Our Children: Fostering, Mentoring and Adoption in Virginia

The Democratic Women of Clifton and Northern Virginia are hosting the program Our Children: Fostering, Mentoring and Adoption in Virginia with special guests Nannette Bowler - Director of the Department of Social Services for Fairfax County, Paul D. McWhinney - Director of Family Services for Virginia Department of Social Services and VA Adopts and Dr. Beverly Howard - Coordinator of Fairfax Families4Kids.
They will talk about their work in at the local and state level working and advocating for the welfare of children and specifically with fostering, mentoring and adoption. You will hear how you can become involved and make a difference in the lives of children.  

Everyone is welcome! This meeting is open to the public.  For details: cliftonwomendems@aol.com, http://www.dwcnv.org, or call Jane Barker, Chair, at 703 830 1355. 

About the Speakers:

Nannette Bowler currently serves as Director of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services.  She directs the operation of this major county department, which includes over 1700 employees and a budget of more than $211 million, with services for children, youth and families, adult and aging,self-sufficiency, the Office for Women/Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, and a variety of programs operated from the Office for Children.  Previously, Bowler was chief judge of the Family Division for the 8th Judicial Circuit, Ionia County, Michigan. 
Paul D. McWhinney is Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Director of Family Services in Virginia's Department of Social Services. He oversees VA Adopts, areas of social services benefits, child and family services, child care and early childhood development, and the Enterprise Delivery System Program Office. He has over 39 years of experience in varied positions in the human services field in the Commonwealth of Virginia in Richmond, Charlottesville, and Albemarle County.
Dr. Beverly Howard is the Coordinator for Fairfax Families4Kids, She has 30 years of experience working with "at-risk" youth and families.  She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Maryland, and she has taught at the University level.  She is also an adoptive parent. 

Fairfax Families4Kids matches teenagers in foster care in Fairfax County with mentors and potential adoptive families.  Through numerous partnerships in the community, this program provides regularly scheduled activities where the teenagers and caring adult volunteers can spend quality time getting to know each other and establishing permanent relationships. The program has been instrumental in assisting many teenagers in Fairfax County find adoptive families or permanent connections. The teenagers in Fairfax Families4Kids also give back to the community by hosting and participating in service projects.