St. Mary’s County Health Department nurse Michele Burnette, R.N., is the national winner of the Foster Parent Award. This award is given by the Casey Family Programs, which is the nation’s largest operating foundation focused entirely on foster care and improving the child welfare system. The highly distinguished award recognizes Burnette’s hard work, dedication, and exceptional leadership to improve child welfare systems in America. “As a mother of seven children, three who we’ve adopted from the foster care system, and as a foster parent to more than 40 children, it is my goal and the goal of the Casey Family Program to have every child grow up in a healthy, safe, and permanent family, and within a supportive community,” said Burnette. “It is important that we continue to focus on safely reducing the need for foster care and build hope for vulnerable children and families in our community.” At the health department, Burnette oversees the Healthy Start Program, which provides education and nursing outreach to eligible pregnant women who are at high risk of pregnancy complications, and to infants and toddlers from birth to two years who are at highest risk for death or disability. In 2000, Burnette started a […]
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