VALDOSTA – Choices of Life of Georgia LLC, a Valdosta-based foster child placing agency, was recently awarded the Outstanding Agency award at the Georgia Conference on Children & Families earlier this month.

The conference was held in Augusta and is hosted by Together Georgia. The largest annual interdisciplinary event in Georgia designed to convene the community that serves children and families. The Choices of Life of Georgia LLC staff has been serving as a child placing agency and behavioral health clinic for children and adolescents across South Georgia since 2004.

The staff members celebrating the accomplishment together include Sara Riley, president; Marshall Harper, executive director; Pam Brewer, foster care supervisor; TaCara Matchett, foster care case manager; Karen Cromwell, foster care case manager; Qualynn “Q” Wilson, CQI coordinator; Cathy Burks, recruitment & training specialist; Destin Poppell, foster care case manager; and Katorah Garrett, foster care training supervisor.

The majority of the Valdosta staff was present during an interview Tuesday afternoon about the agency’s accomplishment. Riley said the most important factor in their accomplishment is that their peers throughout the state of Georgia recognized the growth and maturity of the agency.

“We’ve learned a lot since we’ve opened and been here. We’ve learned the needs of the community and what the children and families need from us as an agency. [We’ve learned] how to provide the best quality service to meet the needs of our community not just overall but specifically to South Georgia. That’s really where we focus and where we shine is the professionalism and quality we provide to our South Georgia Children and families,” Riley explained.

She said the agency has consistently been rated an A plus rated CPA – child placing agency.

“That speaks volumes. The fact that we do place hard to place children and we are a specialized foster care agency in South Georgia with a small group, the support of our team, village, collaborations and partnerships. We are not only consistently A plus program but bringing this Outstanding Agency award for the state is monumental,” Riley said.

Accepting the Outstanding Agency Award touched each of the employees’ hearts. It provided Foster Care Case Manager Karen Cromwell motivation to keep serving families and the momentum for the staff to further its overall mission.

“There’s a lot of moving parts in this type of environment so to be able to have an agency as small as this come together and really be able to meet the needs of the families means a lot,” Cromwell said.

The agency assists children from across Georgia and who are in the custody of the state Department of Human Services. They often place the children with foster parents residing in a 50-mile radius of the Valdosta office.

“Our foster homes, which really make us who they are, are from a 50-mile radius so they are life-blood to these children. They are the ones who are opening their hearts and homes to the children from throughout the state. Although we take placement, our hearts are here with our foster parents,’ Riley said.

The case managers often have to balance and maintain contact with several families and entities all the time. Matchett has been working at the office for a year and six months. She said the job can be challenging but ultimately it’s very rewarding.

“I love interacting with the children and the families especially. I have some really great families on my caseload. I’ve always been a people person. I work with my heart and my hands,” Matchett said.

FCRT Supervisor Katorah Garrett and the staff members also want to raise awareness of their behavioral health services.

Garrett said, “We’re here. There are a lot of CPAs in the area and we actually were the first to come to this region. Although we’re a smaller agency, the awareness of the services that we provide … we’re the only CPA that also provides behavioral health services for the community. With that comes a plethora of resources for the community.”

To the foster families the staff and community shared comments of gratitude.

“Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication and for opening your heart and homes to Georgia’s most vulnerable youth,” Garret said. “Thank you for your support and partnership throughout the years. It most definitely takes a village with the population that we serve. Part of our success relies on their partnership.”

Riley said, “I’m beyond grateful. It takes a village and a team. We’re beyond blessed and grateful for the opportunities we’ve had.”

To learn more about the Choices of Life of Georgia LLC please visit the www.choicesforlifecfc.com or contact Katorah Garrett at recruitment.training@cflfostercare.com.