ADOPTUSKIDS TO HONOR CASEWORKERS FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Springfield, MA, January 5, 2009 – AdoptUsKids announced today that Julie Goncalves of the Robert Van Wart Center in Springfield, MA is the January winner of its Caseworker of the Month award. This award is part of a national initiative celebrating caseworkers for their dedication to children and families nationwide. More information about Ms. Goncalves and excerpts from her nomination by foster parent, Andrea Murdza of Chicopee, MA, the foster parent that nominated her, can be found along with this month's award announcement on adoptuskids.org and adopte1.org.
Thousands of foster, adoptive and kinship families across the United States rely on their caseworkers every day to connect them to vital services, offer support and guidance, and ensure the safety, permanency and well-being of children in the foster care system.
Nearly 300,000 children in the United States enter the foster care system each year. Over half of these children will return to their parents, while the remainder of them will stay in the foster system awaiting identification of an alternate permanent family. Currently there are 496,000 children in the foster care system; approximately 130,000 are waiting for permanent families. Over 20,000 children “age out” of the system each year without being adopted. About half of the children in foster care are children of color, with older African American boys waiting the longest for adoption.
Ms. Murdza stated, “I have had the pleasure of working with Julie on two separate occasions, and am currently working with her. She always goes out of her way to make a placement work. If her schedule is full, she will visit after hours. Julie always makes time to speak to me as well as the child, and makes an extra effort to really listen and respond to what I say. It is such a delight to work together on a case with her. She sees the importance of working with foster parents as a team- she supports us, and has a genuine care for all the children and families she works with. She truly deserves to be recognized for case worker of the month.”
Reflecting on this recipient of the Caseworker of the Month initiative, AdoptUsKids’ Project Director, Kathy Ledesma said, "The personal interest that Julie Goncalves has demonstrated in helping the Murdza family to achieve their dreams is exemplary."
After being nominated for this award, Ms. Goncalves said, “It is foster parents like Andrea that make it easy to do my job. I have had the opportunity to work with Andrea on several placements with two of them being long term. She has gone far beyond what is expected of foster parents.”
The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids
The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids is a multi-faceted, five-year, federally funded project. Its mission is to assist States and Tribes in their efforts to recruit and connect foster and adoptive families with waiting children throughout the United States. The Collaboration is managed by the Adoption Exchange Association (AEA) based in Baltimore, Maryland, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau. For more information, call AdoptUsKids at (888) 200-4005.
The Robert Van Wart Center Department of Children and Families
The Department's vision is to ensure the safety of children in a manner that holds the best hope of nurturing a sustained, resilient network of relationships to support the child's growth and development into adulthood. The Family Support Unit strives to build the capacity of high-risk communities to support families and prevent child abuse and neglect, and to integrate a strengths-based approach into the Department's practice. Call (413) 452-3350 for more information.
Contact:
Kate Kirkpatrick
kkirkpatrick@adoptuskids.org
(717) 545-5251