FOSTER PARENT CONSUSLTATION TEAM
BALLOT
If you are a foster parent in REGION 3 NORTH: (Pierce/Kitsap, Jefferson, or Clallam counties), or REGION 3 SOUTH: (Clark, Skamania, Cowlitz, Lewis, Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor, Wahkiakum, or Pacific counties), please vote for one of the following prospective CA Foster Parent Consultation Team (1624) representatives from your area, by placing an “X” in front of the name you would like to select. Return via email to Peggy Hays – . before November 15th. Thank you.
REGION 3 SOUTH:
________Amy Gardner
Amy has been a Foster Parent for over 11 years. Amy and her husband, Mike, are experienced caregivers for drug affected and medically fragile infants. Over the years, they have fostered 15 special needs infants, 3 of which were twins! Amy spends much of her time as a volunteer, where she provides retention events for the families in Cowlitz County, including Holiday events and monthly Kid Fun nights. Amy is also a FPAWS board member, and is on the planning committee for the Pacific Northwest Caregiver Conference. Amy has been the Region 3 South CAFPT (1624) representative for the past 7 years and has brought regional concerns to the table, working side by side with Children's Administration to bring positive solutions to our caregivers.
________Ryan Cook
Ryan and his wife have been foster parents since Jan 2014. They have had 7 children in their home and are in the process of adopting a five year old boy and 17 month old twins. Ryan states he feels there are many areas where improvements can be made in the foster care system. “Foster parents freely give a large part of their lives to help our children, and I feel there are so many ways that we can make that gift easier to give.” Ryan works from home with a flexible schedule as a customer service manager for Amazon.
REGION 3 NORTH:
________Ashleigh Barraza
Ashleigh and her wife have been foster parents in Bremerton since January 2014. They foster and offer respite for boys who are level two and higher. They are also in the process of adopting a 6 year old boy, who was placed in their home in February. Ashleigh has experience in advocacy and was a part of the founding of the American Military Partner Association. There she established and maintained media connections, developed regional chapters, fundraised, and managed social media. She is also a co-founder of the Military Freedom Coalition. Currently Ashleigh works part time providing technical support and designing courses for Successful Solutions, a company that offers on-line training for childcare providers. She volunteers with the Fostering Together clothes closet, as well as Community and Family Services, and the Kitsap County Foster Care Association.
_________Matt Wilke
Matt and his wife have been foster parents since January 2014, and have had placement of 6 children. Mike is a RN working in the Emergency Department of Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma. He and his wife live in Puyallup. Although new to the foster care system, Matt feels his drive and motivation would make him an asset to the 1624 team. Currently licensed through Youth for Christ, Mike helps educate and bring awareness to his church, as well as other local churches regarding the foster care system. He is eager to become more involved on the policy/legislative level where changes happen. Matt is passionate about foster care and feels becoming a 1624 representative will give him the opportunity to serve the foster community. He also hopes to “build/strengthen the stance on prevention and reunification.”
____________Michael Thomas
Mike and his wife Jennifer have been licensed foster parents for just over one year, and have had two placements in their home. They are in the process of adopting a 21 month old boy, hoping to finalize in the next month or two. Mike is very interested in becoming a 1624 representative and feels it could be beneficial to have a “newer” foster parent on the team, who would bring fresh ideas and new insight. Mike brings more than 5 years of past law enforcement experience to the table, and currently works for a family run sign making business in Orting. He and Jennifer live in Spanaway.