Spotlight on Eleanor Dessart

What are some of your responsibilities at FAPAC?

My responsibilities for FAPAC involve scheduling mass emails, drafting social media posts, updating databases, researching upcoming events in the area and communicating them to families, putting together employee/board spotlights, and supporting the team with their tasks and projects.

What drew you to FAPAC? 

When I was seeking an internship in Fall 2022, I knew I wanted to be in DC and focus on the foster care/adoption community, partly because of my own adoption experience and because this sector had been the center of my academic interests throughout college. When I came across FAPAC, I saw its unique focus on supporting the resource parents, kinship caregivers, and foster care youth. While I had initially sought out working with children and teens directly, FAPAC presented an opportunity to support them by advocating for the caregivers and focusing on the familial needs as a whole. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to continue working with the FAPAC team!

What has been your favorite FAPAC experience so far?

I have several favorite memories, but one of them would be the Pinstripes bowling event last Fall. During this shared parenting event, both foster and biological parents came together for a fun day of bowling and a buffet-style lunch. This was my first time meeting some of the FAPAC families, and I loved seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces!

What’s something you’ve gained working at FAPAC, and what do you hope to see moving forward?

During my time at FAPAC, I’ve been surrounded by some of the most passionate and supportive co-workers. I’ve developed new relationships, navigated unfamiliar softwares, and learned to advocate for myself and others. As I continue to work at FAPAC, I hope to interact with families more frequently (especially now that I’m living in DC) and see greater engagement with all that FAPAC has to offer. We recently started sending families a monthly newsletter highlighting program updates, volunteer opportunities, and other FAPAC-related information, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this new channel bolsters involvement.