Get to Know Your FFA: Heather Mills

embrella Family Advocates (FFA) are crucial members of the FAFS team.    Whether you need guidance during a Family Team Meeting or want to better understand how to work with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P), FAFS Family Advocates will be there to listen and help you take action. 

My name is Heather Mills and if you live in Atlantic, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester or Salem County, I’m your FFA.  Since FFAs learn so much about your lives as resource parents, we at FAFS thought it might be a good idea to let you know a bit more about our lives.

I graduated from Rutgers in May of 2018 with my Masters of Social Work.  I’m interested in social work because there’s a lot of unfairness that happens in the world and in society.  I know I can’t solve it all by myself, but doing whatever it is I can to promote fairness and give everyone a chance at equality is near to my heart.    My grandmother has been a big source of inspiration for me – she’s always been there for me whenever I had any issues or troubles, and so with social work, it’s as though I get to serve in that role for other people. 

Social work isn’t the only thing I’m interested in, though!  I like going to the movies – Remember the Titans and Avengers: Infinity War are two of my favorites – and I love to cook (especially Mexican!).  I also love nature and going for walks.

As for what I’ve been up to recently, I was just able to help a parent resolve an issue with CP&P when they had some trouble getting a clothing check for their child.  Sometimes, children will show up at their placement with only the clothes on their backs, so CP&P provides parents with some money via check to help get the child some new clothes.  In this case, I was able to mediate the discussions between the parent and CP&P and make sure she was able to get that check. 

The truth is, a lot of times, parents just aren’t aware of how to access the resources offered to them by many of the child welfare organizations (like FAFS) across the state.  Putting you in contact with the people you need to keep on parenting is just one of the ways FFAs like myself can help you.

So please, don’t be afraid to call us for help!  I’m here to assist in any way possible, so feel free to reach out to me!

Heather can be reached by dialing 609.250.6413 or by sending an e-mail to hmills@fafsonline.org

She covers Atlantic, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties.

Author: Frank Alvarez, Digital Content Creator

Frank Alvarez is the Digital Media Coordinator at Foster and Adoptive Family Services.

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