Staff Spotlight: Tara Willard
She's an adoptive mom. She's an incredible advocate. She co-runs a local support group for caregivers of children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. She serves as the Assistant for Lehigh and Northampton Counties for the Keystone Family Alliance (who also happened to feature her as their staff spotlight this month!) Oh yeah - and in her "free time," she serves as a Case Aide for The Salvation Army Children's Services!
Meet Tara Willard, an all-around amazing human who we are fortunate to have as part of our team. In addition to her regular duties transporting children to and from their family visits, Tara recently led a a very informative and empowering training for our staff on the topic of FASD. Her personal and professional knowledge on this topic makes her an amazing resource to our local community for this important (but often overlooked) topic facing our foster care and adoption population and beyond. As part of her role with the Keystone Family Alliance, she is also hard at work behind the scenes coordinating Care Communities for our foster families. We are so grateful for Tara and everything she brings to our program!
Get to know Tara:
What is your role at The Salvation Army and what does it entail?
I have done several things at The Salvation Army. I am a case aide transporting to/from visits or appointments. I have also done visit coaching and a FASD training for staff. I am also coordinating the care communities for the families.
What drew you to a career in social work?
Growing up, I always enjoyed helping people and did a lot of volunteer work during my teenage years. While I knew I wanted to go into a helping profession, I started out as a nursing major in my first year of college. I wasn't feeling that was the right fit for me and was introduced to social work by a career counselor. My social work internship was at an alternative school for at-risk teens. During that internship, I worked with kids placed in foster care or those with child welfare involvement. Following graduation, my first job was as a foster care caseworker. After having our own children, my husband and I became foster parents off and on for about 10 years and adopted two of our foster children. Almost two years ago, I started at The Salvation Army and am passionate about the child welfare field and not only finding families for kids but also helping bio families to regain their strength and be the best they can be.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the child welfare system, what would it be?
It was always hard to see kids having to move placements too many times. I wish that there could be more permanency that when a child is placed, they can stay in that home until they are reunified or adopted.
What is one piece of advice you have for people considering becoming foster or adoptive parents?
This is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do, but also the most challenging. Therefore, don't ever stop learning. Lear more about your child or children with trauma or other special needs or how to deal with the behaviors. Don't look at the trainings that you have to do to maintain your foster care license as something you have to do, but something you get to do. It will help you grow as a person and as a parent. As a foster/adoptive parent, I wouldn't be the parent I am today without all I have learned along the way.
What are you doing for self-care these days?
I enjoy taking a walk on the walking trails near my house or sitting on the porch swing and watching the wildlife in the yard.
Just for fun...what are your favorite:
- Animal - Monkey
- Color - Purple
- Food - Mexican or Chicken Stir-Fry
- Ice Cream Flavor - Ben and Jerry's Non-Dairy - any flavor
- Sport - Football - Philadelphia Eagles especially!
- Vacation Destination - Anything with water
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