FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 19 2023

Contact: Jon Ebelt, Communications Director , DPHHS, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757
                 jebelt@mt.gov
               

---

Individuals, Organizations Honored for Efforts to Support Montana Children and Families

Great Falls foster parents of the year recognized

HELENA - Foster parents, child protection workers, youth, and non-profit organizations were honored today, Wednesday, April 19, during an awards ceremony at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Helena Colonial as part of the annual Montana Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Conference sponsored by the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).

DPHHS and the Montana Children’s Trust Fund representatives recognized individuals and organizations from Great Falls, Billings, Bonner, Kalispell, Miles City, Missoula, Butte, Livingston, Bozeman, and Helena.

“The list of award recipients this year is impressive,” DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton said. “The positive impact these individuals and organizations are making in Montana is inspiring, and their daily actions serve as an excellent example for others to follow. DPHHS is extremely moved by these individuals and their tireless efforts on behalf of Montana children and families.”

The list of awards includes the Jana Elliott Memorial Resource Parents of the Year. This award goes to the foster/adoptive parent(s) who are committed to excellence in working with birth parents and children in foster care and/or children who have been adopted. The award is named after the late Jana Elliott, who served the Wolf Point community in myriad ways as both a licensed foster parent and 6 ^th grade teacher. In 2016 the Wolf Point community took a huge loss when Elliott tragically lost her life in a car accident helping someone in need.

The co-recipients of this award are Great Falls residents John and Shasta Szewczyk and Mark Bovingdon.

The following awards were also presented: 

• The Youth Achievement of the Year goes to a foster or adoptive youth(s) who exhibits a drive to be successful and makes positive changes in their life. The recipients are Alyssa Lunt of Billings and Jordyn Bagaoisan of Bonner.  

• The Engaging Families in Positive Change award goes to individuals who carry out their work in a family-centered approach, and use innovative ways of engaging families. The recipients are Korbin Duvall of Great Falls; Paulette Lawrence of Kalispell; and Kelly Slattery of Billings.

• The Resiliency Award goes to individuals that display qualities that foster a supportive and positive work environment and that embody a healthy work/life balance. The recipients are Macinzie Owen of Billings; Raylynn Sleight of Miles City; and Chelsey Handford of Billings.

• The Creative Solutions Award goes to individuals that utilize creative problem-solving and resource allocation to better serve children and families. The recipients are Amy Pearson and Eden Roberts, both of Missoula.

• The Progressive Leadership Award goes to individual who impact positive change for Montana children and families as a role model and by demonstrate a clear understanding of the agency’s role. The recipients are Nadine Hoffman of Missoula and Shaunda Hall of Butte.

• The Practice Model Champion Award goes to individuals who demonstrates excellence in implementing the agency safety model by understanding and executing the guiding principles as the roots that assure permanency and well-being for children. The recipients are Kasia Opp of Billings and Megann McDonald of Great Falls.

• The Comeback Parent of the Year Award goes to a parent(s) who became involved with the child welfare system; and exhibited strength, determination, and self-awareness in making positive changes for themselves and their child(ren) in an effort to overcome the conditions that prompted CFSD involvement. The recipient is Shasta Gothro of Butte.

The Montana Children’s Trust Fund (MTCTF) also presented several awards. MTCTF strategically supports initiatives to effectively strengthen Montana’s families and keep children safe from abuse and neglect. MTCTF honors those who have gone above and beyond to help strengthen children and families.

The awards include:

• Pinwheels for Prevention Award is in memory of Mary Gallagher, a former Trust Fund Board Chair. This award goes to a parent, or community member with exemplary commitment to the families in their community. The recipient is Jamie Wyatt Marshall of Great Falls.

• The Strengthening Families Award goes to individuals who have dedicated their career to strengthening Montana families and keeping children safe from abuse and neglect. The recipient is Jen Burkhard of Florence Crittenton in Helena.

• The Nonprofit Organization of the Year Award goes to the nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Montana families and the prevention of child maltreatment by providing effective and innovative programming for families in the community, adopting trauma-responsive practices, engaging caregivers in decisions that affect their families and community, or developing partnerships and collaborations to build awareness and community capacity. The recipient is Community Health Partners of Livingston, Bozeman, Belgrade, and West Yellowstone. 
• The Outstanding Corporate Citizenship Award recipient is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana.