We are excited to welcome our new Membership and Outreach Coordinator Miriam Simmons to the team! Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious and we are ready to get to work. She comes to us with vast experience working as a Volunteer Coordinator with Clay Habitat, and Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at Trinity Community Ministries during her college career at Clayton State University where she majored in Psychology and Human Services. She comes to us with vast knowledge in coordinating meetings and assisting management in non profit settings. Though a different industry, she has served as the Executive Assistant to the COO of Neighborhood Medical Center, in this role she not only assisted the COO who served as the Dental Director, but also the other members of the C-Suite. She is excited to start this new journey with WACF, and we are eager to welcome her.
We are delighted to welcome Roxanna Cárdenas as the new Director for the Institute for Practice Improvement (IPI), WACF's 501(c)(3). Roxanna is a seasoned business and leadership expert that brings with her a wealth of experience as the former Director of Digital Marketing for HNW Marketing, an award-winning Account Manager at KING 5/KONG TV and a Business Coach. These experiences have made her adept at prioritizing complex projects, leading sales and marketing training, and collaborating with multiple stakeholders towards aligned, actionable strategies. Being a Latinx raised in Seattle suburbs, she understands the challenges of flanking multiple cultures and the importance of BIPOC equity and representation. She holds a B.S in Psychology from Washington State University.
Roxanna’s energy, leadership and business expertise will well-serve the IPI’s developmental needs as we seek sustainable funding solutions and leverage our assets to help member agencies better serve the changing needs of Washington’s foster children and families.
Introducing the WACF 2021-22 Annual Report! The report highlights the important work we’ve done and our accomplishments in 2021-22. WACF continues to find ways to communicate the impact of our association and the work being done on behalf of our members. In 2021-22 we met many of our goals to expand member value including kicking off free training for our members, with over 200 agency staff members attending. We were also successful in advocating for an increase of $8 million for the combined in-home rates and increased intensive service rates by nearly $18 million. WACF continues to focus on growing in more areas where we can influence and champion the cause of children, youth and families.
We're pleased to share the CPA one-pager that illustrates how we're meeting the needs of children in care and working to reunite children with families.
Please welcome our new WACF Board Members! Thank you for your time, leadership and dedication to the success of the organization.
Each of the new officers will serve two-year terms, effective July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024.
Western WA Vice President - Kris Sanborn, Y Social Impact Center
Eastern WA Vice President - Whitney Carlson, Catholic Charities Serving Central WA
Secretary - Paul Lwali, Friends of Youth
Member at Large - Charlotte Booth, Institute for Family Development
FPSS Division Chair - Sandra Gormon-Brown, Grassroots Therapy Group
IS Division Chair - Julie Vinson, The Source Spokane
It's election time!
The WACF Board of Directors consists of five officers (president, Western WA vice president, Eastern WA vice president, secretary and treasurer), the four division chairs, the immediate past president and the member at large. WACF staggers elections of board positions to help facilitate smooth transitions and the continuity of operations.
The officer positions up for election this year are:
- Western WA Vice President
- Eastern WA Vice President
- Secretary
- Member at Large
Each of the new officers will serve two-year terms, July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024.
The division chairs and vice chairs are voted on by their divisions. The division chair represents their division on the board. The chair and vice chair positions for the Family Preservation & Support Services (FPSS) and Intensive Services (IS) divisions are up for election. The chair and vice chair positions will be voted on at the May or June division meeting.
Welcome Marcia Wright-Soika, our newest board member of the WACF 501(c)(3), which is also titled the Institute for Practice Improvement. Marcia (she, her) is delighted to join the WACF 501(c)(3) Board! She is the proud Executive Director of FamilyWorks, a Seattle nonprofit which connects neighbors and families to nourishing food, essential resources, and a supportive community, so people can build resiliency to meet life’s challenges. She has spent most of her career focused on family stability, affordable housing, women’s rights, and advancing racial equity. She has an MBA in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University, and B.A.s in Journalism and Women’s Studies from Penn State University. She serves as a Commissioner of the Seattle Women’s Commission, co-chair of Seattle Food Committee, and on the Steering Committee and the City Budget Taskforce for Seattle Human Services Coalition.
Welcome to Karen Brady, a new board member of the WACF 501(c)(3), which is also titled the Institute for Practice Improvement. Karen has the honor of being the CEO of Ryther, a 135 year old pediatric behavioral healthcare facility in Seattle. Karen's career has been dedicated to child and youth serving agencies that focus on child welfare, houselessness, and behavioral health. As part of that work, she has served on a variety of work groups, task forces and committees. She is delighted to be joining the WACF 501(c)(3) Board.
In September WACF released our first Annual Report. The report highlights the important work and changes that occurred in 2020-21. WACF is growing and as we do our footprint across child welfare and other cross services has grown. WACF continues to find ways to communicate the impact of our association and the work being done on behalf of our members. In 2020-21 we met many of our goals to expand member value, including acting as a COVID-19 hub for information, providing PPE and small grants, and growing into more areas where we can influence and champion the cause of children, youth and families. WACF was also successful in advocating for additional revenue for members, adding up to a total impact of 37 million since 2018 to strengthen children, youth, and families in Washington State.
Welcome to Dave Newell, our new board president of the WACF 501(c)(3), which is also titled the Institute for Practice Improvement. Dave is the CEO of Children’s Home Society of Washington, serves on the board of directors of the Children’s Home Society of America and serves on the CEO Council of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. Dave is well known for his innovation and commitment to improving outcomes for families. He joins other 501(c)(3) board members Charlotte Booth (Vice President), Ray Deck III (Treasurer), and Jeff Clare (at Large). Dave has more than 30 years of social service experience both in direct service and leadership roles. In partnership with his wife, Theresa, Dave also has 29 years of experience as a parent of six children. His kids continue to provide him with many learning opportunities. We are fortunate to have Dave’s expertise and passion as an addition to our WACF 501(c)(3) Board!
The Y takes a big leap to advance equity and justice for all. Read the full press release here.
A commitment to supporting families: Check out great resources at the Children’s Bureau website including a new Prevention Resource Guide "Thriving Children and Families: Prevention With Purpose.”
Check out how Child Placement Agencies support children and foster families and partner with state social workers and DCYF in this new WACF CPA webpage and video: https://wachildrenandfamilies.org/cpa/. This page is dedicated to clarifying the roles and benefits of CPAs in working toward good outcomes for children and their families.
Throughout his career, Brian Carroll has been a partner and colleague of so many of us. He was instrumental in the early formation of WACF, helping to bring together agencies providing residential, foster care, and preventive services. Brian’s leadership was crucial during the early days, helping with the formation of our corporation, bylaws, and creation of our original three division structure. His insight and experience serving on local and national boards was critical during this phase of our organization. From 2012 – 2017, Brian served as our Vice President and Public Policy Chair. He spent countless hours in Olympia meeting with DCYF leadership and key legislative stakeholders on behalf of WACF. In 2017 – 2019 Brian served as President of WACF. Throughout his service, Brian has been dedicated to providing excellent services to children and families through his own organization, Secret Harbor. This commitment was highlighted in 2012 when the national membership association Alliance for Children and Families presented Brian and Secret Harbor with the Alliance for Children and Families Agency of the Year award. Brian will truly be missed but we wish him all the best in retirement and consulting work.
The Family Connections Program is a framework to build relationships between all the important people in a foster child's life.
Read more at FCPWA. Thanks to Amara, FCPWA and Washington Courts.
