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Freddie Mac Foundation

Foundation Rewards Social Workers' Commitment With Scholarships

March 8, 2004 — At the recent 2004 Child Welfare League of America Conference (CWLA), the Freddie Mac Foundation joined the organization in presenting graduate school scholarships to some of the nation's most dedicated social workers and celebrating the child welfare workforce, individuals and organizations committed to the well-being of children, youth and families.

"It is always so inspiring to honor our unsung heroes," said Maxine B. Baker, President and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation. "These professionals carry out the day- to-day responsibility for children in both the child welfare and allied systems. And though the decisions they make are often a matter of life or death, their contributions are not always recognized."

The scholarship program, known as the Freddie Mac Foundation – David S. Liederman Child Welfare Scholarships, began in 1994, when the Foundation was less than three years old. The Foundation adopted this program to encourage and reward some of the nation's most extraordinary social workers. From its beginning, the Freddie Mac Foundation has been committed to motivating the best and the brightest to enter the child welfare workforce, remain there, and sharpen their skills.

Over the past 10 years, more than 100 exemplary individuals have received $10,000 scholarships for graduate study – $5,000 from the Freddie Mac Foundation and $5,000 from the home agencies who nominated them. A recent survey of past winners found that 84 percent of them are still working with their sponsoring agencies, and 89 percent are still working in the child welfare field.

This year's national level winners received $9,000 from the Freddie Mac Foundation, to reflect the rising cost of tuition, in addition to the $5,000 match from their agencies. The national level winners for 2004 are:

  • Michael Hill, a caseworker in the Independent Living Program at Gateway, in Birmingham, Alabama. Michael excels at helping adolescents transition to independence.

  • James Morris, who works in the Therapeutic Foster Boarding Home Department at Abbott House, Irvington on Hudson, New York. James is a bilingual and multi-talented individual as well as a therapeutic foster parent for another CWLA agency and the adoptive father of eight boys, all former foster children.

At the regional level, scholarship recipients are given $7,000 by the Freddie Mac Foundation, to reflect the rising cost of tuition, in addition to the $5,000 match from their agencies. The regional level winners this year are:

  • Ryan Barrieau, from the Street Outreach Program at Child and Family Services of New Hampshire.

  • Karen Berg, from the PATH program in Minot, North Dakota.

  • Celeste Lopez, from the Substance Abuse Treatment Center at Arizona Children's Association.

  • Cindy Otter, from the Intermountain Children's Home and Services in Helena, Montana.

  • Troydenius McNeal, from Chris Homes.

  • Lauren Williams, from Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth.

  • Susan Wolven, from the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services, Cincinnati, Ohio.

In addition to honoring social workers, each year, CWLA honors those members of the U.S. Congress who have demonstrated their commitment to improving the well-being of children, youth, and families, and who, over the past year, provided strong leadership efforts to improve federal policies that help children and families.

This year's recipient is Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH), a compassionate leader in the United States Senate, an adoptive parent, and a champion for all children. In 2003, Senator DeWine, as chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, led the fight to strengthen the child welfare system in our nation's Capitol. With his support and tenacity, $14 million in additional funds was given to improve the child welfare workforce, support early intervention, and provide mental health screenings, assessment, and treatment for children in the child welfare system.

The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization, has been known and respected as a champion for children since 1920. The organization's primary objective is making children a national priority and engaging the nation in promoting the well-being of children and young people and protecting them from harm. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Freddie Mac Foundation's partnership with CWLA. To find out more, visit www.cwla.org.