AdoptUsKids to Honor Caseworkers for their Dedication to Children and Families
Miami, FL, March 3, 2009 – AdoptUsKids announced today that Ms. Aura Duque of Wendy’s Wonderful Kids in Miami, FL is the March 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. Duque and excerpts from her nomination by Elizet Villarejo, the adoptive mother that nominated her, 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.
Elizet Villarejo stated, “We met Aura by chance in an adoption meeting. From day one she was wonderful; she has gone out of her way many times before so that we have time to spend with our little girl that we were going to adopt. I don’t think we could have done this without her.”
Reflecting on this recipient of the Caseworker of the Month initiative, AdoptUsKids’ Project Director, Kathy Ledesma said, “Aura Duque’s work with the Villarejo family 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, Aura Duque said, “The best aspect of my job is when I bring the prospective adoptive families and the children together. I have 2 adopted children myself and I know the blessings that come with adoption. I am a firm believer that there is an adoptive family out there for every child. The most rewarding moment is being with the family in the judge’s chambers on the day of the adoption finalization. This is the culmination of all the efforts of everyone on the adoption team and the day when a child moves from the foster care system into a forever family!”
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.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids is a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption that combines the fundraising of Wendy's and its customers, aggressive grants management of the Foundation, and the talent of experienced adoption professionals throughout the nation and in Canada to move children from foster care into permanent, loving adoptive homes.
Contact:
Kate Kirkpatrick
kkirkpatrick@adoptuskids.org
(717) 545-5251