October 24, 2007

Chris Burzio and Janette Skarda were named recipients of the 2007 Hood River County Klahre Award for Distinguished Service to Children.

Burzio and Skarda received the award at the Mid-Columbia Symposium on Children held at the Discovery Center in The Dalles. The Klahre Award was established in 1987 acknowledging outstanding achievement on behalf of children, dedicated to the late Jim Klahre, a local businessman and volunteer who worked for area children and helped found The Next Door, Inc.

Skarda and Burzio have been foster parents for four and a half years. They became foster parents to provide children with a safe and comfortable home where they could live for as long as they needed.

“They warmly welcome children into their home and tell them how glad they are to have them with them. They promote insight and learning to encourage further growth through outdoor activities, are very strong advocates for the children in their care and are constantly building on the positive relationships they have with them,” said Amanda Richardson, director of Hood River County Commission on Children and Families.

“Chris and Janette also support other foster parents through their regular attendance at the monthly support group held for foster/adoptive families and by providing respite care so that other foster parents can have a break. They exemplify everything a foster parent should be — knowledgeable, empathetic, open, kind and determined.

“They demonstrate compassion, commitment and most of all, a tremendous love for their work as foster parents and for the children they care for,” Richardson said.