Our Team

Adoption is my life and passion! I was adopted at birth, domestically. I have searched and found my birth family. I am also a mother of four children. I became the Executive Director of CHI in 1994, after adopting our daughter in 1991 in Romania, on our own. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work and have been blessed to have had the opportunity to work worldwide with CHI, developing programs and giving children who really need homes, a chance at having one of their own. A permanent, loving family is what children need. I’ve personally been in the adoption journey from several angles and I enjoy assisting others in theirs. I have traveled to over 40 countries in the past 20 years, developing a greater understanding of the cultures and how much adoption- permanency- is needed in the world for children.

I received my Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of Montana and my Master’s in Social Work from Eastern Washington University. I am a licensed mental health counselor in the State of Washington. I have 2 adopted nieces and have worked in adoption as a home study and post-placement provider since 1999. I began clinical counseling for adopted children in 2010. My husband and two children are my top priority, and we love spending weekends at our cabin and hiking through the mountains of the Northwest.

I have always had a passion for working with children and their families and have worked with a variety of populations. I first became involved with foster care and adoption through my work for a foster care agency in 2017. I served in multiple different roles at the agency, from working directly with youth, to licensing and serving as a support system for their foster families. After working for the foster care agency, my husband and I decided to become licensed foster parents and have been fostering for the past 3 years. In addition, I have experience working with the families of children with a range of special needs and disabilities through my work providing ABA therapy. I have earned my Master’s degree in Educational Studies that I received from Western Governors University, in addition to a Bachelors degree in Sociology from Western Washington University. I look forward to working with families through CHI and assisting them in providing a forever home for the children they are adopting!

As a mother of 6 and grandmother to 7 I’ve realized that the lessons in life learned from raising children are irreplaceable and the memories are immeasurable. Growing up with a mixture of an adopted parent, stepparents, blended families, and family with special needs was really the foundation of my belief that families aren’t just born that they are formed. I am excited to be a part of The Children’s House International Team and to be able to help children find forever families and forever families to find children. Our family enjoys the outdoors and doing things together, we are always ready for our next adventure!

Tara earned her Master of Social work from Westfield State University and a Master’s in Education from Antioch University. She has worked as an educator for 14 years in various settings including outdoor education, wilderness guiding, residential programs and pre-k through high school education. Since her career change to Social Work, she has worked in Early Intervention, Adoption Management Services and trauma therapy with children and adults. While working in adoption services Tara assisted with the matching process and wrote home studies for prospective adoptive families. Tara has focused much of her work on trauma informed care, and she has experience in individual therapy, teaching about the effects of trauma and supporting caregivers to meet their children’s needs. In her spare time Tara loves exploring nature, doing home repair projects and spending time with her family. Tara is excited to work at CHI to support families through the adoption process!

I have a Master of Arts in Social Science and have worked in the field of adoption since 1996. I became interested in working in adoption after my husband and I adopted twin daughters domestically in 1988. I complete home studies and post-adoption reports for families with CHI. I also love educating parents on the issues that children face and sometimes struggle with as they deal with being adopted into a family instead of being born into it. I enjoy going out for coffee with friends, quilting, reading, traveling, watching movies with my family, and going birding.

I graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. While studying, I realized that, while I enjoyed the one-on-one aspect of psychology, I was more interested in areas relating to social work, especially relating to helping children. Multiple members of my extended family were adopted, and through them, I have seen firsthand how life-changing adoption can be. I am so excited to be a part of CHI, where I get to utilize my interests in social work while helping create families.

I graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Sociology. I’m the oldest of seven kids in my family, four of whom were adopted from Mexico. This has given me a unique perspective on the anticipation and excitement that comes with adoption. I feel incredibly lucky to play a small role in helping kids find stability and love with their forever families.

My family tree has grown in many directions surrounding adoption and enjoying a loving family. I was adopted at birth, domestically, raised in a loving family with my adopted brother.  Within my family, an Uncle opened his heart to 4 older step-nephews when their mother's life was unexpectedly cut short, and we all came together for support.  A unique joy in life was to have found my birthmother and continue to enjoy years with her and to learn her story of putting a child up for adoption.  The twists and turns of life have made me passionate about living to the fullest and whether career, family or friends, to always help others.  Understanding the mysteries of family roots being adopted, has been a growing experience for both me and my daughter.  I enjoy being creative, play piano and get another chance at being silly in life playing with my grandson.  I am excited to be part of the Children's House team with their wonderful longstanding reputation. It is a privilege to be part of the administrative support that assures successful process, as well as be able celebrate in the joys when children find their forever home with a loving family.

I have been married for 41 years. My husband Mike and I have 5 boys and 5 grandchildren. We have our own business in Arizona but work in California. We split our time between both states. We love to travel in our motorhome to visit places we’ve never been and to visit with our family as often as possible. I do all the accounting for our business and while in California, I work for some good friends of ours making ADA signs part time. Although we have a busy life, I love to spend time in the mountains and most of all the beach! I’m looking forward to working with all of you.

I have always been passionate about children and have been blessed through the adoption of two sons. In  2001, with our youngest in school, I was hired as a part-time bookkeeper with Children’s House International. CHI offered me the perfect opportunity to mix my passion for children and my love for accounting. Since then, that part-time job has grown by leaps and bounds under the leadership of Debbie Price and the BOD. I look forward to many more years working with the wonderful adoptive families and passionate staff here at Children’s House.