Executive Director Angela Carron left her pediatric practice 10 years ago to help her father, Nick Colarelli, direct Fostering Hope. She hung up her white coat after a life-changing encounter with science. At that time, she was convinced that recent discoveries about childhood trauma and toxic stress would become one of the most significant medical milestones since antibiotics.

This understanding about adverse childhood experiences and their effect on the brain was so profound that it informed virtually every aspect of Fostering Hope’s program. Facilitating stable, nurturing and enduring relationships with foster parents and volunteers became a cornerstone. This approach is credited with the successful outcomes we’ve seen in the lives of children in foster care since. Angela, whose physician specialty was in child abuse, and Nick, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Fostering Hope, saw true healing from abuse and neglect by embracing this understanding.

Trauma-informed care goes from medical world to mainstream

Now, there’s a new champion in this crusade. Oprah Winfrey, who experienced a traumatic childhood herself, just recently stumbled upon the science of trauma and healing, and it affected her so deeply that she secured special permission from 60 minutes to do a segment on the subject. You can watch her interview with the top experts on toxic stress Sunday, March 11, at 6 p.m. MST on CBS (KKTV Channel 11 in Colorado Springs).

In a preview with CBS This Morning, Oprah said she was so transformed by this understanding that she’s going to make changes in her philanthropic strategies and has gained new insight into her own past. She now realizes, in her words, that the relationships in her life were fundamental to her resiliency and success, and she considers this a “game-changer” in the way we support others.

Watch the preview here.

Relationships are key in healing from trauma

Relationships and the stability, enrichment and connections are why we work so hard to ensure that volunteers not only serve foster families and young adults, but become trustworthy friends who can stay with them for the long haul. We embrace the notion of walking with them, and instead of asking what’s wrong with a child, we ask what happened and how can we help?

When a child regains trust and confidence, feels safe, and knows there are people in his or her life whose eyes brighten when they see them, it restores hope and healing. In Oprah’s interview on CBS This Morning, she emphasizes the importance of relationships in her own life in helping her become who she is today and credits them with helping her succeed in spite of her experiences.

If you’re interested in learning even more about this science, you can check out https://acestoohigh.com/ for research, blogs and other articles.