The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) honored the Freddie Mac Foundation during its 2003 Annual Meeting for its devotion to caring for the region’s hundreds of children in foster care.

Maxine Baker, president and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation and vice president of Communications at Freddie Mac, accepted COG’s 2003 Regional Partnership Award for her organization’s long-standing service to the region’s children in foster care through its partnership with COG. “Over the past decade, the foundation has provided more than $2 million in support of COG programs,” Executive Director David Robertson said. “Thanks to our partnership with the Freddie Mac Foundation, we have seen a 25 percent increase in the number of licensed foster parents.”

COG and the Freddie Mac Foundation have enjoyed a successful history of caring for children in the child welfare system since 1992, when the Wednesday’s Child Program began in partnership with NBC-4. Wednesday’s Child, a weekly television feature that helps find loving, adoptive families for children in foster care, has helped place more than 200 children in permanent homes and received an Emmy award nomination. In May, Baker helped organize the region’s first Foster Parent Appreciation Gala to recognize Foster Parent Appreciation Month. The event was funded by a $100,000 donation from the foundation to honor 900 foster parents and their guests.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is the association of 18 local governments working together for a better metropolitan region.