December 2007

FAMILY NAMED FOSTER FAMILY OF THE YEAR

An Adelphoi Village foster family was named the 2007 Foster Family of the Year by the Pennsylvania State Foster Parent Association (PSFPS). Allen and Jean Grabowski of Delmont, PA, accepted this distinguished honor at the Pennsylvania State Foster Parent Association (PSFPA) 31^st Annual Awards banquet at the Harrisburg/Hershey Holiday Inn in Grantville, PA.

The Grabowskis have opened their home to foster children for nearly thirty years. They are PSFPA members and have worked with a few different agencies over the years. They have been active foster parents at Adelphoi Village for the past seven years.

According to Jennifer Christian, caseworker for Adelphoi Village, the Grabowskis have a staggering amount of patience, care, love, respect, and resilience. “Al and Jean work with youth ages 10 through 18, including children who are dependent on probation, or have mental health issues. The Grabowskis have opened their home to kids who were removed from their previous homes due to various reasons. Al and Jean do not discriminate when deciding what youth that they welcome into their home. They feel that all children deserve a chance at having a safe, happy, and loving home.”

The Grabowskis indicated that they enjoy seeing the children grow and prosper. “We feel supported by our caseworker and the agency, which makes our job as foster parents easier,” Jean noted. “Adelphoi Village is always there for us.”

Of their dedication, Christian added “As foster parents, Al and Jean are in positions where the rewards are not always very clear to others. They have given up many of their own personal freedoms in order to continue working with children who deliberately disobey rules, miss check-ins, lie to parents, and that cannot be trusted. The Grabowskis are willing to do whatever it takes to give a youth a chance to change their behaviors. They try to give a child a fresh outlook as to prepare them to be successful in life.”

Adelphoi Village, a service of Adelphoi USA, provides care and treatment to over 800 youth and their families on a daily basis. Headquartered in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the program provides a continuum of services that also includes group homes, a charter school, multisystemic therapy, education services, supervised independent living, adoption services, secure care, and mental health programs.

For more information on Adelphoi Village’s foster and adoptive services, please contact Nne-Nne Abanobi at nne-nnea@adelphoivillage.org.