Page 14 - Our Hands Fall 2020

FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION

From

Foster Child

TO

FOSTER PARENT

RECRUITER

Featuring: Katie McCuen

e sat down with Katie McCuen, who is a foster parent recruiter for Samaritas.
Katie was herself a foster child and brings a unique perspective to her role and
Wher interactions with potential fosters. We are thankful that she shared her
experience with us.
Katie’s experience is not uncommon. She entered into foster care three different times,
starting when she was 14. She aged out of foster care when she turned 21. She was in
residential care, but she had placement with a relative as well.
Katie’s mother, in addition to being abusive and
neglectful, was going to give her away to a man she
met on Craigslist for a monetary exchange. Katie
didn’t want to be in relative placement, but that also
meant she had to move across counties, so it was hard
for her to stay in school. Eventually, Katie made it
through, and went on to Western Michigan University,
where she became a social worker so she could work in
foster care…which is something she always wanted to
do.

Because of Katie’s unique experience as a teen foster child, she
wanted to work with teens. Beyond recruiting foster parents, Katie
also lends her skills and passion to our independent living program,
which helps kids who are aging out of foster care become independent
and resourceful so they can live on their own.
Katie knows firsthand that there aren’t as many foster homes
for teenagers as there are for babies or even small children. Her
orientations, which went totally online during the COVID crisis,
are netting great results. She also does a lot of social media outreach,
sharing stories, advice for potential foster parents about what to
expect.
Katie’s lifelong goal is to open, with her best friend, an independent
living foster community, to help give those teens a safe, secure, loving
environment that they can call home. If you would like to start your foster journey and change a child's
life, please visit Samaritas.org/FosterCare

New Samaritas Board Member

Franz Salas is a new Foundation Trustee with the Samaritas Foundation Board. He is married to Janet and they
have two children, Gabriella and Marcus. He attends St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion. He holds an MBA in
Healthcare Management from Davenport University and is the Enterprise Account Executive for Google. He enjoys family
time, motorcycling, off-road adventures, scuba and cultural events.
14