AdoptUsKids to Honor Caseworkers for their Dedication to Children and Families
Covington, LA, September 1, 2009 – AdoptUsKids announced today that Ms. Marie Rudison, an Adoption Specialist with the Covington Regional OCS, is the September recipient of its Caseworker of the Month award. This award is part of AdoptUsKids’ national initiative which celebrates caseworkers for their dedication to children and families. More information about Ms. Rudison and excerpts from her nomination can be found along with this month’s award announcement on www.adoptuskids.org and www.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.
In nominating Ms. Rudison, the Bauers family wrote, “When doing something as monumental as adopting a child you want to know that you are working with someone who truly cares about making your experience a special one and Marie is that person. Although Marie finalizes many adoptions every year, she realizes that it is a VERY special time for you and seems to be as excited as the adoptive parents are about the process.”
Reflecting on this recipient of the Caseworker of the Month initiative, AdoptUsKids’ Project Director, Kathy Ledesma said, “Marie Rudison’s work with families is a shining example of the excellent work that public and private child welfare agency caseworkers do everyday across the United States."
After being nominated for this award by the Bauers family, Ms. Rudison stated “Mr. and Mrs. Bauers are caring people who loves children. They readily opened their home to a sibling group of three and then later adopted another child through our agency. They were easy to work with and had a lot of insight into the needs of the children. They were very supportive of the agency and the children as they are truly "team players".
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.
Covington Regional Office of Community Services
The Office of Community Services provides for the public child welfare functions of the state and administers the federal grants for services directed at meeting the special needs of Louisiana's most vulnerable citizens. For more information, call (800) 256-4650.
Contact:
Kate Kirkpatrick
kkirkpatrick@adoptuskids.org
(717) 545-5251