Hartford Division Director |
Kristina Stevens
Although she has been working in child welfare for more than 20 years, Kristina Stevens, named director of Casey Family Services’ Hartford Division in October, 2011, has the same enthusiasm she had when she began working with children and families.
“I am just so inspired by the children, youth, and families we work with,” Stevens says. “Adoptions are up, which is great. I credit the enthusiasm and commitment of our staff. And, I am grateful to all the individuals, communities and agencies committed to the shared purpose of finding permanent connections for all our children.”
But she is also concerned that, nationally, the number of kids aging out of foster care without permanent connections is up. “It’s just not fair. Kids should not be raised by a system, but by a family,” she says.
Stevens is deeply committed to finding permanent homes for all children. “We need to maintain that sense of urgency and our commitment to partner with state and community providers. What is most important is that the momentum doesn’t slow down. The timelines for kids are different than adults.”
Finding — and activating — a child’s natural network is an essential element of preventing children from aging out without support. The natural networks are people who already know the children and are interested and invested in their welfare. “The first step is finding the relatives, the extended family, the teachers, the coaches who are part of the child’s natural network,” explains Stevens. “The next step is determining how this informal support can be mobilized for the child.”
“This is a really exciting time for us in terms of collaborative partnerships with organizations and agencies who share our approach and commitment,” continues Stevens. “Everyone wants to help these young people achieve a permanent outcome. It can be complicated but, fundamentally, you just have to believe it and then you can make it happen.”
Stevens also is working to expand the community of caring people. “We need more of the wonderful foster and adoptive families that we can train and support,” she says. “Recruiting families can be challenging,” she admits. “I am inspired all the time by the strength and resilience of the kids and families I meet and the people I work with.”
Stevens has been with Casey Family Services since 2005, when she joined as a senior program associate in Policy and Planning. Prior to being named director, she was deputy division director in Hartford.
During the 10 years she worked at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families in various capacities, Stevens was very familiar with Casey Family Services. “There wasn’t a lot of post-adoption support at the time but we knew that when we moved a family, Casey would provide tremendous post-adoption support to strengthen and sustain these families,” she remembers. “I also worked with the former Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice to assess Connecticut’s adoption practices and policies.” Stevens credits Casey as “my go-to place for the best practices and cutting-edge information.”
Stevens has a B.A. in psychology and an MSW, both from the University of Connecticut.