How did you become interested in social work?
In those years there were certain fields that were desirable for women: nursing, teaching, and social work; whereas nowadays, it’s wide open. I did a summer program in college called “Careers in Social Work.” It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the work, so I thought, “Well, it’ll be a good choice for me.”
How did you get involved with The Cradle?
My daughter was in preschool, and one of her friend’s mothers recommended a newsletter called Social Workers Employed Less than Full-time, or SELF. I wasn’t working at the time, and I thought, “part-time work with young children, I would like that.” So they sent me a complimentary copy, and The Cradle had an ad in it for a part-time social worker. In college, I had two internships at a New York adoption agency called Spence-Chapin that I really enjoyed. So when this opportunity came up, it sounded perfect.
How has your work at The Cradle changed?
When I was first given the job in 1979, it was 22 hours a week doing home studies for adoptive families. The Cradle was a wonderful place: it was ten minutes from my house, a beautiful building in a great location. One thing The Cradle has always had is a wonderfully warm, caring and supportive staff. It was a tiny staff in those years, maybe 15-20 people in this big building. We only used the first floor, and part of the second floor for the communications department and Nursery.
The home study process has changed quite a bit. The overarching goal of assessing and preparing families is similar, but in the years that I’ve been here The Cradle has moved from traditional closed domestic adoption to an open adoption agency.
Around five years ago the domestic and international teams merged, and at that point I learned how to do international home studies. I’ve really enjoyed those because you get to learn about what’s going on in foreign countries and what the children in those countries who need homes are like. It’s a somewhat different preparation process.
When Julie Tye came to The Cradle in 1992, there were a lot of structural changes. I became one of two Clinical Directors of Adoption, for which I supervise around six people. I’ve also continued to work with clients.
Do you have any favorite Cradle stories?
One of the many great families I’ve worked with is the Martha King and Chris Deeney family, who have adopted four children. I’ve worked with them since they came to us in the late nineties for the adoption of their first child, Grayson. They made this beautiful connection to his birth family, both to his birthmother and his birthmother’s large, extended family. They’ve also taken it upon themselves to form an adoption support group, which has grown by leaps and bounds. Every year they have a big adoption party at their home! I have even sent them a couple of my more recent clients to mentor, and they have done a wonderful job.
Last February we had a baby girl in our Nursery, Sandra, who it was going to take some time to place because of legal issues. So we decided since she was already four or five weeks old to put her in a temporary care home. We approached Chris and Martha, who already had three young children. They said “sure, absolutely, we’ll care for her.”
And lo and behold, they started getting attached to Sandra. One day the baby got sick, to the point where it was severe enough to rush her to Evanston Hospital. Chris spent three nights with her in the hospital.
You’ll never guess what happened… when we were finally able resolve the legal issues, they stepped up and said, “She’s our daughter. We have to adopt her; we want to.” So they adopted Sandra and made her part of their family.
Chris and Martha are excellent parents. They really understand adoption, they understand openness, and they’re very empathic to birthparents.
What’s the best part of your job?
Helping people to be prepared for adoption and become a family is a pretty profound experience, and very gratifying. Being able to work with some absolutely spectacular families, to develop the relationships I’ve had with my coworkers, and to supervise and mentor a really marvelous staff makes every day an exciting day to come to work. When adoption grabs your heart, it doesn’t let go. It’s a very thrilling field to be in.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at The Cradle?
I like to watch Cubs baseball, read fiction (John Irving is a favorite) and work out on my treadmill when I have time. This summer my husband and I plan to spend weekends at our condo on the lake in St. Joseph, Michigan.
