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REPRESENTATIVE LES GARA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 17, 2013
Alaska Foster Parent Recruitment Ad Wins Top National HonorsRep. Gara congratulates Alaska DHSS for its work on the winning video
Today, Representative Les Gara congratulated the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) for earning five awards in the National Public Health Information Coalition’s 2013 Awards for Excellence in Public Health Communications, including the gold medal for its foster parent recruitment video, “One Child.”
“Foster parents are in high demand in Alaska, and the department did a great job capturing the need and the benefits of foster care in a fun, compelling ad,” said Gara (D-Anchorage), a former foster child and long-time foster care advocate. “We knew it was a great video, and it’s great the department is getting some recognition for it. Congratulations to all who worked on it.”
“Alaska’s foster parents are some of the most generous people we are privileged to work with. Day in and day out, they provide security and affection for children who need it the most,” said Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Bill Streur. “This award provides another opportunity for us to ask Alaskans to open their hearts and homes by becoming a foster parent. As everyone in this PSA can attest, that single act can change the life of ‘one child’ forever.”
The Department won a total of five medals from the organization for its efforts to educate Alaskans on health and children’s issues, including for its “Play Every Day TV PSA: Athlete” which features Alaska athletes Kikkan Randall, Laura Ingham, Holly Brooks, and Scotty Gomez encouraging Alaskan youth to stay active by getting out to play every day, and for its outreach on Medicaid compliance, infant bedtime safety, and WIC for Farmers markets efforts.
See “One Child” Foster Parent Recruitment PSA.
For more information about the awards, contact Susan Morgan, public information manager at the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services: Office 907.269.4996; Cell 907.223.8389; susan.morgan@alaska.gov.
For more information about becoming a foster care parent, contact Christy Lawton, division director of the Office of Children’s Services: 907.451.2650; christy.lawton@alaska.gov.
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