I have been told that, “Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles is not a realist.” Well, you are looking at and listening to one of those very things—a Miracle.

In part because of my love of this music and how it has lifted me up, and partly because someone was brave enough to stand for me when I was much younger and a Foster Child at risk.

All of my work is dedicated to Foster Youth and Alumni. Kids who know far too much about the dark side of human beings and, despite that, are learning to do the right things and make that journey…from darkness into the light. Becoming Miracles.

To find out what you can do to help change the lifetime of a child at risk, go to www.fostercarealumni.org/ or  www.cwla.org/support-cwla/

Support a Miracle.

Thanks for stoppin’ by, tuning in, and hopefully turning on…

Love,

Janiva

A word from Janiva…

Artist Janiva Magness has served as Ambassador for both Foster Care Alumni and Child Welfare League of America for many years.  In this capacity, the award-winning blues singer continues to serve as an advocate for children and adults who share the foster care experience, raising awareness and sharing her message of hope.

On any given day, there are more than 423,000 children in foster care— and there are millions of adults in this country who were in the foster care system when they were young. Janiva is one of these Alumni of Foster Care. She says, “Someone was brave enough to stand up for me when I was young and in foster care. Foster Care Alumni of America is standing up and standing strong for Alumni every day, and I am so honored to have the opportunity to help raise awareness and help make a difference in the lifetimes of children.”

Although Janiva is now an international Blues star, her rise to the top was far from easy. Born in Detroit, Janiva was inspired by the blues and country she heard listening to her father’s record collection, and by the vibrant music of the city’s classic Motown sound. By her teenage years, though, her life was in chaos. She lost both parents to suicide by the age of 16 and lived on the streets, bouncing from one foster home to another. One night in Minneapolis, an underage Magness sneaked into a club to see blues great Otis Rush, and it was there that she found her salvation and realized that the Blues was her calling.

Both Child Welfare League of America and Foster Care Alumni of America are thrilled about Janiva continuing in her role as an ambassador for the organizations. They state, “We are honored that Janiva has agreed to lend her voice to our organization and to highlight the struggles and successes of former foster youth. Is it powerful for current foster youth and alumni to hear from a former foster youth who has found success in their lives, even after facing such adversity. Janiva exemplifies how you can overcome the barriers in our lives to reach our goals.”

Over the last several years, Ms Magness has been Internationally recognized as a premier contemporary Blues and Soul artist of the highest order. Her recordings continually reach the top 10 radio and sales charts around the world, as well as garnering her top Artist honors from the US to the UK and Norway as the front runner in her genre. The Blues Foundation of Memphis, TN honored Janiva as the recipient of the highly coveted B.B. King Entertainer of the Year as well as the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year. In the last six years, she has been nominated 25 times and won 7 awards.

Janiva is currently touring internationally in support of her new release, “Love Wins Again”. In addition, she will be meeting with Foster Care Alumni, parents, Social Workers, Administrators and Judiciaries – sharing her story about ways to make a difference in the lives of young people.

If you are an Alumnus of Foster Care, or a Foster parent, or someone who is standing up for young people, please be sure to introduce yourself to Janiva

www.fostercarealumni.org/ is a national non-profit founded and led by Alumni of the Foster Care system. Its mission is to connect the alumni community and to transform foster care policy and practice, ensuring opportunity for people in and from foster care.