Season 5
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With Lynda Allen
January 22, 2026
What if the hardest part of advocating for your child isn’t the system, but unlearning the way you’ve been taught to think about it?
What if you keep doing the same things because they feel safe, even when they stopped working a long time ago?
What if the mindset that got you through the early years is now the very thing holding you back? Read more…
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The Backstory of an Unlikely Advocate
January 29, 2026
TAKEOVER EPISODE with Guest Host Jackie Bartell.
Have you ever looked at someone and assumed they were just born strong, that they have “always done the hard thing,” and were simply made for advocacy?
In this special takeover episode, retired special education teacher and longtime friend Jackie Bartell slides into the guest host chair and turns the mic on Heather, asking the questions most people never hear. Heather goes back to the years when she was painfully shy, stuck in “fix it” mode, and living in a home where hostility was breaking more than the furniture.. Read more…
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Our first episode of “The Mother Load”
February 5, 2026
This episode is the first one of our new FCG spin-off series called, The Mother Load and we started out with a bang! Heather sits with her co-host Steve’s daughter, Rachel, and digs into what it was really like growing up in a home where her parents fostered nearly 200 children. She speaks candidly about the chaos, the compassion, and the moments that tested everything, answering the question many people quietly wonder:
How do parents open their home to nearly 200 children and still make sure their own kids feel seen, secure, and deeply loved? Read more…
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With Brad Herron-Valenzuela
February 12, 2026
When school ends, the bus stops coming, and traditional transition options do not feel like the right fit, what comes next? In this episode of Finding Common Ground, Heather and Steve talk with Brad Herron-Valenzuela from First Place Phoenix about what it really takes to build independence without “sink or swim” thinking, and the importance of not underestimating people.
Brad shares what has worked, what has changed, and why true independence is not an event but a process of teaching, practicing, and supporting growth over time. Read more…
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With ara DeFazio
February 19, 2026
If you have ever walked into a CSE meeting and thought, I don’t even know what to ask for, this episode is for you.
Heather and Steve are joined by Sara DeFazio, a Transition Specialist with New York State’s Central Region Partnership Center, and she keeps it real.
This is a fast, practical conversation about what happens when transition plans look fine on paper but miss the mark in real life. Sara names the patterns families recognize immediately. People get underestimated. Teams default to familiar vocational paths. Parents sense something is off, but are unsure how to stop the momentum. Read more…
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With Anil Babbar
February 27, 2026
“If the system only works when parents are silent, it was never built to protect our kids.”
What happens after the headlines fade, but the fear doesn’t?
Anil Babbar returns to FCG and we move beyond the shock and into what families are actually forced to do to keep their children safe. This is not about outrage. It is about strategy. We talk about why parents end up thinking like investigators, how documentation becomes protection, and why the words you choose in an email can matter more than the emotions you feel in the moment. Anger might be justified, but evidence wins cases. Read more…
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With Anil Babbar
February 27, 2026
If you suspect abuse, what do you do first, and how do you prove it?
Part 2 shifts from systems analysis to step-by-step strategy. This is a must-listen for any family navigating OPWDD services, residential care, or crisis supports.
Anil breaks down the practical actions parents can take immediately: Read more…
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With Heather & Jacqueline Riorden
Posted March 7, 2026
This one left us speechless! Just watch. It will be the best 5:45 of your day! Full Screen Version
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With OPWDD Commissioner Willow Baer
March 12, 2026
Families are often expected to hold everything together, yet too often they are treated like outsiders instead of experts. In this episode of Finding Common Ground, Steve sits down with OPWDD Commissioner Willow Baer for an honest conversation about what happens when families are carrying modern challenges inside a service system still shaped by outdated rules.
One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Willow reflects on the role families have always played in driving change: Read more…