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Foster Care Program Embraces Leadership Change
 On December 16, Cunningham’s Specialized Foster Care Program will see a change in leadership when Associate Director Barb Alsup retires and Foster Care Therapist Robin Mathis steps up to take her place.
Barb helped create the Foster Care program in 1997, and has seen it grow and thrive during her tenure. She reflects, "We put a lot of effort into the kids. I always think we’re launching them into adulthood. We as a team have always been able to really focus on the child and figure out what we can do to help them make that transition." Barb is retiring but not leaving Cunningham, shifting her focus to Foster Parent outreach on a part-time contractual basis.
Incoming Associate Director Robin Mathis’s connection to Cunningham began when she became a Cunningham foster parent. Robin has been in the child welfare field for many years, holding an MSW from the University of Illinois and having worked in child welfare agencies in the Chicago and Champaign-Urbana area.
After spending several years as a Cunningham Foster Parent and one year as the program’s therapist, Robin says she feels honored to take on this new role. She reflects, "the Cunningham family wraps themselves around a kid – to make them feel the caring. Starting with the welcome basket, we fulfill our responsibility to the kids to the fullest. We go way beyond."
Barb adds, "There are a lot of advantages to having foster care within Cunningham. We draw on the resources of the entire agency – the intake department, human resources, nurses, psychiatrists. We are very well-connected and supported, and are able to provide things that make a difference for kids, like gifts at Christmas and hand-made quilts made by people who really make this program possible, even if we don’t see them every day."
Agrees Robin, "It’s a lot of arms that reach out to Cunningham kids. Who can not feel comfort in so many arms?"
Reflecting on her retirement, Barb says, "Leaving Cunningham Children’s Home is really difficult. I’ve always planned on retiring in December of 2005, and it’s time for me to move on. When you get ready to retire, you really want to look back and feel you have left a legacy. I think Cunningham has afforded me the opportunity to leave a legacy, and I’m grateful for that."
Robin listens, and then adds, "I feel blessed to be a part of this program, and to build on what Barb created. Barb may be small in stature, but she has left mighty big shoes to fill."
More information on how you can become a foster parent can be found on the Specialized Foster Care page of our website.
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