Meet Tiffany Moody - Aspiranet Foster Care Social Worker, Ventura

"A social worker’s role is just one of many that contribute to change and development within our communities. People must gain more insight and understanding of what it takes for social change to occur. We must work together. It takes a village."

What motivates you to do this work?
Children. They are immensely resilient and I continue to be amazed at their abilities to grow, develop, love and be loved, despite their history or circumstances.

What are some of your guiding principles?
I believe it is important to always be honest and never make promises that cannot be kept, especially to children. I believe that people should not be judged and that everyone deserves respect. I believe that it is important to maintain integrity in every situation. I believe that everyone has the potential to change, grow, and heal.

What led you to choose this career path?
My love for children and the passion to be a part of a greater effort to improve the lives of children, families, and the community I live in.

In what ways do you feel you’re making a difference in the lives of children?
I would hope that by establishing relationships with children, being consistently present in their lives, and following through with the commitments I’ve made, I’ve shown them compassion and given them hope, even if in the smallest sense.

What sort of challenges do you face in your work as a social worker, and how do you rise above/meet those challenges?
The biggest challenge I have found is that of having to support a case plan recommendation that I do not feel is in the best interest of a child. Getting to know our children and understanding their specific needs, it becomes difficult when they are reunified too quickly or permanency is not pursued because a child may be older and not considered ‘adoptable.’ I believe that establishing good working relationships with other service providers and persistent advocacy has allowed me to rise above this challenge. People will eventually listen.

Another challenge I face is separating work from my personal life. As a social worker, it is sometimes hard not to become emotionally invested and bring the work home. With particularly difficult cases, I have to remind myself that I have put forth my best effort. Having good boundaries is important. Self-care and spending time with my family allows me to clear my head and recharge so that I can return to work and give 100%.

What do you find to be rewarding about your work generally? Specifically in working for Aspiranet?
The staff, the families, the kids. My Aspiranet family is my other family. Despite being a large office, we are a close-knit team, and I continue to be amazed by the skill level and expertise of my coworkers. Working with amazing foster families is also rewarding. These families love their foster children unconditionally, provide excellent care, and are not afraid to speak up and advocate on their own behalves. I rest assured knowing that my foster families are using good judgment, instinct, and their years of parenting experience each day to care for children in foster care. The children on my caseload never cease to amaze me. I love the hugs, the giggles, the smiles on their faces and being a part of their lives, even if for a short time.

In what ways do you think social workers inspire community action? And you specifically in your own work?
I would like to think that as social workers, we have the capacity to instill hope in others. Through community involvement, we can educate and inspire others.

What “makes it all worth it” at the end of the day? Can you provide a specific story or situation which was particularly rewarding/memorable?
What makes it all worth it for me is jumping on a trampoline with a child, watching a baby take his first step, or receiving a picture from a teen’s high school prom. Watching children enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood is precious. Adoption finalization hearings are always rewarding for me. It signifies the end of a (usually) long journey and the birth of a new one.

A recent high school graduation I attended will remain in my mind and heart forever. The graduating teen entered an Aspiranet home more than 25 school credits deficient as a sophomore. In two years time, he attended high school and community college and successfully graduated with his class and with one college semester completed. I will never forget the accomplished expression on his face as he walked onto the field at the commencement of the graduation ceremony. He always had the potential; he just needed the right foster family to nourish it. As an adult, this emancipated foster youth remains in the foster home, as they continue to help him prepare for independence.

In what ways do you think social workers have helped shape the quality of American life?
I think social workers in general work to promote growth and development within all populations. By advocating, educating, and providing resources and services, social workers help individuals in need gain the tools necessary in order to achieve fulfillment in their lives. I believe foster care social workers strive to reinvent the concept of family.

Lean more about Aspiranet >

Meet Kerstin Manderson - Aspiranet FFSN and Foster Care Worker, San Jose/Salinas

"I pour my heart into my work. I have compassion for the children I serve and still find myself grieving over the injustices that have occurred to them. I find that I connect most with the children by taking them out for ice cream or throwing a football with them. They become open, honest, and willing to listen to advice."

What do you do as a Social Worker?
I see myself as a bridge creating opportunities for foster children to be successful. I spend time with foster children, counseling them, and ensuring their safety and well-being. I work collaterally with therapists, WRAP teams, County Workers, birth parents, foster parents, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) workers, and other community members such as education liaisons.

What motivates you to do this work?
The bond formed with the foster child and foster family is the highest motivator. Knowing that the child is safe, cared for, and is in the current placement environment encourages me to continue working.

What are some of your guiding principles?
I strive to be empathetic with the foster child and see behavioral acting out as a means of communicating pain and lack of coping skills. I have respect for the foster family and see them as the experts with the foster child. Instead of lecturing I listen and challenge the foster child to create an individual set of beliefs through questioning and thinking while considering the positive and negative consequences.

What led you to choose this career path?
In college I wanted to be a missionary pediatrician because I liked children and I wanted to help those who were not given the same opportunities as I had been given. I questioned my choice when in school I was doing nothing but studying science. I then learned of the social work profession and it seemed to make sense, because I realized that I could get paid for the volunteer work I had been doing and enjoying.

In what ways do you feel you’re making a difference in the lives of children?
I am working with the foster families and monitoring that their children are in safe and supportive environments. I spend time with the children listening to, caring for, and challenging them.

What sort of challenges do you face in your work as a social worker, and how do you rise above/meet those challenges?
I often feel I am pulled in too many different directions. People often tell you what to do and add more work to your load. So, I learn how to set boundaries and prioritize. The kids and foster families are absolutely my number one priority.

What do you find to be rewarding about your work generally? Specifically in working for Aspiranet?
I find it rewarding when I see or hear success stories from the foster children. The foster families working with Aspiranet are extremely caring and dedicated. My co-workers are also very dedicated to their jobs.

In what ways do you think social workers inspire community action? And you specifically in your own work?
I think social workers provide support for, believe in, and challenge people to be successful. We also work as advocates on behalf of our communities. When the California budget proposed a cut to foster care, I and many foster families wrote letters advocating against the cuts.

What “makes it all worth it” at the end of the day? Can you provide a specific story or situation which was particularly rewarding/memorable?
Recently, I was able to connect a foster family unwilling to adopt with a foster family willing to adopt and the County Social Worker. The adoptive family is ecstatic and has begun visiting with the children. The possible adoption has now gone from one identified child to possibly his three other siblings as well. How admirable of a family to be willing to adopt a sibling set of four children, one autistic and another being tested for developmental disabilities. And in addition to a previously adopted son with autism!

In what ways do you think social workers have helped shape the quality of American life?
Social Workers act as the voice for the speechless. They advocate for safety and opportunity.

A Steadfast Foster Mother

by Gretchen Lee

This Mother's Day, we'd like to salute Sherry Davis. After nearly 20 years as a foster parent with Aspiranet, Sherry Davis has taken in almost 40 children. For many years, she specialized in caring for hard-to-place teenaged girls -- a difficult niche for agencies to fill, because many foster parents feel unprepared for dealing with the demands of adolescence.

"There’s hardly anybody that will take teenagers. The whole thing is that they’re always right and you’re always wrong anyway. That’s a teenager. So it’s really hard for them to keep families. Sometimes, when I took the older kids it was like, 'God, what am I doing this for? I don’t need the abuse,'" she says. "But then some little thing will happen, you think 'Well, this is the reason I’m taking them'."

"One little girl I had -- she was really good if you could keep her home," Sherry recalls. "So we finally got her to where she wouldn’t run off as much. And then she would tell me, 'Well, you know, I’ve never had the nurturing you give me.' Then you think maybe you are doing something."

Two of the first children she fostered were each eight years old when they came to live in her home. One stayed in Sherry's home until she was 17 years old. The other stayed until she turned 15 and was reunited with her mother. Both of the girls have remained close to her even after leaving her care.

"They’re both just like my daughters," Sherry says. "The one that left when she was 15 -- she’s got a baby who is a year old now. She comes back and sees me all the time. She's a single mom. She works all the time, and she's doing really good with her baby. The other girl has just married, and visits often, too. Especially with her background, I was always worried about her." Sherry says. "When I got her at eight years old, she was really torn. The bad thing about getting them at eight years old is that it's hard to get their trust because they've been tossed around and lied to. But she's come out of it," Sherry says. "She's always been really good with kids, and now she works at a school with handicapped kids. She's doing really good."

"Aspiranet has always been real good with me. If I have any problems, they’re usually always there. Just like one of my teenagers, we were butting heads, and so they took one of the social workers and set up a training just for me. When I first got babies, I didn’t have anything, so they kinda got together and we all got around and gathered up stuff so I didn’t have to buy it all, and they’re just always there if you need anything. My social worker’s very good. In fact she’s real close to me. If I need anything, I can call the office, because they all know me. I mean, I’ve been there so long. And all I have to do is put a call in."

Currently, Sherry is foster mom to an 8-month-old boy born with fetal alcohol syndrome and a 19-year-old girl with developmental delays. In consideration of the older girl's special needs, Sherry has retired from fostering teenagers and transitioned to caring for infants.
But even the infants she cares for come with some degree of challenges -- especially the one she's now fostering.

"When I got this baby, he was four months old and he was like a newborn. They kept telling me 'He isn’t going to be able to do this, and he isn’t going to be able to do that.' Well, now he’s crawling! He still can't sit up because he doesn't have enough muscle structure, so we have to help him build up his torso to where he can sit. I put him in a high chair and I give him little Cheerios to pick up, because he also has a problem bending his little fingers, his joints are so stiff , and his physical therapist says that will help. They told me that with his condition he would probably never be able to do a whole lot. And I said, 'Okay, we'll see.' Because with my babies and my kids, I always work with them."

Sherry's ability to meet every challenge, and her dedication to nurturing and raising so many foster children over the past few decades makes her an outstanding foster parent. You inspire us, Sherry!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the hardworking and dedicated foster mothers who are also making a childhood brighter. Your commitment does not go unnoticed. You have touched so many lives and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

National Foster Care Month California Capitol Kick-off Event

On Monday, May 3rd, Aspiranet joined other supporters of California foster youth in marking the beginning of the 22nd annual National Foster Care Month with the “Day at the Capitol” event in Sacramento. The day's events included a walk-a-thon, ice cream social and honoree awards program featuring Jimmy Wayne, Country Singer & Founder of Project “Meet Me Halfway”.

For more information about Aspiranet's Foster Care Month events please visit http://www.aspiranetfosterparents.org/