PITTSBURGH ­- It takes a special kind of person to work tirelessly on behalf of families in need. Imagine how special you must feel, then, to be named the best in this class. Aiysha Whittaker of The Pressley Ridge of Washington, DC, knows. The Consortium for Child Welfare recently named her its Family Support Worker of the Year for 2006.

Whittaker was named this year’s recipient at luncheon held July 12 at the Sumner School Museum in Washington, DC, where she received a plaque and the recognition of her peers. A three-year employee of Pressley Ridge, Whittaker was nominated for the honor by Pressley Ridge Program Director Chandricka Mose.

“Aiysha has done an exceptional job of gaining rapport with families who have often been neglected by the system and thus are distrustful of human service professionals,” said Mose. “Aiysha is a huge asset to the families and children we work with and a blessing to have in Pressley Ridge specifically, and in the child welfare arena generally.”

Some examples of the above-and-beyond work that Whittaker is known for include:

• Rallying co-workers to donate money to purchase much-needed air conditioning units for the grandmother of one of the children served by Pressley Ridge
• Establishing enough trust with a mother who suffers from agoraphobia to persuade her to leave her home to shop for furniture
• Persuading a mother with anorexia to admit she had the condition and helping her seek hospital-based treatment
• Working with a re-unified birth mother to participate in treatment parent training centered on the need for co-parenting

The Consortium for Child Welfare is a coalition of 22 non-profit service agencies in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. It was formed in 1980 to improve child welfare services in the region. The goal of the group is protect children and support families by fostering good communication and collaboration, promoting innovation in services and advocating for best practices in the care of children, youth and families.

For more information, an interview and photo, please contact Chandricka Mose at 202.544.2906.