Staff Spotlight: Nicole Hirschman
August was a very special month for our Senior Foster Care Caseworker, Nicole, as she celebrated her 25th anniversary with The Salvation Army Children's Services! Nicole started her career as a foster care caseworker in 1999. Since then, she has lovingly served hundreds of families, and put countless thousands of miles on several cars driving to home visits. She has spent hours in court, seen many children be reunited with their parents, and witnessed countless forever families being formed.
Foster care has a reputation for being a field with high turnover and quick burnout for staff. The fact that Nicole has beaten these odds is a true testament to her caring heart and devotion to helping kids and families.
Get to know Nicole:
What is your role at The Salvation Army and what does it entail?
I am the Senior Foster Care Caseworker. I work very closely with the foster child(ren) and the foster parents. Some of my responsibilities include providing support and continued contact with our families, participating in home visits, attending court and supervising birth family visitation.
What drew you to a career in social work?
I have a B.A. in Psychology, and thought initially I would want to get my Master's in counseling. My main goal was to work with children of any age. I have been able to learn and grow from when I started until now. I had thought about a career in social work after my job directly after graduating from college; however, I did not begin with social work. I knew I wanted to make a difference in a child's life, and so began my career of many years with The Salvation Army Children's Services.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the child welfare system, what would it be?
To enforce the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) so children who are in foster care 15 out of 22 months do not linger in foster care. Some counties implement a dual goal, in order to move forward with one. This would be if a birth parent has been engaging in court ordered services, the goal could continue to be reunification. However, if a birth parent(s) is not fulfilling the services for what has been court ordered, the county can move the case along to termination of parental rights. This way, a child will not need to be in foster care for years on end.
What is one piece of advice you have for people considering becoming foster/adoptive parents?
Although a placement may seem exciting to you, it really is not for the child(ren). They are being taken away from what they know...their birth family. To make it seem like a celebration is overwhelming to them and does not make them feel at ease at all. It is imperative that the child feel welcomed and safe. They may not have had this with birth family. A foster child should not be expected to conform to the foster home. The foster family, within reasonable limits, should observe what the comfort level is for the child, and engage with him or her as a child who is coming from a background of trauma.
What are you doing for self-care these days?
I like to read, watch my favorite sitcoms and play with my youngest daughter.
And just for fun...what are your favorite:
- Animal - Dog
- Color - Hunter Green
- Food - Fettucine Alfredo
- Ice Cream Flavor - Toss up between Chocolate Peanut Butter and Mint Chocolate Chip
- Sport - My daughter plays JV basketball, and I love watching her play
- Vacation Destination - I have been to Turks and Caicos once and would go back in a heartbeat. Much closer to me is Ocean City, MD.
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