Caring for Kids Staff
Directors
Patricia S. Ameling, M.A., PCC
Co-Director
Pat@cfkadopt.org
Patricia S. Ameling, M.A., PCC Executive Director
Jill Davies, LSW
Co-Director
Jill@cfkadopt.org
Jill Davies, LSW Director of Domestic Adoptions
Jill, an Ohio adoption assessor, currently oversees the Birth Parent Services Program and the Domestic Public Adoption Program at Caring for Kids. Jill has dedicated her career to child welfare and believes that not only does every child deserve a family, but that there is a family for every child.
Birth Parent Services
Sarah Bozsik, LISW-S
Private Adoption Coordinator
Sarah@cfkadopt.org
Sarah Bozsik, LISW Birth Parent Counselor
Sarah joined Caring for Kids in June of 2011 as a Birth Parent Counselor after completing her Master’s Degree in Social Work at The University of Akron. In her role as program coordinator, her goal is to help everyone feel supported in their adoption journey. Sarah enjoys working closely with and providing support to everyone involved in the adoption process. She is passionate about ensuring that any plan put in place is, above all else, what is best for the child. Sarah is grateful to be involved with this loving decision.
Sarah is married and has one child. Adoption is part of her life outside of work as many families and friends have built and grown their families by opening their hearts and homes to adoption.
Lori Scobee, LSW
Birth Parent Counselor
Lori@cfkadopt.org
Lori Scobee, LSW, Birth Parent Counselor
Lori uses her previous experience in the adoption field to provide expectant parents with the most comprehensive, considerate service.
Reading, spending time with her husband and two daughters, and watching UK basketball are all things Lori loves. She also enjoys volunteering in her community as the executive director of Wadsworth FISH.
Andrea Rubinstein, MSA, LSW
Supervisor-Columbus Office
Birth Parent Counselor
Andrea@cfkadopt.org
Andrea Rubinstein, MSA, LSW Supervisor-Columbus Office Birth Parent Counselor
Andrea works with and counsels expectant expectant parents considering placing their child for adoption and with couples considering growing their families through adoption.
Andrea’s responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day operations of Caring for Kids’ Columbus office, conducting home studies, as well as providing post-placement services for adoptive families and post-adoption counseling for expectant parents. She is married and has two children.
Erin King, MSW, LSW
Birth Parent Counselor
Erin@cfkadopt.org
Erin King, MSW, LSW Birth Parent Counselor
Erin joined the Caring for Kids team full time in May 2013 as part of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program. She transitioned into the position of Birth Parent Counselor in 2015. Erin has a passion for working with children and families and loves working with prospective birth families and prospective adoptive families.
Anna Allen, LSW
Birth Parent Counselor
Anna@cfkadopt.org
Anna Allen, Birth Parent Counselor
Anna graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work in 2018. Anna joined Caring for Kids as an intern in August 2017. After completing her internship, she became a part time employee for Caring for Kids in June 2018. Anna is both an adoptee as well as a birth parent and is looking forward to being able to use her own previous experience to provide the best and most comprehensive services she can to clients.
Anna is married and is parenting 4 daughters. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing board games and going to the movies.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
Allison Neumeister
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Allison@cfkadopt.org
Allison Neumeister Wendy's Wonderful Kids Recruiter
In 2012, Allison’s efforts shifted to the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) program when she became a recruiter for youth at-risk of aging-out of foster care without forever families. In 2013, Allison took several years off to start a family and returned to CFK in June of 2016 to begin a part-time role as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter.
Allison values being part of the WWK team and thinking “outside the box” to find permanent homes for children. Family search and engagement has been a particularly rewarding part of recruiting for Allison and she believes every child has an inalienable right to know who and where they come from.
Allison likes the AdoptUsKids’ slogan, “You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent”. She has experienced that many different kinds of families can be successful at adopting from foster care – with helpful planning, education and ongoing support.
Denise Barczyk, LSW
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Denise@cfkadopt.org
Denise Barczyk, LSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Denise has experience in Child Centered Recruitment, Child Protection, Early Intervention, and Partial Hospitalization groups in a residential setting, along with training residential staff. Denise enjoys being active in her community and volunteering. She is the volunteer trainer for Birthcare of Medina County.
Denise joined Caring for Kids as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter in July 2013. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids belief that “unadoptable is unacceptable” is at the heart of all Denise does. She feels that each and every child deserves a forever family.
Molly Woods, LSW
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Molly@cfkadopt.org
Molly Woods, LSW
Molly has experience working with at risk populations, primarily teens, and as a job coach. She also has a unique perspective as an adoptive sibling, and enjoys being a part of the process in creating forever families.
Kristin Jordan, LSW
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Kristin@cfkadopt.org
Kristin Jordan, LSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Kristin has worked in various social work fields throughout her career. She was a home shelter case manager, school social worker for Akron Public Schools, parenting class instructor, family search and engagement worker, and an information and referral specialist.
Kristin joined Caring for Kids in 2011 as an adoption assessor and began completing post placement visits, homestudies, and homestudy updates. In addition to her adoption assessor work, she has now begun working with the Wendy Wonderful Kids’ program as of August 2012.
Being adopted herself along with several of her siblings, Kristin is a strong advocate of adoption. She also has experience with multi racial adoptions being raised in a racially mixed family herself.
Lydia Keto, LSW
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Lydia@cfkadopt.org
Lydia Keto, LSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Lydia worked in child welfare for almost 10 years, with 5 years in the post adoption unit. She wrote a quarterly newsletter and ran a support group for adoptive families and aided families in applying for post adoption subsidy. She has also worked as an assessor for an international adoption agency, and had the opportunity to travel to South Korea to bring home children for families in which she completed their home study.
She believes every child deserves to have a forever family and will work hard for every child on her case load.
Stephanie Novak, LPC
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Stephanie@cfkadopt.org
Stephanie Novak, LPC Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Stephanie works with children who are at risk of aging out of the foster care system and are in need of a permanent family. She loves her role as advocate for children and is motivated by her belief that every child deserves a loving, committed family to grow up in.
Rebecca Yako, BSW, LSW
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Becky@cfkadopt.org
Rebecca Yako, BASW, LSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Rebecca works with waiting youth who are at-risk of aging out of the foster-care system without forever homes or supportive adult relationships. She is thrilled to work with the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program as she is passionate about adoption issues. Rebecca believes in the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids motto that, “Unadoptable is unacceptable.”
Laura Merklin, MSW, LSW
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Laura@cfkadopt.org
Laura Merklin, MSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Renee Baker, LSW
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Supervisor
Renee@cfkadopt.org
Renee Baker, LSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Supervisor
Renee holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Baldwin-Wallace College. She is a Licensed Social Worker and a Certified Adoption Assessor. Renee joined Caring for Kids in 2015, and is currently involved with the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, serving youth in both Summit and Cuyahoga counties. She is passionate about finding long term connections and permanency for youth and is excited to be a member of the WWK team!
Angela McAlarney
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Angela@cfkadopt.org
Angela McAlarney, LSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Gina Holderbaum
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Gina@cfkadopt.org
Gina Holderbaum, LSW Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Gina retired in 2017, but she still had the desire to help older children find families who are in the foster care system, so she joined Caring for Kids in January 2018 as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kid’s Recruiter. She loves her role of being a strong advocate for children who are at risk of aging out of the system without a permanent plan. She feels that children are never too old for a family to call their own.
Public Foster Care and Adoption Services
Ashley Berdine, MSSA, LISW
Foster Care Supervisor
Ashley@cfkadopt.org
Ashley Berdine, MSSA, LSW Foster Care Supervisor
Before joining the Caring for Kids staff, Ashley worked at a summer camp for children with special needs and at a crisis nursery. She has experience as a child-centered recruiter as well as a foster care case manager.
Ashley is a strong advocate for children and families and is passionate about obtaining needed services to provide the best outcome for those she serves.
Caitlin McDougle, PCC
Clinical Supervisor
Caitlin@cfkadopt.org
Caitlin McDougle, PCC Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter
Hannah Segers, MSW, LSW
Clinical Case Manager
Hannah@cfkadopt.org
Hannah Seger, LSW Foster Care Case Manager
Hannah has a passion for working with at-risk youth and loves having the opportunity to meet and serve children and teens through Caring for Kids. Hannah enjoys educating and advocating for foster families and coming alongside them as they navigate the world of foster care and adoption.
Maureen Centa, BSSW, LSW
Clinical Case Manager
Maureen@cfkadopt.org
Maureen Centa, LSW Recruitment and Training Coordinator
Maureen brings a wealth of personal knowledge and experience to the agency. Maureen is the mother of six children, four of which she was blessed to have had join her family through adoption. Maureen is experienced with adopting through a private domestic infant program and also fostering and adopting teens, sibling groups, special needs children, having open adoptions, and adopting out of birth order.
Danielle Stucke, LISW
Clinical Case Manager
Daniellemarie@cfkadopt.org
Danielle Stucke, LISW Foster Care Case Manager
Christin Bartunek, PCC
Clinical Case Manager
Christin@cfkadopt.org
Christin Bartunek, Foster Care Case Manager
Christin holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and has worked in the field of child welfare, trauma and adoption since 2000. She is a licensed professional clinical counselor and Ohio adoption assessor.
Christin’s responsibilities include assisting in the the day-to-day operations of Caring for Kids’ Columbus office, conducting home studies, teaching pre-service training, providing case management for foster placements as well as providing post-placement services for adoptive families. She is married and has two children.
Rebecca Resnik, LSW
Clinical Case Manager
Rebecca@cfkadopt.org
Rebecca Resnik, LSW Clinical Case Manager
Rebecca graduated from Ohio University in May 2016 with a Bachelors of Social Work. During her undergrad, she completed her internship with Athens County Children Services and regularly volunteered to work with their foster children. One of her greatest memories of this time was being able to assist in organizing and running a weekend camp for siblings in foster care who had separate placements. Post-graduation, Becca became a Licensed Social Worker and began working as a group counselor in an alternative school. This rewarding experience allowed her to truly understand her passion for making a difference in children’s lives.
Rebecca was ecstatic to begin working for Caring for Kids in January 2019. She had chosen Social Work as a career to have the ability to make an impact on the foster care system. Accepting the position as a Clinical Case Manager was going to enable her to have just that. She believes that she now has the potential to have a more direct influence on children’s lives, while advocating and assisting foster parents in any way possible. Rebecca knows that every child deserves a safe, happy home and will do everything within her power to make that happen.
Monica Brown, MA, LPC
Clinical Case Manager
Monica@cfkadopt.org
Monica Brown Ohio Adoption Assessor
Monica graduated from John Carroll University in 2016 with a Masters of Arts within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and became a Licensed Professional Counselor. Prior to becoming a Clinical Case Manager at Caring for Kids she worked as an intensive in-home therapist as well as provided behavioral health support within the school systems. Monica has a passion for working with at-risk youth and being an advocate for them and their foster families.
Colleen Davis
Clinical Case Manager
Colleen@cfkadopt.org
Colleen Davis Clinical Case Manager
Colleen graduated from Cleveland State University in 2015 with a Bachelors of Social Work. She is currently working on her Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work at Cleveland State University which should be completed by 2021. Prior to coming to Caring For Kids Colleen worked with children age birth to 3 years old as a Certified Help Me Grow family support specialist. Prior to that, she has had extensive experience counseling teenagers and adults with mental health and substance abuse issues. Much of her work experience as a social worker was counseling adults who had children in foster care or teenagers that were in foster care. Once Colleen started working with young children, she found that ultimately she loves working with children and advocating for them the most, so she is very excited to have the opportunity to work for Caring For Kids.
Ishanae Pollard
Clinical Case Manager
Ishanae@cfkadopt.org
Ishanae Pollard Clinical Case Manager
Erica Bankston, LISW-S
Clinical Case Manager
Erica@cfkadopt.org
Erica Bankston Clinical Case Manager
Gervaise Burks
Intake and Support Specialist
Gervaise@cfkadopt.org
Gervaise Burks Administrative Assistant
Gervaise joined the Caring for Kids staff in September 2013, bringing 5 years of experience working with children and families in the Foster Care system. She is always willing to provide all clients with a supportive, informative and welcoming environment.
Tracy Deitrick, LSW
Public Adoption Coordinator
Tracy@cfkadopt.org
Tracy Deitrick, LSW Public Adoption Program Coordinator
Throughout her career, Tracy has held a variety of positions. She has legally advocated for battered women, worked as a social worker for Akron Public Schools and has been a caseworker for at-risk teens. For eight years Tracy has worn many hats in the adoption field, working as an assessor, trainer, and caseworker.
She lives in the Akron area with her four wonderful, young children.
Bill Butt, LSW
Ohio Adoption Assessor
Bill@cfkadopt.org
Bill Butt, LSW Ohio Adoption Assessor
Currently working with both foster and adoptive families, Bill provides post-placement supervision, constructs court packets for adoption finalizations, completes home studies, and provides foster care case management.
Bill’s unique brand of humor is greatly appreciated by co-workers and clients alike. As the father of two internationally adopted children, one from Guatemala and one from El Salvador, Bill is able to share an adoptive father’s perspective with his clients.
Administrative Staff
Ashley Keener
Administrative Assistant
Info@cfkadopt.org
Ashley Keener Administrative Assistant
Ashley received her degree from Kent State University in 2018 from Kent State University. She began her career working with children in 2014, specializing in working with children with exceptional needs. Before joining Caring for Kids, she pursued management and administrative rolls that have prepared her for her current role. Ashley discovered a passion in working in social services and finds great joy in her position where she is excited to come to work every day to be able to support the youth and families in our surrounding communities.
Michelle Bores
Administrative Assistant
Michelle@cfkadopt.org
Michelle Bores Administrative Assistant
Although her role does not involve working directly with children, Michelle enjoys providing support to them from behind the scenes.
Cassie Shreve, CPA
Financial Controller
Cassie@cfkadopt.org
Cassie Shreve Financial Controller
Lynn is a 1983 graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
She is in charge of the agency’s financial services which includes billing, reimbursements, and accounts payable. Lynn is pleased to be working in a supportive role in a challenging and rewarding environment.
Jacquline Bonaldo
Administrative Assistant
Jackie@cfkadopt.org
Jackie is an active part of a local Australian Cattle Dog rescue, and also adopted a cattle dog back in 2011. She also has two horses that she spends a lot of her free time with and rides Hunter/Jumpers. Her other favorite pass times are reading and spending time with friends and family.
Darla Taddeo
Administrative Assistant
Darla@cfkadopt.org
Darla earned her Bachelor of Art’s Degree in English from Kent State University. She has over 25 years of Administrative Assistant experience. Prior to joining the Caring for Kids agency in 2016, she worked for 7 years as an Program Assistant for an international adoption agency in the Akron area. Darla discovered her true professional calling was working in social services, and truly enjoys working with families, and feeling part of the process of finding loving families and homes for children.
Karen Gonidakis
Administrative Assistant
karen@cfkadopt.org
Karen returned to the work force in 2014 after enjoying her time raising her family for 18 years. She has many years of experience in the administrative field as well as actively coordinating and volunteering with the schools and sports teams where her sons were involved. Karen and her husband Barry have raised four boys and are blessed to now have a daughter-in-law and two beautiful granddaughters.
Karen came to Caring For Kids in April 2019 and is thrilled to be assisting in the process of our private adoption program.
Emily Williams
SACWIS Administrator
Emily@cfkadopt.org
Emily Williams
Emily joined the Caring for Kids team in July of 2017. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Findlay in 2014. She brings customer service and coordinating skills to the CFK team.
Emily coordinates the state wide database and works to get families approved to foster and adopt. She enjoys meeting families and interacting with children.