Comments:
Moved to Washington state from Minnesota in 1990 with my second husband who I married in 1987. Have worked at University of Washington as the Family Advocate in the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic clinic since 1995; established a non-profit to provide supports, programs, and resources to family raising children affected by prenatal alcohol and drugs; we became foster parents in 1991; fostered 31 children over 19 years and we have adopted 10 of them. Train perspective foster parents/adoptive parents/and relative placements on variety of topics including educational advocacy, culture, grief and loss, attachment, abuse and neglect; train all over the United States, Canada, Europe on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Coordinate the Special Olympics teams in our area; Expert Panel member for the FASD Center for Excellence with SAMHSA and various other steering committees in Washington state and on the federal level; worked with the CDC on variety of grants regarding interventions and prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD); authored and co-authored variety of articles and publications on FASD for professional journals; graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in both Human Services and Business Management. We are still currently raising 7 of our adopted children and enjoy our family activities very much.
