DCFS Social Worker Named Foster Care Hero

 

		County of Los Angeles DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES   425 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, California  90020 (213) 351-5602
Board of Supervisors GLORIA MOLINA First District MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS Second District ZEV YAROSLAVSKY Third District DON KNABE Fourth District MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH Fifth District   PATRICIA S. PLOEHN, LCSW Director

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 4, 2009

 

Contact:      Louise Grasmehr or Stu Riskin

                    DCFS Office of Public Affairs

                     (213) 351-5886

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

DCFS Social Worker Named Foster Care Hero as Part of

Los Angeles Foster Care Awareness Campaign in May

 

Steven Newman, a Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Children's Social Worker, is among nine individuals and one company honored as "Foster Care Heroes" in May as part of the County-wide Los Angeles Foster Care Awareness Campaign.

 

Every year during the Los Angeles Foster Care Awareness Campaign, a number of individuals and organizations are honored for their contributions to Los Angeles County foster youth.  They are nominated by individuals and organizations involved in social services throughout Los Angeles County.  A number of the honorees have been selected for overcoming adversity or for the outstanding contributions they have made in improving the lives of abused and neglected children.

 

Newman, a DCFS adoption social worker, will receive an honorary scroll from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors during the Board meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., at the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration.  Newman is a 12-year veteran of DCFS and was nominated by his colleagues because he goes above and beyond his daily job.  "I work with everybody and listen to the kids," he explained. 

 

Recently, a 16-year-old youth who had many foster placements over the years mentioned to Newman that she felt most happy running track and field.   Newman remembered an adoption applicant he had met four years earlier who was a track coach.  The coach's adoption placement with another child had long since been finalized, but Newman took the time to write a touching letter about this young woman to the former applicant.  A week later, Newman received a reply that the former applicant offered to help find the foster youth a mentor.  Newman's colleagues and supervisors say that this is the type of work he is known for.

 

This year's other Foster Care Hero recipients include Tereana Jolly, a non-relative extended family member; Amanda Riddle of L.A. Youth; Sue Thompson, a Court Appointed Special Advocate;

 

-MORE-

 

Katherine Kirkpatrick and John Michalski, foster parents; Guadalupe Valdivia, a former foster youth; Maria "Connie" Mercado, a foster mother; Beverly Marie King, a former foster youth; and Brighton Collectibles, an "Adopt a Family" sponsor.

 

Los Angeles Foster Care Awareness Campaign activities throughout May are coordinated by representatives from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Alliance for Children's Rights, the Dependency Court Judiciary, the Los Angeles Affiliate of the National Association of Counsel for Children, the Los Angeles County Children's Planning Council, and Public Counsel Law Center, Children's Action Network, The Association of Community Human Service Agencies (ACHSA), Court Appointed Special Advocates  (CASA), Free Arts for Abused Children,  The Hub, Kids in Dependency System Foster Care Program at Harbor-UCLA Medial Center (K.I.D.S.), Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).

 

 

  

 

 

####