Community Development Workers
Our Community Development Workers cover all of Manitoba. Their purpose is to
provide support to all of Manitoba’s Foster Parents with any concerns they may have,
including maintaining a healthy working relationship with their agencies. They all
have extensive knowledge of the child welfare system and can help to connect
resources to the need. Community Development Workers are organized by regions of
the province (see the regional map of Manitoba on page 6) however foster parents
may find themselves working with someone from another region as all of our Direct
Service Providers work as a team.
Northern Region
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The northern region is wide and vast. One of the northern Community
Development Workers, Valerie Bighetty has been with us since May of
2008. Originally from The Pas, she has ensured a northern perspective
is applied to supporting the wide needs of northern foster resources.
With Valerie’s support, and cooperation from all northern agencies, the
foster parents of the northern region are on their way to creating
local associations in their perspective regions. She has also been a
key component in our efforts to establish a peer support program
specific to the north. |
 |
Megan Lysohirka is originally from OCN and currently resides in The
Pas. Her primary focus at the Network is to work with foster parents to
identify community-specific educational needs. Megan's knowledge of
fostering and experience as an educator is a great asset to supporting
foster parents in the North. |
Southern Region
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Like the northern region, the southern region covers a rather large area and encompasses a variety of foster resource needs. Lisa Moxam has worked in the region since starting at the Network in 2006. Originally supported by 1.3 staff, we have scaled down this staffing contingent to just one full-time position with the assistance of the Peer Support Providers. Rich with large local associations, Lisa finds herself able to support large groups of foster parents through the assistance of these local support systems. We continue to seek ways to support all areas of her region in creating or sustaining local associations. |
Winnipeg Region
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The Winnipeg region, although the
smallest of the three regions, has the largest
concentration of foster resources.
Joanne Thornhill, Community Development
Worker for the Winnipeg region,
has been working diligently to ensure
we’re supporting the foster families of
the region in a manner best suited for this
urban environment. Joanne has been
with the Network since 2007 and has quickly become one of
the well-known resources of our group. Her interest in social
activities and sports proves to be an asset to the growth of support
systems within the Winnipeg region. |
