[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ETHEL SEIDERMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 8, 2006

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise with pleasure to honor my friend 
Ethel Seiderman who is receiving the Beryl H. Buck Award for 
Achievement on March 9, 2006, for her embodiment of ``community giving 
in action.'' This award affirms what the Marin community already knows 
about her . . . Ethel Seiderman has given tirelessly her entire life.
  Ethel's life and work reflect her passion for children and families. 
She has created innovative programs which have become national models 
for meeting a broad range of needs. From her early efforts in low-
income communities in Boston and New York in the 1950s to the 
nationwide reach of the Parent Services Project she currently directs, 
Ethel has demonstrated that caring for vulnerable populations with 
respect and compassion reflects how we are as a people.
  In 1973 Ethel founded the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center 
(FSACC) and was the director until 1999. FSACC provides childcare for 
150 low- to moderate-income families each year with ground-breaking 
programs such as the Get Well Room for mildly ill children, extended 
hours, extensive family support, mainstreaming, and transportation for 
school-age children. With the efforts of her late husband and partner 
Stan, the family support program increased fathers' involvement through 
the Men's Group and its various projects.
  The Parent Services Project (PSP) was founded in 1980 as Ethel 
realized that, in order to promote the well-being of children, we must 
promote and incorporate their families. Working in partnership, parents 
and staff develop support groups, respite and family fun events, 
workshops and trainings, and other activities requested by the 
families. With Ethel leading dissemination and advocacy efforts, the 
PSP approach has now been integrated into over 800 programs across the 
country. These services vary widely, as they are developed by the needs 
of the particular parent group; organic development at each site is the 
norm rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
  As a consultant to many of these programs and a stirring and sought-
after conference speaker, Ethel continues to travel the Nation 
promoting the family support principles that guide PSP. She has also 
published numerous articles and received awards including Marin Citizen 
of the Year, Marin Women's Hall of Fame, and Woman of the Year from the 
California legislature.
  Throughout these endeavors, Ethel's husband Stan, who passed away 
last year, and her two children and four grandchildren, have provided 
her a loving support network. And Ethel's extended family--the many 
people whose lives she has touched--have also returned her warmth over 
the years. In the words of one director of a children's program that 
she helped, ``Ethel opened our eyes to a whole new approach in life as 
well as work, a mode that united families and staff to support each 
other and to promote the success of our children.''
  Mr. Speaker, Ethel Seiderman understands that through honoring and 
sustaining each other we can truly build a better future. And I honor 
her on the occasion of her well-
deserved receipt of the Beryl H. Buck Award. I know that she will 
continue to embody community giving while inspiring others to do the 
same.

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