Kathy Stagg works as a Home Study assistant with MLJ Adoptions. She visits with MLJ Adoptionsā Indiana families and assists them in completing their home study. Her favorite part of working in child welfare and adoption is watching the way families come together and support one another, knowing that they can truly understand one another because they have walked in one anotherās shoes.
She was first introduced to adoption through her aunt and uncle who fostered and adopted teenagers. This exposed her to families who were developed in different ways. Throughout her career, Kathy has witnessed and worked with families built through domestic adoption, foster adoption and international adoption. Her favorite adoption memory is the commitment ceremony for one of her foster to adopt families. Because of delays in their process, they decided to hold a commitment ceremony prior to their official court hearing in order to demonstrate to their family, friends and newly-adopted daughters that they were a family forever. Despite the challenges that this family had experienced, the commitment ceremony was full of love, promise, hope and laughter at the antics of one of the little girls.
Kathy has been married twenty-two years to a teacher and basketball coach.Ā They have an 18 year old daughter who will soon be heading off to college.Ā Kathy’s passion for helping others has been passed down to her daughter, whose career goal is to be a medical missionary in Central or South America. She also enjoys scrapbooking, watching police and law dramas on television, and of course attending her daughter’s many events.
Kathy earned her Bachelorās Degree in Social Work from Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky and completed her Masterās Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked for almost twenty years at a child and family agency where she currently provides therapy for adoptive families and serves as a supervisor for the post adoption program. She has previously served as an executive board member of Indiana Adoption and Child Care Agencies.