Trust Fall: Becoming a trust-builder

Whether you’re a foster parent attempting to build trust with the children in your home, a social worker building trust with a family, or a leader building trust among your staff, the importance of building trust in your relationships cannot be overstated. That is exactly what we are going to dive into today with some folks who really know what they are talking about. We will hear from Abigail Schmidt, a former acrobat, and Lesli Reece and Scott Wilbanks, who worked to establish trust and build an incredible example of what church and state partnerships can look like.

We also take look at the Building Trust Together Document, and talk about practical ways you can use this tool to start building stronger relationships in your community.

Resources and Guests

Featured Resource: Building Trust Together

Building Trust Together is a commitment document with five principles designed to shape how we all collaborate with fellow advocates, families, churches, and organizations. There are 52 versions of the commitment document–a general version and one for every state and the District of Columbia–so you can download the bundle and choose the version that’s right for you.

Start deliberately making these commitments to your partners, building and maintaining trust right from the start.

Abigail Schmidt

Abbey previously performed for Cirque du Soleil as an acrobat for ten years traveling South America with Corteo and stationery in Las Vegas with O. More specifically, she is a trained flyer, relying on a partner, or catcher, for acrobatic feats. She currently still resides in Las Vegas where she is raising her three children with her college sweetheart, Max. She was raised in a fostering family by her biological parents where she gained a love and understanding for the Father of the fatherless.

Lesli Reece | Fostering Together

Lesli Reece is originally from Minnesota with a long stretch of years spent in Texas where she attended college. Her forever home, however, is Georgia where she and her husband, Kevin, met, married and raised their five children. They are grandparents of six as well (so far). They are former foster parents and that season led to Lesli’s role as the Ministry Director for Fostering Together, the foster care ministry of North Point Ministries, Inc. and it’s 7 metro Atlanta Churches. Lesli’s early career was in Tax Consulting and The Coca-Cola Company in a variety of leadership roles.

Scott Wilbanks | Georgia Department of Family and Children's Services

Scott Wilbanks has a bachelor’s degree in Managerial Finance, a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, and Doctorate in Leadership and Management of Programs, out of the School of Child and Adolescent Studies. Scott has worked for 13 years in behavioral health in Florida before moving to Georgia and serving as the Assistant Director of Behavioral Health in North Georgia. He then joined the Georgia Department of Family and Children's Services, and has worked with them for over 17 years, with 10 of those years as a county director. He now is an instructional designer in the Training and Professional Development unit and works to have a positive impact on the child and family service employees who directly support and service families. Scott also serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of North Georgia and instructs for the Department of Psychological Science, and the Human Services Delivery and Administration. Scott and his family live in Dahlonega, Georgia and enjoy the mountain living and small-town lifestyle.

Jason Weber | Host

Jason Weber and his wife, Trisha, have been speaking up on behalf of the marginalized for over 25 years. Jason has written and helped to produce several books and other tools, including Farmer Herman and the Flooding Barn, a 2018 ECPA Christian Book Award finalist and Until There’s More Than Enough. Jason has been a regular columnist for Fostering Families Today magazine and is the host of the More Than Enough Podcast, which highlights the work of national foster care advocates. Jason serves with the Christian Alliance for Orphans and helps lead More Than Enough, a collaborative movement facilitated by the CAFO community. Jason and his family live in Plano, Texas.