Washington, DC – On June 9, 2012, Metro Washington celebrated the 20th anniversary of its foster care program, Wednesday’s Child, at its Outstanding Foster Parent Appreciation Gala. The award ceremony celebrated the tireless work of this year’s Foster Parents of the Year from various jurisdictions, including:

• Doris McLean from the District of Columbia, who has served the District’s Child and Family Services Agency for 18 years
• Harriette Julian from Charles County’s, who provided remarkable service to teenage youth
• Jimmy and Sujey Daniels from Montgomery County, who rearranged their home to accommodate multiple children
• Regina Drake-Zellars from Prince George’s County, who cared for five teenage girls
• Fulvio and Stacey Padova from the City of Alexandria, who created an open and welcoming environment for their foster child
• Ryan and Sara Kirkwood from Arlington County, who have fostered multiple children
• Randy and Marisa Smith from Fairfax County, who “bridged the gap” between their foster children and the youngsters’ birth families after reunification
• Chad and Alana Snyder from Frederick County, who provided speech and physical therapy to their two young boys
• Lynwood and Cathy Owens from Loudoun County, who provided for children of various ages
• Donald and Annette Wright from Prince William County, who provided incredible dedication to an adopted child with brain cancer

The evening included a salute to the 20th anniversary of the Wednesday’s Child program, which has found permanent adoptive families for hundreds of children in the area for two decades. Wednesday’s Child, a regular video segment about children eligible for adoption, is featured weekly on NBC4’s local news shows. The program is sponsored by the station, the Freddie Mac Foundation and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG.)

The evening also included tributes to each of the three sponsors of Wednesday’s Child, and remarks from each of the foster parents of the year. For additional information about the Foster Parents of the Year, contact Kamilah Bunn, COG Child Welfare Program Manager, (202) 962-3264, kbunn@mwcog.org or 877-800 FOSTER. For more information about the Wednesday’s Child Program, contact Renette Oklewicz, Director of Foundation Programs, the Freddie Mac Foundation, (703) 918-5531.