FosterDreams

Marlene Orr Crooks is President of the Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption Association.  Located in Fairfax, Virginia, Marlene is the mother of two terrific grown children, son, Kenny, and daughter, Kimberly, with son-in-law Gabe, granddaughter, Olivia, and grandson, Jackson.  Marlene's children are her greatest joys and accomplishments in life.  Also a current foster mother of two, she believes that we all have the opportunity to make a difference in the future of the world through foster care and adoption - to make a difference, one child at a time.

Marlene has a Master of Science Degree in Management for Organizational Effectiveness from Marymount University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Resource Management and Communications from St Leo University.

Everyone "has a story" on how they became involved in foster care and adoption.  Here's Marlene's:  On my way home one day after walking my dog, Bella, a crying 13-year-old runaway girl followed me up the stairs to my front door.  Frantic and scared, she asked, "Can I come into your home?"  The rest is history...