always like, what are these kids thinking right now? What are they feeling? And just makes me have true compassion and empathy for them. And you help kind of put behind the scenes those thoughts and those feelings and some things that we need to be thinking about as foster families and adoptive families and teachers and caseworkers and all the people. That whenever we close out our episodes, we always ask our guests to finish the sentence. I want you to finish the sentence. What kids in foster care really need is...
Travis (47:11.269)
Hmm. Hmm.
Tyler Hunter (47:31.239)
The kids in foster care really need is a community who pours back into them unconditionally. And that community can be, or that community is often made up of their foster family or adoptive family, those child welfare professionals, their school. Any and everybody can be a part of that community and it's important to nurse that community.
So when they leave your home or if they stay in your home, they know, they have a great idea of what community is and a great sense of community and realize, hey, it has been a community that has helped me to thrive. And now I need to go and be a part of someone else's community to help them thrive. I need to go now and, you know, be that adult that I needed whenever I was a kid.
Travis (48:22.094)
Yeah.
Travis (48:28.897)
that sums it up as well as you could. mean, that it is about finding your belonging in community.
Courtney (48:33.026)
Mm.
Courtney (48:36.462)
Hmm.
Travis (48:39.801)
and being that community to do that. Yeah, I love that message.
Tyler Hunter (48:43.005)
For sure. think foster families, Courtney, and I know Travis, you're adopted family as well. You know, you all are a very, you're a different type of special, you know, because it takes a lot to take in kids who are not your own, first of all, kids who sometimes, you know, little about and to, you know, bring them into your home. You don't know where these kids come from. You don't know what they're capable of doing. So you are vulnerable yourselves.
Now, I don't think we do a great job of highlighting the vulnerability that our foster parents and our adoptive families have to have, because you can't accept someone in your home who you don't know. Are we just going let strangers in our home? We don't do that. But for kids, the fact that you can do that for a kid and not know what they're capable of, it's a different type of special.
Travis (49:25.721)
Yeah.
Courtney (49:30.412)
Yeah.
Travis (49:31.033)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (49:39.348)
and I think that, you know, again, you all just don't get the credit that you deserve, but also there's emphasis on the kid, but it takes a lot to support a kid who has a complex trauma, you know, who already has, you know, a mom and dad or family and, you want them, you want to love on them and they're being resistance. You know, you're, you're telling them, man, you know, you're going to walk right into fire. I don't want you to burn. You're trying to protect them. And, know,
Courtney (50:01.103)
going there.
Tyler Hunter (50:07.572)
It's very hard to see them when they do walk in that fire. it's, the compassion and just the energy that it takes is something that I myself don't even have right now. And it's something that I didn't realize what that was needed for very long time. So, I mean, you all are a huge part of this system, a critical part of it. Without you all, we don't have a system whatsoever, because who's going to take care of these kids?
Travis (50:14.138)
Yeah.
Travis (50:27.205)
Hmm.
Travis (50:33.701)
Hmm, yeah.
Courtney (50:34.99)
Yeah. And it's a need. It's a growing need. feel like we have fewer and fewer homes across the nation and more more needs.
Tyler Hunter (50:36.058)
No one, right?
Travis (50:40.089)
Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (50:46.075)
for sure, for sure. So I'm sure you all, the kids who come to your home, Travis, I know your boys are, you know, just, So, no.
Travis (50:52.005)
Uh huh. I just, don't know. It's no, they, they keep us on our toes, but no, you're right. And I, I really appreciate you saying that in an honoring way of, even just the vulnerability that it really does take, but that normal people just stepping up in this space, it's not here. mean, there's a heroic work in a sense, but it's really as normal people with big hearts, just saying, you know, we love you. We're going to be here for you.
Courtney (50:52.622)
you
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Travis (51:20.207)
for what, you know, to help you heal, not knowing where you're going next, but yeah, and both Courtney and I can personally say of just whether it's fostering or adopting and the beauty, the struggle, but just it would never ever change what we've done. And, and you continue to do Courtney Courtney continues to do that with her husband. So fostering stuff. Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (51:34.523)
for sure.
for sure, for sure. And I honestly go above and say that it's beyond normalcy. A normal person would say, oh, that's a bad situation. I don't know how to help or I'm just gonna say prayers, prayers, prayers. It takes an above average, above normal person or family to say, you know what, I'm gonna do something about this as well. I'm gonna get involved. And that's something that you all have done. And that's why I say that you guys are special people because it's a sacrifice to already have a full plate that's hard to balance.
Travis (52:03.279)
Yeah.
Travis (52:07.471)
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hunter (52:07.675)
to say, know what? No, that person or this kid, this sibling group, they need me. And that's something that from one foster kid to a foster adopted family, y'all, that's a huge sacrifice. And I'm so thankful for that. And I know that I'm not, I was never placing you all at home, but I'm going to say thank you on behalf of those kids who have been placed in your home. I'm saying thank you for all of them, okay?
Travis (52:13.807)
Yeah.
Courtney (52:30.414)
Yeah, yeah, I appreciate you Tyler. And thanks for this conversation. Again, just your experience, your vulnerability, your voice, it's much needed to be heard. So thank you. And just curious, how can people follow you? How can they find you they want to know more about Tyler Hunter and see pictures of your great cooking maybe?
Travis (52:30.501)
Yeah. That's awesome. Well, thank you for saying that.
Travis (52:58.341)
Ha ha ha
Tyler Hunter (52:58.682)
For sure, for sure, for sure. I am on social media. I'm on Facebook, Tyler Hunter hyphen boards, B-O-A-R-D-S. On Instagram, I am Mr. Kentucky.
Courtney (53:13.23)
Self-proclaimed?
Travis (53:13.445)
Mr. Taka Taki
Tyler Hunter (53:15.546)
Hey, not even proclaim. I think it's mr. Kentucky 15. It's like 15 or 30. And then you can always reach out to me, know, DMV. I will hit you back. I have my email address Lamonthunter30 at gmail.com. You know, I love talking about these things. I love, getting involved with different agencies and other partners who, you know, help to support this.
Travis (53:23.212)
No.
Tyler Hunter (53:44.762)
system of care so reach out to me.
Courtney (53:47.768)
Yeah.
Travis (53:49.381)
Yeah, awesome. Well, I people do.
Courtney (53:51.054)
Yeah. Yeah.
Tyler Hunter (53:52.643)
Yeah, yeah.
Travis (53:55.461)
Well, thanks for this inspiring conversation, really amazing your story and your journey, the energy and light that you kind of your life shows and casts into places that have shadows. yeah, thanks for being on with us.
Courtney (53:55.788)
grace.
Tyler Hunter (54:08.633)
For sure, thank you all so much for allowing me to be on this platform. And thank you for allowing those with experience to be on this platform. This is a great way to amplify our voice and the need and the great work that are happening. So thank you all so much for that.
Courtney (54:23.535)
for sure. Have a good day.
Tyler Hunter (54:26.21)
You too?