Juanita English Bishop
Adoption Caseworker
Licking County ODJFS
We would like to nominate our adoption worker for this award. Juanita English Bishop has gone above and beyond the call of duty when it came to two kids on her caseload. Let me tell you how she has shown dedication to these children.
In 2005 we met Nita. We submitted our home study for a sibling group on her caseload. She called us and informed us that the particular children we were interested in would not be a good fit for our family due to issues they had. We were disappointed but thankful that she had called us to tell us. Many workers do not call to tell you that you are not being considered. It was nice knowing so we could focus on another child who our family might be a good fit for. Well, Nita suggested that we consider a young man named J.J. He was 13 years old. He had multiple mental health issues and mental retardation. We talked to Nita at length about J.J. We decided that we would adopt J.J. In January 2006 he came to live with us and in August 2006 he became our son. He is a sweet young man. He loves to please others and is very considerate. Like many of the kids in care he is not without issues. He has had two hospitalizations since coming to live with us. Nita came to visit him while he was in the hospital. She talked to him and to us. She cared about our family. She wanted J.J to have success and for everyone in the house to be safe. J.J is now 16 yrs old and is doing well. He is planning on going to a Career Center to the last two years of high school. We are proud of him and his accomplishments.
In 2006 after we finalized J.J’s adoption we decided that we wanted to adopt again. We began looking for a little girl this time. Nita had just the child. This sweet angelic faced preschooler was too cute for words. Jasmine stole our hearts the moment we met her. Jasmine had multiple medical issues and as we began to care for her we quickly found out that all of her medical issues had not been discovered. We finalized her adoption in May of 2007. In June 2007 we got the news that Jasmine has a rare brain disorder. The doctors say they do not expect Jasmine to live much past her teens. She has a host of medical issues that were not known at the time of her placement. (not that it would have mattered!)
Nita’s job was done. She did not have to do anymore. J.J and Jasmine were adopted and finalized. She was no longer required to care. But she did. She calls, e-mails, and sends notes to us of encouragement. She is a true blessing to our family. In February Jasmine had to have a G-tube put in to help her to eat. Nita was right there helping us through the entire way. She even volunteered to make a special one piece body suit for Jasmine to wear at night so she would not pick at her tube. I offered to pay her for this service and she laughed. She bought the pattern and sewed it for Jasmine just because she cares that much for her. She even took out time to sew on pretty little flowers to make it look cute. She placed a whole in the outfit so Jasmine’s tube could be reached easy at night. Because Jasmine can’t care for herself due to her developmental delays Nita was sent to watch out for her and find her a family. We are so glad she found that family in us.
These are by no means all of what Nita has done for our family. One more example of her dedication is that Jasmine has to have her food pureed in order to eat it. Nita bought one of those magic bullets machines to puree food and make tasty recipes for her own self and her family. She saw on the commercial that if you bought one you could get the other for the shipping cost. She got it and gave it to Jasmine. Now Jasmine can have the same meal the entire family is enjoying. It was such a thoughtful thing for her to do. Again not something she had to do as part of her job.
Nita has not always told us things we wanted to hear. She was always honest with us. We are grateful for that. We are grateful we found such a great worker who cares so much for the kids in her care. Her dedication should be rewarded.
The McWilliams Family
Adoptive Family
Vincent, OH
“Scott and Fawna and their family have taught me to trust my adoptive parents a bit more than I once did. They have shown me their resourcefulness and shared these resources with me. Now I have more to pass on to other adoptive families. Fawna has never shied away from difficult decisions she needed to make for her children. She asks questions and researches information beyond anyone else I know and then shares that information. In doing so, I have been provided an education in the medical areas that I could not have imagined before. I have been able to say, “okay but what does this mean for Jasmine?” and “can you put that in terms of what I can understand now?” and Fawna has done this.”
“I have watched this family grow through their experiences of advocating for their children’s educational needs and mental health needs. I have worried at times when the call would come and they would say ‘it’s just too much for us.’ That call has never been made. Scott and Fawna have learned to divide and conquer. Fawna may be at the hospital with one child while Scott is making certain the other children get off to their school day, doing homework with them at the end of the day. This family being apart brings other challenges because of Fawna’s own needs. But they figure it out every time.
“What we imagine as our typical family is not the Scott and Fawna’s family. Each child brings many different challenges and this change week-by-week. What they thought they were getting into as adoptive parents changed before their eyes once the child become part of their family. But not being typical has provided Scott and Fawna with the platform to stand outside the box and ask “why not”, sometimes from outside that box they have had to become the extreme advocate as others were getting stuck inside the box with their thinking. The common thread found in each decision they make is “this is about JJ,” “what does Tabitha need,” “how will this affect Nathan,” and “what will Jasmine need for this to happen.” At the forefront of each decision made is the impact on each child and the child’s needs, not what do we (the adults) need. This is how an adoption worker comes to trust their family.
“Many families just want the social worker to go away as soon as possible. Contact is only made when there is a problem. This is not so with Scott and Fawna. They have called to tell me of the smallest improvement Jasmine has made one day. They talk about plans JJ is making for school next year in another phone conversation. They mail a picture of a special moment with their family to me. Fawna calls after a surgery with Jasmine to let me know she came through this okay, much like you would your other family members. A thank you note reminded me that my decision for that child has brought them more joy than they could have imagined. Scott and Fawna have shared their family. It is what makes an adoption worker remember why they fight for the best home for their children no matter what it takes to make it happen.“ – Juanita English Bishop
Read the press release.