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| *Name changed to protect the child When children enter foster care, there are typically many contributing circumstances beyond their control. Those difficulties can erode the foundation of trust that children have for adults in their lives. When *Daiya was placed into foster care with Access Services in the summer
of 2021, her situation was particularly difficult. Daiya was able to form a solid connection with her Access Foster Care Coordinator, Shannon Salvo, and did well with her initial foster family. Shannon worked hard to build a strong foundation of trust and mutual respect with Daiya while identifying her needs and making sure that they were met wholistically. In the spring of 2022, Daiya moved to a new foster family and has been
thriving.
Her foster mom shared with us, “Daiya was placed in our home on May 24,
2022. It is truly amazing that a year is approaching so fast since she has been with
us. We opened our home to Daiya and encouraged her to feel at home. Overtime,
Daiya began to view our home as hers. She adapted and adjusted very fast, to our
great joy. Even though on paper, Daiya is a foster child, it did not take more than a month
into her placement for both her and our family to realize that she was a true
member of the family. Daiya is a beautiful, hardworking, and courteous child. You
cannot help but love her. She has a positive personality and is a very gracious young
lady. Daiya is part of our family and participates in all our family functioning
and gatherings. She is excited to go to college and states that she wants to be an
Obstetrician. |
|  | My family and I truly thank God for the life of Daiya. She has come a long way and is a very resilient young lady. We strongly believe that her willingness and desire to participate in therapy will go a long way in bringing psychological and emotional healing to her and help her realize her dreams of being a successful and resourceful person in life.” |
| Shannon, Daiya’s Foster Care Coordinator, said, “I feel lucky to have had the privilege to work closely with her these past couple of years and watch her grow and mature so beautifully. To be a part of the growth and healing of a child is incredibly special. Daiya has pushed and fought her way through the tough times she faced. She has asked the hard, and sometimes scary, questions and faced the answers with courage and tenacity well beyond her years. She learned to trust her people (foster parents, foster siblings, Foster Care Coordinator) and realized that she can trust herself as well. We are celebrating with Daiya and her foster family as they wait for the paperwork for legal guardianship to be finalized!” |
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| Celebrating John McGuire's Legacy |
| This past winter, the Foster Care program lost a visionary leader and most importantly a dear friend. To know John McGuire, was to know that he was passionate about making sure that children believe they matter, they are important, and they possess insurmountable levels of potential. His dedication to kids shined through in the work he did at Access Services and in the community. |
| “John was the perfect mix of positivity, strength, humor, sarcasm, honesty, and excellence. He embodied and lived out our core values – person-centered, passion for service, innovation, collaboration, and authenticity every day in all he did. Like Ted Lasso, he was honest and ethical and empowering of everyone around him. We miss you, John, today and every day, and we are so blessed to have been impacted by who you were at your core – an awesome human being.” Ailene Keys
VP of Child & Family Services |
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 | “John McGuire was a friend and coworker who I always knew I could count on. His passion for our program and the children and families we serve will continue to drive me and the work that I love for many years to come.” Shannon Salvo
Children's Onboarding Specialist |
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| | Even through his darkest of days fighting cancer, John would call Amy-Lynn Appello in the Foster Care program to check in. Amy-Lynn remarks, “His loyalty to Access Services, the Foster Care program, and personally to myself is something I will take with me until my last day. I never knew what bravery was until I saw it in my friend. John was a wonderful co-worker but much more than that he was a loyal friend. I will take with me forever, his passion that matched mine for advocating for children and families." |
| “I miss his huge personality and the way he always came into the office with a big smile and a story to tell. He was quick witted, kind, passionate about the kids, fun, full of life and so much more. I miss him and his contagious laugh every day.”
Kelley Cameron
Administrative Assistant, Foster Care
“I didn’t get to know John as well as the Bethlehem staff. But I was always very happy to talk to him whenever I could. He got me into the Ted Lasso TV show…when I heard him talking about it, I checked it out. I will always connect Jason Sudeikis/Ted Lasso with John in my mind. I feel like John had the same wacky sense of humor and positive spirit as Ted Lasso.”
Todd Shelly
Assistant Director, Foster Care “I’m so glad I had the opportunity to work with John, he was a great mentor and always found a way to make certain situations better. He was also my go to guy to talk to about sports, we both could share stories about golf and our sons wrestling. He is truly missed.”
Annette Kinney
Compliance Coordinator |
| Access Services was blessed to have John McGuire as part of our team for the last six years. What he brought to our Foster Care team is irreplaceable. His legacy will live on in the work that the Foster Care team does each day for the children we serve. Living out his conviction that every voice deserves to be heard. |
| | Will you help? Being a foster parent is a beautiful and difficult job. A job that will challenge you to see beyond the surface of trauma and neglect to see a child’s potential. The month of May is Foster Care Month, making it the perfect time to start the fostering process. Becoming a foster parent is more than standing in the gap and providing a child or children with a safe, stable home for a time of family instability or longer. It is looking at the great number of children that need help and saying, “I can change that number, even if it is only one child." |
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| | Access Services is dedicated to unlocking potential in every child, adult, and family we serve. By investing in our organization, you are equipping us to meet needs and impact lives. |
| | | | | Who is Access Services? Since 1976, Access Services has been developing innovative ways to provide support services for individuals with special needs. Today, we are a large non-profit human services organization operating in fourteen counties in Eastern Pennsylvania. Our mission is to empower and serve people in need of specialized supports by providing innovative services that improve their ability to live fulfilling lives in the community. |
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