Casey Family Programs honors 10 people from across the nation who are working to improve child and family well-being

–News Direct–

Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest operating foundation dedicated to safely reducing the need for foster care and building Communities of Hope for children and families, announced today the recipients of the 2022 Casey Excellence for Children Awards.

These awards recognize outstanding individuals for their inspiring work, exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to improving the well-being of children and families who are engaged with the child welfare system in America. Each year awards are given in the following categories:

• Family and Alumni: These awards are presented to alumni of foster care, resource parents, kinship caregivers, and birth mothers and fathers who have overcome significant challenges and demonstrated extraordinary efforts to improve the lives of children and families.
• Leadership: These awards recognize child welfare leaders and change-makers who have had a significant impact in improving the lives of children and families and building Communities of Hope.

“Our founder, Jim Casey, once said: ‘Inspiration and enthusiasm are of little value unless they move us to action and accomplishment,’” said Dr. Walter H. Smith, Jr., chair of the Board of Trustees of Casey Family Programs. “I think you’ll find that our inspiring honorees are, indeed, moving others to action and accomplishment.”

Dr. William C. Bell, President and CEO of Casey Family Programs, said, “The individuals we honor today come from an array of backgrounds and have contributed to the well-being of children and families in unique ways. However, they all have one thing in common: Every one of them is building hope through their work, their advocacy and their commitment to children and families.”

The Casey Excellence for Children Awards are a national recognition of the accomplishments of leaders, especially those with lived experience in the child welfare system, who are working to safely reduce the need for foster care and build Communities of Hope to ensure the safety and well-being of children and families. The awards are named in honor of Jim Casey, the founder of United Parcel Service, who established Casey Family Programs in 1966 as an operating foundation to help improve the safety and success of vulnerable children and their families across America.

The mission of Casey Family Programs is to provide and improve — and ultimately prevent the need for — foster care. For more than 55 years the foundation has worked directly with children and families to improve life outcomes and well-being. Today Casey Family Programs also works with child welfare systems and other partners in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and with more than a dozen tribal nations to influence long-lasting improvements to the safety and success of children, families and the communities where they live.

2022 Casey Excellence for Children Family and Alumni Awards

View winner video stories at casey.org/ceca

Kinship Caregiver Award

Mercedes Bristol

San Antonio, Texas

Mercedes Bristol is the executive director of Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, a new statewide nonprofit that provides services to grandparents throughout Texas. She brings her experience as a single grandparent raising five grandchildren to this role. When the children initially were placed in foster care with non-relatives, Mercedes hired a lawyer and successfully advocated to have the children placed with her. She completed more than 60 hours of training and multiple home inspections, becoming licensed as a kinship foster parent.

In order to provide her grandchildren with the medical and other supports they needed to help them heal, Mercedes took an early retirement to care for them. She learned firsthand the difficulty grandparents face to receive the benefits and support that they need to raise their grandchildren.

Motivated by her experience, Mercedes meets regularly with state and federal legislators to share her family’s story and to advocate for more recognition and resources for kinship caregivers. Her work contributed to the successful passage of Texas House Bill 4, which expands financial support for kinship caregivers. She is also active with Generations United as an advocate for kinship families.

Thanks to Mercedes’ love and care, her grandchildren are doing well and thriving personally and academically.

Resource Parent Award

Rob Scheer

Rockville, Maryland

Motivated by his experiences in foster care, Rob Scheer shares his story of growing up in the system and eventually adopting five children from foster care himself. In 2013, he founded Comfort Cases to help children as they enter into care. Comfort Cases, which has grown to operate in all 50 states and the U.K., provides a package to children in care that includes a bag or backpack, pajamas, personal care items and a stuffed animal.

His advocacy has given him the opportunity to speak at public hearings and to testify on behalf of adoptive parents, the LGBTQ+ community and children and youth in foster care. Rob’s story has been featured in the national media, and organizations such as Hearts and Homes for Youth and Leadership Montgomery have asked him to serve as master of ceremonies at their events. He works to empower children and youth to educate and advocate for each other. He started a program called #KidsHelpingKids for elementary school children and High School Clubs for teens, both of which work to improve the lives of children and teens in care.

Rob has tangibly changed the lives of more than 150,000 children and youth who have received Comfort Cases, and he has positively impacted the agencies who rely on his partnership.

Alumni Award

Anthony Stover

Atlanta, Georgia

Anthony Stover is the Youth Engagement Coordinator with Georgia EmpowerMEnt, an organization of people currently and formerly in foster care who advocate for change in the foster care system. He’s also an author (Adulting 101: My First Apartment), consultant, facilitator, trainer and advocate who speaks on behalf of youth in foster care.

After entering foster care at age 11, Anthony was moved several times before he found stability through a social worker, Grady Jenkins, his mother figure and mentor, Angela Stover, and Families First, a nonprofit change agent for those involved in Georgia’s foster care system. Anthony went on to earn an associate’s degree in computer technology and a bachelor’s in project management. Anthony and Angela are now legally a family after an adult adoption.

Anthony is recognized for his work influencing key statewide policies. He also has been honored as a FosterClub All-Star, served on the board for Foster Care Alumni of America, served on the National Alumni and Foster Youth Policy Council, serves as a core member of the Foster Youth in Action Network, was named to a few governor’s committees, and has been recognized by the Georgia Congress for his work with House Resolution 789.

Birth Parent Awards

Jason Bragg – Birth Father

Olympia, Washington

For nearly a decade, Jason Bragg has been a consistent advocate for birth parents, especially fathers, and his impact has been broad and profound. He brings his advocacy to all stakeholders — birth parents, foster parents, and children and youth, as well as to leaders in social services and the judicial branch — reminding them of the importance of including birth parents and especially fathers in ongoing conversations and decision-making. He is involved with state and local advisory groups in his home state of Washington, including the Department of Children, Youth and Families Citizens Review Panel where he is engaged with the child and family services reviews process and participates on court improvement committees.

A single father, Jason experienced the child welfare system when he found himself battling a relapse with addiction, facing criminal charges and a child protective services investigation, which led to an out-of-home dependency. Successfully navigating the dependency system with the help of a parent ally, he graduated from Family Drug Treatment Court and reunified with his young son.

In 2014, he began work for the Washington State Office of Public Defense as a contracted social service worker. He continues in this role assisting attorneys, parents and stakeholders in breaking down barriers to help reunify families involved in child welfare. Through his work, Jason gives parents, and fathers in particular, the assurance they need to remain involved so that they get their children back.

Jody Rodgers – Birth Mother

Santa Rosa, California

Jody Rodgers is a birth parent mentor with expertise supporting parents in navigating the child welfare system. Many parents in her community have made significant improvements in their lives due to Jody’s work with the Child Parent Institute in Sonoma County, California.

With support from The Children's Trust Fund Alliance and Casey Family Programs, she co-created support groups in her area for mothers and fathers. Jody also brought a unique and innovative Birth Parent/Foster Parent Partnership model to her county that supports birth and foster parents in building relationships with the goal of helping parents reunify with their children. That work was showcased by Casey Family Programs and Child Welfare Information Gateway, including being featured in the podcast, “Birth-Foster Parent Mentoring Teams.” Jody is sought nationally for speaking engagements, training and consulting.

A single mother who became involved in the child welfare system in 2013 when her three children were removed from her care, Jody recalls that experience as the “worst and best day of her life.” Jody utilized and grew from the services she was offered to break the cycles of homelessness, drug addiction and domestic violence and was reunified with her children.

Jody is also an active member of the Birth Parent National Network and the Birth and Foster Parent National Partnership.

Casey Excellence for Children Leadership Awards

Jonathan Nez | President, Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona

Jonathan Nez took office as the President of the Navajo Nation in 2019. He was born in Tuba City, Arizona, and raised in Shonto, Arizona. He is married to Phefelia Nez, and together they have two sons, Alexander and Christopher. President Nez earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2002 and a Master’s in Public Administration in 2005 from Northern Arizona University. In 2021, President and First Lady Nez also received honorary doctorate degrees from Northern Arizona University.

President Nez began his public service as Vice President of Shonto Chapter. He was then elected to three terms as a member of the Navajo Nation Council, and two terms on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors. In 2015 he was elected to serve as Vice President of the Navajo Nation.

As leader of the largest tribal nation, he worked closely with public health experts on an aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the Navajo people having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world at approximately 75%. He’s also been instrumental in using federal funding to support once-in-a-lifetime investments in critical infrastructure developments that will improve the well-being of the Navajo people now and for future generations.

President Nez is a longtime advocate of healthy living, and strongly encourages the Navajo people to practice the Navajo teaching known as T’áá hwó’ajít’éego, or self-reliance and self-determination. His priorities include mental and behavioral health treatment, and assistance for communities as they recover from the pandemic’s far-reaching impacts.

Dr. Raquel Hatter | Managing Director Human Services, The Kresge Foundation, Troy, Michigan

Raquel Hatter is managing director of the Human Services Program at The Kresge Foundation, which seeks to advance social and economic mobility with a racial equity lens driven by a two-generation, whole-family approach. Prior to joining Kresge, she served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services, where she worked to improve outcomes for individuals and families through programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and vocational rehabilitation.

Hatter draws on her lived experiences to inform her work. As a young child, she graduated from the Head Start Preschool Program. She was a student-parent during both her undergraduate and graduate studies, and she received both SNAP and childcare assistance to help her get by. In her words, “I know what it is to struggle, and I know what it is to struggle less.”

Early in her career, Hatter supported families as an in-home outreach worker and frontline practitioner, providing support to families in crisis in child welfare and juvenile justice. She was the first Black CEO for Whaley Children’s Center in Flint, Michigan, and was the first Black CEO of Family and Children’s Service in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, she has served as an adjunct instructor at the community college and graduate level and has also worked with indigenous communities in the Northern Territory in Australia.

Aysha E. Schomburg | Associate Commissioner, Children’s Bureau, Washington, D.C.

Aysha E. Schomburg joined the Biden Administration in March 2021 as the Associate Commissioner of the United States Children’s Bureau within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, located within the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she advises the Administration on matters related to child welfare, including child abuse and neglect, child protective services, family preservation and support, adoption, foster care and independent living. The Children's Bureau recommends legislative and budgetary proposals, operational planning system objectives and initiatives, and projects and issue areas for evaluation, research and demonstration activities.

Schomburg previously served as the Senior Administrator for Program Oversight for New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). There she worked collaboratively with agency leaders to develop and implement plans for the operational infrastructure of ACS. During the COVID-19 public health crisis, she worked closely with New York City’s Department of Education and Department of Homeless Services to create and coordinate guidance for frontline staff. She also provided recommendations to ACS’s Office of Equity Strategies regarding addressing inequities and racism in child welfare. In October, the Aspen Institute named Schomburg a 2021 Ascend Fellow, joining a network of visionary leaders who are transforming the trajectory of children and families across the country.

Schomburg received her B.A. from the University of Virginia, her M.A. from New York University and her J.D. from New York Law School.

Vannessa Dorantes, LMSW | Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Children and Families

Vannessa Dorantes was appointed commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) in 2019, the first African American to serve in that role for the state of Connecticut. As DCF commissioner, Dorantes cochairs Connecticut’s Alcohol & Drug Policy Council and the Governor’s Council on Women & Girls. She has worked to build communication and collaboration across all stakeholder groups. Her approach with members of Connecticut’s legislature helped ensure transparency on policy and budget initiatives.

In 30 years with DCF, Dorantes has held nearly every social work position in the department. In 2014, she was appointed as a regional administrator overseeing 43 municipalities. From 2004 until her appointment as commissioner, she was adjunct faculty teaching several elective and core competency social work courses. On the Social Work Advisory Boards of two state universities during their re-accreditation, she has supervised countless undergraduate and graduate level interns. Dorantes is on the UCONN School of Social Work Board of Advocates.

Dorantes is on the APHSA Board of Directors and appointed to the state’s Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health. DCF’s racial justice work, performance management and continuous quality improvement continue to evolve under her administration. This is evidenced by Connecticut’s successful exit from a three-decades-long consent decree in 2022.

Lewis “Harry” Spence | Posthumous award, former Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Social Services,

Lewis “Harry” Spence served as commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (now the Department of Children and Families) from 2001 to 2007, one of the many change agent roles he undertook in his career of public service. He also worked to improve and transform other public systems that impacted the lives of families involved with the child welfare system.

In addition to his work as commissioner, Spence served as a receiver for the Boston Housing Authority and the city of Chelsea; deputy chancellor of New York City’s education department; and as the first administrator of the Massachusetts Trial Court.

As commissioner, his understanding of the complexity of collaborative partnerships between public schools and the state’s child-serving agencies enabled Spence to create connections that did not exist before. In his efforts to better serve children and families, he established a team-based model for service provision, support and accountability, and he created an Office of Continuous Quality Improvement. He established the agency’s first Child Welfare Institute to place professional development as a cornerstone of bringing best practices to everyday work.

Spence understood the importance of listening to those with lived experience, and he created paths for birth parents and youth aging out of foster care to have a voice in policy and practice development. Spence died in 2021.

###

Contact Details

Casey Family Programs

Pat Rhoads

+1 206-270-4984

prhoads@casey.org

Company Website

https://www.casey.org/

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/casey-family-programs-honors-10-people-from-across-the-nation-who-are-working-to-improve-child-and-family-well-being-419231734