[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9773]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 HAPPY 100TH ANNIVERSARY LUTHERAN CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICE OF MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 1999

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, nothing is more precious than our children, 
and nothing is more important than our families. An organization that 
celebrates and assists both of these assets is one truly worthy of 
recognition. I am very happy to tell you that this Sunday, May 16th, 
Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan will hold its 100th 
Anniversary Worship Service in Frankenmuth, celebrating the 
organization's founding on May 9, 1899, and its century of 
accomplishment.
  A resolution adopted by the Saginaw Valley Pastors' Conference of the 
Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, led to the establishment of Lutheran 
Child and Family Service of Michigan. It was a response to the need for 
assistance to children who were left homeless by a terrible fires in 
the Thumb area of Michigan. This was the initial chapter in a proud 
history of serving tens of thousands of Michigan's children and 
families through twenty-two service sites in the Lower Peninsula.
  During this past century of championship, Lutheran Child and Family 
Service of Michigan was developed specialized foster care services to 
assist children with intensive treatment needs, and has become one of 
the largest providers of foster care services throughout Michigan. It 
is the largest provider of intensive in-home family preservation 
through its ``Families First'' program. It maintains three residential 
facilities throughout the state for adolescent women, emotionally and 
mentally impaired boys and girls, and its Lutheran Home in Bay City 
that provides treatment for adolescent boys. It is the largest private 
provider in Michigan in the placement of state wards into permanent 
adoptive homes, having placed 200 children last year alone. It helps 
children with AIDS with out-of-home placement. The Lutheran Adoption 
Service was also chosen as a pilot agency for developing an automated 
client information system, the Integrated Information System.
  There is no doubt that many people will face difficulties during 
their lives. At those times, responsible assistance coupled with 
sensitive caring go a long way towards helping to ease problems. Robert 
Miles, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of 
Lutheran Child and Family Service, and all of the wonderful people 
associated with this fine organization can take pride in all that they 
have done, and all that they continue to do each and every day.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge you and all of our colleagues to join me in 
wishing Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan a most joyous 
100th anniversary, and many more happy ones to come.

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