Tanya Cooper

Tanya Cooper doesn't just understand the foster care system - she survived it, mastered it, and has spent three decades teaching others to do the same.

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Entering care at age three, aging out at 18 with no family and nowhere to go, Tanya made a choice: her past would become her purpose. Today, she is one of the most compelling and credible voices in America on foster care - a former clinician, author, motivational speaker, stand-up comedian, and advocate with over 18 years of direct clinical experience and 30+ years working with youth.

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Her message is simple and unflinching: "You are your only hero. No one will save you but you."

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As founder and former volunteer/Executive Director of FosterKidsUnite, Inc., she built a 501(c)3 from the ground up, delivering real resources - scholarships, mentoring, gift boxes for the December holidays, and support - to aged out youth around the globe. Her book, Surviving Foster Care and Making It Work for You, is a survival guide drawn from lived experience. She holds B.A.S. (class of 96') from New York University and a CACAS-T certification in substance abuse counseling. She is currently the Host and Producer of:

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On the Town with Tanya, a Sunday 4pm ET podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google Store, and YouTube.

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Tanya has taken her message to foster youth conferences, family courts, universities and stages across the country - from Ohio State University to Arizona foster parents networks. She doesn't lecture. She transforms. And when she's not changing lives from the podium, she's making audiences laugh from the comedy stage - because healing, she'll tell you, has many forms.

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On September 24th, 2018, Westchester County officially declared it Tanya Cooper Day - proclamation brought forward by Legislator Lyndon Williams, Alpha Kappa Beta, and honored alongside Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Terrance P. Murphy, former County Executive Robert Asterino, and NCADD's Joan Bonsignare. Two additional proclamations were received from Mayor Michael Cindrich of Mount Kisco, NY, and Senator Greg Ball.

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She is now focused on her next chapter: Advocating for foster youth via film, documentary, and a second book - Girl, bringing the foster care conversation to the national stage.

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Bookings: onthetownwithtanyaproton@proton.me