Because I get to be very hands-on in creating change for people, I find being a social worker is one of the most rewarding professions in the world. Social work offers me a daily opportunity to make change happen. In my many years of experience in child welfare services, I have seen sad stories, but I have also experienced many great endings. The ability to influence people and offer guidance, support and kindness to those who are hurting every day is what keeps me going.
My original interest in social work comes from my love of children and family. Through my own family experiences and life events, I came to value life and the importance of family. This spurred an interest in helping others. Social work quenches that interest.
With a Bachelor of Social Work from Briar Cliff University, I worked for the Iowa Department of Human Services for 12 years; 5 years as a child welfare case manager and 7 years exclusively with recruiting, licensing and maintaining foster to adoptive homes.
My desire to educate, support and seek quality adoptive families inspired me to start my own adoption agency, 4-R-Kids in 2003. I have chosen to practice exclusively in private adoption because I am aware of the vast majority of people who have a strong desire to parent. I want to be a part of helping individuals and couples become parents and share my appreciation of strong families. Whether my clients have fertility issues or want to expand and share their existing family with another child, I can be of help. I want to be a part of helping my clients’ dreams come true and to heal the hurting of those who have not yet been able to parent.
To further my own education and expand my expertise, I obtained my Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW). I chose to continue my education and experience in therapy to support the children and families I work with and obtained my Licensed Independent Social Work license in 2013.