McAllister respected as an expert on child welfare and adoption
McAllister respected as an expert on child welfare and adoption
JOAN BURGE
Columnist
What is a social worker? A professional who provides advocacy, social services and treatment to the economically, physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged people in our society. Clinton County Job and Family Services/Child Protective Unit has one person who has provided advocacy, social services and a voice for children and families for more than 30 years. Liz Holmes McAllister, a licensed social worker (LSW), is respected within Clinton County and the state of Ohio as an expert on child welfare and adoption.
Liz started employment on Feb. 1, 1978, right after the “Big Blizzard.” Where was her office? Liz along with Director Brenda Bloom, a secretary and two other caseworkers shared the “stage” in the back of the Clinton County Courthouse. There was just an open stage with one typewriter for the secretary and caseworkers multi-tasking doing investigations, foster care and taking turns at the Children’s Home on U.S. 68 in Clinton County. Executive Director Brenda Bloom and the two caseworkers had large caseloads and worked long hours “just putting out fires,” as Brenda said. There were many children placed in the Children’s Home due to delinquency dispositions from the juvenile court. Children Services, as it was called then, not only worked with neglected and abused children and their parents but with delinquent children through the court system.
Dating back in the 1800s, there were programs that were to work with children that were abandoned, abused and neglected but there was no enforcement.
In 1921, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) was founded. In 1924, the first study, “How Foster Children Turn Out” was published. In 1958, the CWLA published standards of adoption services, which have been revised many times since that date. In 1971, the CWLA established the National Foster Parents Association. But, children still spent many years in care without a permanent plan and tracking and record keeping were not a priority. States were putting out fires or just putting band aids on a growing social ill in America.
In 1978, Child Welfare was truly still in the infancy mode as children languished in the care of the state for years. Children in our county and all through the United States “aged out” of the state’s care without a permanent home to call their own.
In 1980, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act offered significant funding for states that supported subsidy programs for special needs adoptions and devoted resources to family preservation, reunification and the prevention of abuse and neglected children. The state of Ohio and Clinton County adopted a more progressive stance in regard to permanent planning for children and began tracking cases.
Liz Mc Allister had been with the agency just two years and was still on the courthouse “stage.” Liz was promoted to adoption coordinator in 1984. She developed a well balanced program of adoption services for Clinton County that always kept child protection at the forefront. She was Clinton County’s recruiter and orientation person for all adoptive families. In the ’90s, Liz developed a comprehensive training program for adoptive families. Adopt Ohio chronicled her unique and creative efforts in a best practice book. She assisted at creating an adoptive parents support group.
She did all the home studies and subsidies, all having the basic premise of assuring any child that comes into an adoptive placement in Clinton County will have the best prepared family possible.
By 1993, Liz McAllister had provided more than 50 adoptions and had a zero disruption rate in all of her homes. She continued to advocate for all children. In 14 years at the agency, she had personally assisted more than 100 people in their search for their birth families and life histories. She appreciates the importance of finding the missing pieces of a life, connecting and making peace. Because of her self-less and outstanding work, Liz Holmes McAllister received the Adoption Worker of the Year in 1993 at the Public Children Services conference.
In the late 1990s, Liz assisted at developing at strong effective and committed team of workers that she supervises in the adoption, foster care and kinship program in Clinton County. As one adoptive family said, “Liz has a unique talent of not only listening to our minds, but also listening to our hearts when considering a child for placement in our family.”
Liz and her husband, Mick, listened to their hearts back in 1985 when they adopted Patrick and then in 1987 when they adopted, Megan. There is a saying that no one can understand another person until you have walked in their shoes. Liz walks in their shoes and lives in the adoptive world 24 hours a day seven days a week. She has transcended theory and practice to find the best life for children.
Liz’s peaceful manner that helps the general community to understand that people who work in child welfare are just regular human beings trying to bring the best to children and families will be missed.
Liz McAllister will be retiring the end of July after 30-plus years from Clinton County Child Protection unit. She and the unit have grown. Liz left the courthouse stage but will always be a star in the child welfare field. Presently the agency is now housed at the “old K-Mart building in Clinton County.” So, Liz went from the county courthouse stage to the Blue Light special. Liz is very special in the hearts of many adoptive families and children. She will be missed.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Joan Burge, a licensed social worker, has worked with Children Services in investigation, protection, foster care and adoption.