Alisa Otto is a dedicated nonprofit professional with over 15 years of experience in child welfare, family preservation, refugee and immigrant services, and behavioral health. She specializes in program growth and development, workforce development, and nonprofit administration. Alisa is passionate about fostering organizational health, creating a positive and inclusive culture, and ensuring a fun, enjoyable, and safe workplace.  In her free time, Alisa enjoys camping, working out, coaching soccer, playing volleyball, and spending time with her three kids and partner.  

Stephanie Busscher is a child welfare professional with over 13 years of experience. Throughout her career, she has worked as a foster care and adoption specialist and also as a licensing supervisor. Stephanie is passionate about supporting and advocating for children and families throughout their foster care experience. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys camping, reading and spending time with her two children and her husband.

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Katie is a foster and adoptive mom from Muskegon, MI. She is a nonprofit cofounder of Kids Belong and a tireless advocate for the youth in her care as well as the other foster and adoptive families in her community.  She has served as a foster parent navigator as well as a family support coordinator, and she and her husband currently operate a housing program for aged out foster youth.  Katie enjoys camping, hockey and playing ticket to ride with her husband and children.

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Bethany Rademacher has over seven years experience working in child welfare. She has previously worked for a private foster care/adoption agency. Prior to her journey with Heart for Home, Bethany took a break from the child welfare field to stay home with her two young children. Bethany is excited to jump back into the field and work with families, once again. She is passionate about working with  families and individuals who desire to care for children in the foster care system. Outside of work, Bethany enjoys working out, the outdoors, and time with her husband and two children. 

Stacey brings over a decade of experience in child welfare, with nine years dedicated to foster home licensing. As a licensing specialist, she finds fulfillment in guiding foster parents through the licensing process and building meaningful, lasting relationships. Passionate about preparing and educating families to support children in care, Stacey remains dedicated to making a positive impact. Outside of work, Stacey enjoys vacationing with her family, nurturing her vegetable and flower gardens, discovering new recipes and cooking techniques, or immersing herself in a good book.

Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development from Western Michigan University in 2015. Driven by a passion for working with children, she and her husband became licensed foster parents in 2017 and have since adopted one child, with plans to adopt a sibling. With seven years of experience as a foster and adoptive parent, Sarah understands the challenges and rewards of raising children from hard places and values the support of a strong community.

Professionally, she served as a case manager at a crisis pregnancy center, where she supported parents involved with the foster care system, taught parenting classes, collaborated with local agencies, and helped clients set and achieve personal growth goals. Sarah is excited to continue empowering families through respite care.

In her free time, she enjoys camping, traveling, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Julia O'Carey serves as the Recruiter and Family Support Coordinator for Berrien and Cass counties with Heart for Home. In this role, she builds partnerships to expand the community of support around foster, adoptive, and kinship families and recruits new families to provide respite care.

As both an adoptive mom and a former elementary school teacher, Julia brings personal understanding and professional experience to her work. She is also pursuing her Master of Social Work degree at Andrews University, equipping her with deeper skills in trauma-informed care and family support. 

Julia is passionate about making sure every child has a safe, loving environment and that caregivers never feel alone in their journey. She and her husband, AJ, have two daughters and love spending time with them. She also enjoys walking the beach, traveling, cooking international food, and cuddling with her cat, Oreo. 

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Elisa’s decision to relocate from New York to Michigan in 2021 marked a turning point in her life. Shortly after the move, she began her foster care journey by welcoming newborn twins into her home—a transformative experience that sparked a deep passion for supporting children in need. As a fictive kin placement, Elisa quickly recognized her true calling in foster care. She discovered a special love for providing stability to sibling groups and advocating for the well-being of children in the system.

With over 17 years of experience working with children, Elisa now brings her knowledge and heart to supporting our Heart for Home families. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, relaxing on the beach, and heading out on adventurous ATV rides.

Hello, my name is Alix Wanlass, current Foster Care Recruitment Specialist for Heart for Home, serving foster families in Kent County. I have 3 years of experience working in child welfare and 10 + years of experience helping children with different levels of need. I have a lifelong passion for helping children in any way that I can, and am just starting my own journey as a foster mom.  In my free time, I enjoy traveling abroad and spending time with my family.