Former Franklin County, Ohio, Child Welfare Director to Lead Strategic Consulting Team

Eric D. Fenner is a leader in innovation

SEATTLE, May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Casey Family Programs is pleased to announce the hiring of Eric D. Fenner as a managing director of Strategic Consulting. The position was held previously by Marva Hammons, now executive vice president of Child and Family Services.

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Mr. Fenner recently retired as the director of Franklin County Children Services, a public child welfare agency that serves the Columbus, Ohio, area. In 32 years at the agency, including the past four years as executive director, he showed himself to be an administrator focused on solutions and a leader driven by innovation.

"Eric has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to improve the well-being of children and families and make communities healthier," said David Sanders, executive vice president of Systems Improvement. "His vision for child welfare matches that of Casey Family Programs and we are very fortunate to have him on board."

Under Mr. Fenner leadership, Franklin County launched several new initiatives aimed at increasing family engagement and assuring permanency for youth, including alternative response and team decision making. The result in Franklin County has been a 29 percent reduction in the number of children in foster care over the last three years – and the lowest amount in 12 years.

The agency's innovations have benefited from the funding flexibility provided by a Title IV-E waiver, giving Mr. Fenner a keen understanding of the need for comprehensive finance reform on the federal level. He previously partnered with Casey Family Programs in successfully implementing permanency roundtables in Franklin County.

As managing director of one of four strategic consultant teams at Casey Family Programs, Mr. Fenner will oversee a team of professional consultants and support staff who build relationships and provide technical assistance and support to child welfare systems in about 15 states.

Mr. Fenner will start his new position on May 2, 2011.

About Casey Family Programs

Casey Family Programs is the nation's largest operating foundation focused entirely on foster care and improving the child welfare system. Founded in 1966, we work to provide and improve -- and ultimately prevent the need for -- foster care in the United States. As champions for change, we are committed to our 2020 Strategy for America's Children -- a goal to safely reduce the number of children in foster care and improve the lives of those who remain in care.

Contact Casey Family Programs at [email protected], 206.282.7300, or 2001 Eighth Avenue, Suite 2700, Seattle, WA 98121. For more information, visit our website at www.casey.org.

SOURCE Casey Family Programs