News Release
Kathi Crowe To Head National Foster Care Coalition
June 2, 2008
Contact:
Maria Garin Jones
Assistant Director
National Foster Care Coalition
mjones@nationalfostercare.org
202.280-2039 or 703.340.8471
Kathi Crowe, deputy director of FosterClub and Board chair of the National Foster Care Coalition (NFCC), has been named NFCC Executive Director. The NFCC Board of Directors appointed Crowe, who will assume her position on July 1, 2008, after completing a national search. She replaces Robin Nixon, one of the organization's founders.
Crowe has served as the NFCC Board chair for the past several years. She also has served as a consultant to the State of Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families and adjunct faculty member at the Rhode Island College School of Social Work, and the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. She has more than 30 years of experience working on issues of critical importance to vulnerable children, youth, and families. For more than 20 years, her work has focused on the needs of youth transitioning out of foster care.
"Ms. Crowe's perspective as an alumna of the foster care system and her diverse set of skills and national experiences in program and policy, youth development, direct service provision, and training make her uniquely qualified for this position," says NFCC Board Vice Chair Jeannette Pai-Espinosa, president of the National Crittenton Foundation. "It particularly is significant that she has extensive experience addressing the challenges of implementing federal policies on the state and local levels and is passionate about youth engagement," adds Pai-Espinosa, who will step into the role of NFCC Board chair.
Crowe received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Connecticut and is an experienced and sought-after author, public speaker, and teacher. She has served on numerous boards and is currently a member of the National Independent Living Association and the Child Welfare League of America's National Advisory Committee on Youth Development.
Robin Nixon has led the National Foster Care Coalition for the past eight years, steering the organization through its growth from an informal coalition under the umbrella of Casey Family Programs to an independent, respected nonprofit organization with a membership of more than 40 national organizations. "Under Nixon's leadership, NFCC has grown in size, credibility, and impact. She will be missed," says Pai-Espinosa.
Established in 1998 as the National Foster Care Awareness Project through the leadership of Casey Family Programs and Annie E. Casey Foundation, the National Foster Care Coalition (NFCC) is now a unique partnership of member organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the lives of children, youth, and adults in and from foster care through political and public will building. As part of their compassionate commitment, NFCC members advocate on behalf of children, youth, and families involved with the foster care system; support local, regional, and national foster care initiatives; offer significant levels of training and technical assistance; and provide education and information about foster care to decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels.
